Is this job worth applying to?

Pay

Above typicalTops out at $125/hr. The typical top rate across 106 priced science listings is $90/hr.

Getting in

Hard to get in1–2 hours (one-time starter assessment). Fluent English.

Steady work

Comes and goesWorkload can drop to zero for weeks.

Payout record

Pays on timeSchedule: on request; arrives within a few days. Paid via PayPal.

Freshness

No post dateDataAnnotation doesn't publish post dates. First seen Oct 28, 2026; still listed Nov 6, 2026.

Where you live

Named countries onlyOpen in United States, Canada, Ireland and 2 more (from the post).

The job description

Overview

We’re looking for experienced computational biologists and bioinformaticians to help train AI models. You’ll design realistic analysis tasks from your own practice, run them through frontier AI systems, and grade what comes back against a professional standard.

The models can talk fluently about biological data analysis. What they can’t yet do reliably is the real work: QC an RNA-seq count matrix, prioritize variants, diagnose a batch effect, or audit a pipeline. Your judgment of when a result is real becomes the benchmark those models are measured against.

What you’ll actually do

Design realistic analysis tasks from your own workflows: the scenario, the prompt, and the files an agent would need (count matrices, sample sheets and metadata, VCFs, pipeline logs and QC output, analysis notebooks).
Run tasks through frontier AI agents and grade the deliverable (an analysis report, annotated table, figure set, or notebook) against the standard you’d hold a colleague to.
Write clear grading rubrics (the right normalization, the right multiple-testing correction, the right biological reading) and explain why a response passes or fails.
Flag concrete failures with evidence: batch effects and confounders ignored, wrong statistical test or uncorrected p-values, misused reference version, silently dropped samples, or code that doesn’t do what the narrative claims.

Problems draw on whatever you know best:

Genomics and variant interpretation.
Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics.
Proteomics, metabolomics, and multiomics integration.
Population and statistical genetics.
Machine learning applied to biology.

Roles this fits

Common backgrounds: Bioinformatics Scientist, Genomics Data Scientist, Computational Biologist.

What we look for

3+ years hands-on analyzing real biological data in industry, an academic lab, or a research institute (counted after undergraduate study).
You write, debug, and can explain your own analysis code in Python and/or R (at least one required, both preferred).
Depth in at least one of: genomics and variant interpretation; bulk or single-cell transcriptomics; proteomics / metabolomics / multiomics; population and statistical genetics; ML applied to biology; clinical genomics; metagenomics or phylogenetics.
You’ve owned a multistep analysis end to end, from raw or messy data to final interpretation, and can judge whether a result is real (normalization, batch effects, multiple-testing correction, biological interpretation).
Master’s or PhD (or current PhD candidate) in biology, bioinformatics, biostatistics, computer science, or a related field, completed in the U.S., Canada, Europe, or the UK.
Clear written English, comfort with ambiguity, and familiarity with AI/LLM tools like Claude or ChatGPT.
Based in the United States, Canada, or the UK (Ireland and Australia may also be accepted).

How it works

Apply

Qualify

Work & get paid

Compensation

Up to $125+/hr depending on task difficulty and specialization. Many contributors add $100k–$200k a year; some make it their full-time income.

About DataAnnotation

DataAnnotation is where 1M+ experts train the world’s leading AI models. Hundreds of millions paid to contributors to date, and the average contributor stays 5+ years. Flexible, remote, and always project-available.

Apply now

How do you apply to DataAnnotation?

Apply on DataAnnotation

The Apply button opens this post on DataAnnotation's own site. You apply with them, not with Rubric. Budget 1–2 hours (one-time starter assessment).

Get through screening

What DataAnnotation asks for after you apply:

Take the starter assessment; you only get one attempt
Wait for an email with the result (many never hear back)
Verify your identity with Persona
Pick projects from your dashboard

Start work and get paid

Pay schedule: on request; arrives within a few days. Paid via PayPal. You're paid for the work they hand out, not a fixed salary.

DataAnnotation also needs

Fluent English
PayPal account
Government ID for verification

Red flags

Red flagAccounts deactivated without explanation, sometimes with unpaid balances reported
Red flagNo reply after the unpaid starter assessment
Red flagMay 2025 class action over contractor status and unpaid assessments (allegations)

What is DataAnnotation like to work for?

Surge AI's worker-facing platform: you pass one starter assessment, then pick paid writing, coding and rating tasks from a dashboard whenever you like.

Advertised pay	$20–150/hr
Getting in	Hard to get in
Application takes	1–2 hours (one-time starter assessment)
How you get paid	On request; arrives within a few days, via PayPal
Payout record	Pays on time
Countries	Historically limited to the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, with some workers reporting access from other countries. India has not been on the published list.

Official starting rates are $25–50/hr general, $40–150/hr coding and $40–125/hr STEM/professional; workers report general tasks often settle around $20–30/hr.