English Audio Transcription Specialist
$10–35/hr
Remote audio contract with Alignerr, $10–35/hr, open to people in South Africa. Posted Oct 20.
$10–35/hr
Apply on AlignerrIs this job worth applying to?
- Pay
- About typicalTops out at $35/hr. The typical top rate across 238 priced audio listings is $40/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
- RecentPosted 2w ago. Still listed on Alignerr on Nov 6, 2026.
- Where you live
- Named countries onlyOpen in South Africa.
The job description
About the Role
What if your sharp ear and command of English could directly shape how AI listens to and understands the spoken word? We're looking for English Audio Transcription Specialists in Johannesburg to convert spoken audio into accurate, well-formatted text — helping AI systems learn to process real human speech with all its accents, nuances, and complexity.
South Africa's strong English-speaking workforce and exposure to a rich diversity of accents and speaking styles make Johannesburg an excellent talent hub for this role. This is a fully remote, flexible contract role. No prior transcription or AI experience is required — just excellent English listening skills, strong attention to detail, and a reliable internet connection.
What You'll Do
- Listen to audio recordings in English and produce precise, verbatim transcriptions
- Accurately capture spoken content including natural speech patterns, filler words, and speaker changes where required
- Apply consistent formatting, punctuation, and spelling conventions according to project guidelines
- Identify and flag unclear, inaudible, or ambiguous audio segments
- Handle a diverse range of audio types — conversations, interviews, lectures, podcasts, customer interactions, and more
- Review and proofread transcriptions for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to style guides
- Work independently and asynchronously — fully on your own schedule
Who You Are
- Native or near-native fluency in English with excellent listening comprehension
- Strong written English skills — confident with grammar, spelling, and punctuation
- Naturally detail-oriented with a consistent, methodical approach to work
- Able to follow structured guidelines and apply them accurately at scale
- Comfortable working with different accents, speaking speeds, and audio quality levels
- Self-motivated and reliable when working independently
- No prior transcription, AI, or tech experience required
Nice to Have
- Experience in transcription, closed captioning, subtitling, or stenography
- Familiarity with transcription tools or audio editing software
- Background in linguistics, journalism, communications, or media production
- Experience working with varied English dialects and accents (American, British, Australian, South African, Indian, etc.)
- Fast, accurate typing skills (70+ WPM)
- Knowledge of specialized vocabulary in fields such as medicine, law, technology, or finance
Why Join Us
- Work on cutting-edge AI projects alongside leading research labs
- Fully remote and flexible — work when and where it suits you
- Freelance autonomy with the structure of meaningful, task-based work
- Contribute to AI development that directly improves how technology understands human speech
- Build skills in a high-demand field at the intersection of language and AI
- 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.
