Both hire subject experts as remote contractors and both screen with a recorded AI interview. micro1’s interview takes 20 to 40 minutes and pay arrives twice a month. SME Careers’ takes about 15 minutes, pay arrives weekly, and many of its roles pay a different maximum in each country. Both pay through Deel.
micro1 and SME Careers side by side
| micro1 | SME Careers | |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles here | 220 | 185 |
| Hourly pay as stated | $6–400 | up to $150; every figure is a maximum |
| Median hourly ceiling | $100 | $65 |
| Screening | One recorded AI voice interview, 20 to 40 minutes | An application, a recorded AI interview of about 15 minutes, then a review by SME’s team |
| Retakes | Not stated; certified skills since July 2025 carry over | One retake, if offered, per job |
| Time to hear back | About 48 hours for interview review, up to 30 days for a hiring manager | Grading in 1 to 2 business days; no fixed timeline after that |
| Paid | Twice a month, in US dollars, through Deel | Weekly through Deel, typically 1 to 3 days after SME submits the payout |
| Hours | About 15 to 20 a week expected, none guaranteed | No weekly figure; work depends on client demand |
| Tracked time | Approved hours | Active time only; more than 2 minutes idle is unpaid |
Pay figures come from the live postings, checked each morning. Process rows come from each platform’s own help pages, read on 13 Oct 2026.
The work
micro1’s roles here lean toward lawyers (32), business and operations (17) and doctors and clinicians (21). SME’s lean toward bilingual speakers (66) and software engineers (37), then engineers (15) and researchers and academics (12).
Most SME projects start with a paid training period it calls bootcamp, scored against the project’s quality bar. Not passing ends that project, not your place on the platform. micro1 describes no equivalent stage.
The pay
micro1 states a range on each role, and its hourly roles here span $6–400. SME states a maximum, and many roles set a different maximum for each country. The highest maximum here is $150 an hour. Each SME role page lists every country’s figure, so read the one for where you work.
micro1 pays work from the 1st to the 15th around the 20th, and the rest of the month around the 5th. SME pays each Monday-to-Sunday week the following Friday, through Deel. Neither guarantees hours.
Getting in
micro1’s interview is a voice conversation with its AI interviewer, Zara. A recruiter reviews it within about 48 hours, and a strong result goes to a hiring manager, which can take up to 30 days. You can ask for feedback if you do not qualify. The micro1 interview guide covers it.
SME’s application takes a CV or your history typed in, your languages and your country, which must be one Deel can pay. The AI interview follows, best taken on a desktop. SME says people make the final decision. After a pass, its team reviews your profile and may call you. The SME interview guide covers it.
After you are in
SME says onboarding makes you eligible for projects but does not guarantee one. Many of its postings say there is no immediate project for the role. micro1 says a role lasts as long as the client has work, and that it tries to move you if a project is cancelled. micro1 can end its agreement immediately on written notice.
Which one
Pick micro1 for pay twice a month and an expected 15 to 20 hours a week. Pick SME for weekly pay and a short interview, especially if you work in more than one language. You can apply to both.
See what is open: micro1 roles and SME Careers roles. The full reviews are on the micro1 page and the SME Careers page.
If you’re hired through our link and complete 10 hours, micro1 pays this site a referral fee. If you’re hired through our link and start paid work, SME Careers pays this site a share of what you earn. Your pay is unaffected on both. Red Pen Jobs is independent. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for micro1, SME Careers or SuperAnnotate in any way, and we do not recruit on their behalf.