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 bench scientists to help train AI models. You’ll design realistic experimental-biology tasks from your own practice, run them through frontier AI systems, and grade what comes back against the standard you’d hold a colleague to.

The models can already talk fluently about biology. What they can’t yet do reliably is the real work: call a plate QC go/no-go, gate a flow panel, check a cloning strategy, or read a Western blot from the raw images. Your bench judgment becomes the benchmark those models are measured against.

What you’ll actually do

Design realistic experimental tasks from your own workflows: the scenario, the prompt, and the supporting files an agent would need (plate maps and reader output, gel and blot images, flow summaries, protocols, QC records).
Run tasks through frontier AI agents and grade the deliverable they produce (a QC summary, experimental plan, or troubleshooting memo) against a professional standard.
Write clear grading rubrics that specify what a correct deliverable must contain (the right controls, the right wells excluded, the right diagnosis of a failed run), and explain why a response passes or fails.
Flag concrete failures with evidence: controls ignored, edge effects and outliers missed, wrong normalization, plausible-sounding troubleshooting the raw data contradict, or fabricated values.

Problems draw on whatever you know best:

Molecular and cell biology: cloning, cell culture, and cell-based assays.
Protein biochemistry: purification, characterization, and assay development.
Immunology and flow cytometry: panel design and gating.
Imaging and histology, microbiology and virology.
In vivo and preclinical work, plus lab operations and analytical sciences.

Roles this fits

Common backgrounds: Research Scientist, Molecular / Cell Biologist, Postdoctoral Fellow.

What we look for

3+ years designing and running experiments in a pharma, biotech, or academic research lab (counted after undergraduate study).
Depth in at least one of: molecular biology and cloning; cell culture and cell-based assays; protein biochemistry; immunology and flow cytometry; imaging and histology; microbiology or virology; in vivo and preclinical work.
A hands-on practitioner who designs and troubleshoots experiments, not only executes SOPs: you can explain what each control is for and diagnose why a run failed.
You generate and QC primary data, and can judge from raw instrument output whether a run is usable.
Master’s or PhD (or current PhD candidate) in biology 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.