Is this job worth applying to?

Pay

About typicalTops out at $100/hr. The typical top rate across 237 priced coding listings is $90/hr.

Getting in

Hard to get in~1–2 hours of assessments. Valid government photo ID.

Steady work

Work is patchyFeast-or-famine project volume.

Payout record

Some delaysSchedule: weekly, by Friday for the prior Monday–Sunday. Paid via Stripe or PayPal (depends on country).

Freshness

Older postPosted 5mo ago. Still listed on Alignerr on Nov 6, 2026.

Where you live

Open worldwideOpen worldwide.

The job description

About the Role

What if the code you write could directly power the AI systems shaping how millions of people interact with technology? We're looking for Back End Developers to design, build, and optimize the server-side systems and APIs that drive cutting-edge AI products — from data pipelines and model-serving infrastructure to scalable microservices that handle real-world traffic at scale.

This is a fully remote, flexible contract role. Whether you're a seasoned engineer looking for meaningful project work or a strong developer ready to apply your skills to AI-adjacent infrastructure, this is your chance to build things that matter.

What You'll Do

Design, develop, and maintain robust back end services, APIs, and data pipelines
Build scalable, high-performance server-side architecture to support AI training and inference workloads
Write clean, well-documented, and testable code following engineering best practices
Integrate with databases, message queues, cloud services, and third-party APIs
Optimize system performance, reliability, and scalability as usage grows
Collaborate asynchronously with distributed teams of engineers, researchers, and product leads
Troubleshoot production issues, conduct code reviews, and contribute to architectural decisions
Work independently on task-based and project-based assignments on your own schedule

Who You Are

Proficient in one or more back end languages — Python, Go, Java, Node.js, Rust, or similar
Solid understanding of RESTful API design, microservices architecture, and distributed systems
Experienced with relational and/or NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, etc.)
Comfortable working with cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure
Familiar with version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to debug complex systems independently
Self-motivated, reliable, and effective when working asynchronously without close supervision
Clear communicator who can document decisions and collaborate across time zones

Nice to Have

Experience building infrastructure for machine learning or AI systems
Familiarity with data processing frameworks (Apache Kafka, Spark, Airflow, or similar)
Background in performance optimization, caching strategies, or high-throughput systems
Knowledge of authentication, authorization, and security best practices
Experience with serverless architectures or event-driven design patterns
Contributions to open-source projects or a strong portfolio of personal/professional work

Why Join Us

Work on cutting-edge AI infrastructure projects alongside leading research labs
Fully remote and flexible — set your own hours and work from anywhere in the world
Freelance autonomy with access to meaningful, technically challenging work
Build systems at the intersection of software engineering and artificial intelligence
Collaborate with a global network of talented engineers and researchers
Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch

How do you apply to Alignerr?

Apply on Alignerr

The Apply button opens this post on Alignerr's own site. You apply with them, not with Rubric. Budget about 1–2 hours of assessments.

Get through screening

What Alignerr asks for after you apply:

Take the TestGorilla skills assessment (usually one attempt per role)
Verify your identity with Persona
Join the Alignerr Slack community
Set up payouts once you are assigned to a project

Start work and get paid

Pay schedule: weekly, by Friday for the prior Monday–Sunday. Paid via Stripe or PayPal (depends on country). You're paid for the work they hand out, not a fixed salary.

Alignerr also needs

Valid government photo ID
Degree or professional experience for expert roles
Webcam for proctored assessments on some roles

Red flags

Red flagLong gaps with no project after passing
Red flagWorker reports of delayed or withheld payments on Glassdoor

What is Alignerr like to work for?

Labelbox's contractor network, which hires generalists and domain experts to label data and write and grade AI training tasks.

Advertised pay	$15–150/hr
Getting in	Hard to get in
Application takes	~1–2 hours of assessments
How you get paid	Weekly, by Friday for the prior Monday–Sunday, via Stripe or PayPal (depends on country)
Payout record	Some delays
Countries	Accepts most countries but blocks signups from about two dozen; posts India-specific roles such as Hindi, Telugu and Indian-English language and cultural review work.

Generalist and bilingual work is around $15–20/hr, coding QA $30–40/hr, and senior software, advanced math, medical and law roles $70–150/hr; some projects pay per approved task.