Trainwage

All gigs · Film everyday tasks · checked 2026-11-09

Is Tesla Optimus Data Collection Operator legit?

A direct full-time employee role posted on Tesla's own careers site, with benefits from day 1, so it is not a gig platform. The Glassdoor listing for the same role shows Tesla's employer rating of 3.6. No review source specific to this role was opened.

Does it pay? unclear

What you do

A full-time, on-site Tesla job, not a gig. You wear motion capture equipment and operate recording devices while handling objects and walking set routes at Tesla facilities and in public, generating data to train the Optimus humanoid robot. You also upload data and write daily reports. The posting requires walking 7+ hours a day while carrying up to 30 lbs.

The details

Pay
$25.25–34.5/hr
As published: Palo Alto posting: $25.25–$34.50/hour plus cash and stock awards and benefits. The Austin posting lists no pay.
Open in
US (2 US states)
On-site employment. On 2026-11-09 tesla.com listed two openings: Palo Alto, CA (req. 253975; day or evening shifts) and Austin, TX (req. 282317; 6:00PM–4:30AM shifts). The job involves up to 25% travel and daily regional driving.
You need
motion capture equipment (worn on the job), recording devices (operated on the job)
Paid by
Employee payroll; the posting lists Earned Wage Access (real-time pay, paid daily, subject to eligibility)
Company
Tesla, Inc. (Optimus program; job category 'Tesla SI')

What we couldn’t confirm

tesla.com blocks automated fetches, so its pages were read in a browser after a bot-check interstitial. Other Tesla postings for this role, seen on job boards with undated captures, listed Fremont (LinkedIn, now closed, $25.25–$34.50/hour) and Marina del Rey ($23.99–$32.78/hour on Glassdoor, employer-provided, with a 5'7"–6'3" height requirement). The current tesla.com postings state no height requirement. Pay in the Fortune report is from 2024.

Apply on tesla.com →How to spot fake ones

We are not affiliated with Tesla Optimus Data Collection Operator. Pay and availability change; confirm on the official site before you start. Never pay to get work.

Sources

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