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 drug discovery scientists to help train AI models. You’ll design realistic discovery and preclinical 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 drug discovery. What they can’t yet do reliably is the real work: SAR analysis, screening triage, DMPK and PK/PD interpretation, or a candidate-selection call. Your judgment moving programs from target to IND becomes the benchmark those models are measured against.

What you’ll actually do

Design realistic discovery tasks from your own workflows: the scenario, the prompt, and the files an agent would need (assay result tables, SAR spreadsheets, DMPK summaries, study reports, program-review decks).
Run tasks through frontier AI agents and grade the deliverable (a decision memo, screening workbook, or tox summary) against the standard you’d hold a colleague to.
Write clear grading rubrics (the right compounds advanced, the right liabilities flagged, the right calculations) and explain why a response passes or fails.
Flag concrete failures with evidence: misread assay data, SAR conclusions the data don’t support, PK parameters misinterpreted, unit and scaling errors, or missed safety liabilities.

Problems draw on whatever you know best:

Medicinal chemistry and SAR / lead optimization.
Computational chemistry and CADD.
Assay development and screening.
DMPK, PK/PD, ADME, and preclinical safety.
Translational and biomarker science, biologics and advanced modalities, and CMC / process development.

Roles this fits

Common backgrounds: Medicinal Chemist, DMPK / PK-PD Scientist, Discovery Biologist.

What we look for

3+ years hands-on in a discovery or preclinical setting (pharma, biotech, or an academic drug-discovery unit), counted after undergraduate study.
Depth in at least one of: medicinal chemistry and SAR; computational chemistry / CADD; assay development and screening; DMPK / PK-PD / ADME; preclinical safety and toxicology; translational and biomarker science; protein or antibody engineering; cell and gene therapy; CMC and formulation.
Familiarity with drug discovery end to end: target validation, hit finding, hit-to-lead, lead optimization, candidate selection, and IND-enabling studies.
A hands-on practitioner who does (or recently did) the bench or analysis work yourself, not solely in a managerial capacity.
Master’s or PhD (or current PhD candidate) in biology, chemistry, pharmacology, 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.