Is this job worth applying to?

Pay

Above typicalTops out at $150/hr. The typical top rate across 237 priced coding 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

Not statedThe listing names no country.

The job description

Overview

Models write backend code that passes the happy-path test and falls over on everything else: the race condition under load, the N+1 that melts the database, the API contract that breaks every client the day you change it. Someone has to reason about the system, not just the snippet, and that someone is you.

As a Backend Engineer you'll stress-test how models design services, data models, and APIs, expose where their reasoning breaks under real load, and write the answers a strong backend engineer would stand behind.

What you’ll actually do

Probe backend reasoning across service design, data modeling, and API contracts, and see where the model's design falls apart.
Find the failures that matter: race conditions, N+1 queries, bad indexes, and breaking changes hiding in a clean-looking diff.
Write the correct design when the model falls short, with the scaling and consistency trade-offs made explicit.

Roles this fits

Common backgrounds: Backend Engineer, API Engineer, Platform Engineer.

What we look for

Professional or serious open-source experience building backend services.
Comfort with databases, APIs, and concurrency; most tasks assume a language like Python, Go, Java, or Rust.
Clear written English: your explanations are the training signal.
No degree required. We care about what you can do, not where you learned it.

How it works

Apply

Qualify

Work & get paid

Compensation

Up to $150+/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.