Is this job worth applying to?

Pay

Above typicalTops out at $125/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

Named countries onlyOpen in Australia, Canada, Ireland and 3 more (from the post).

The job description

Overview

DataAnnotation is looking for an experienced Embedded Systems Developer to evaluate how frontier AI models handle real electrical and electronics engineering work. You bring the judgment you have already built over years of designing, debugging, and shipping hardware. We bring engineering problems the models cannot yet solve on their own.

This is a new and growing area for our company, focused on teaching AI to reason correctly about circuits, systems, and physical constraints. Your engineering judgment, your standard for what counts as a correct answer, and the written rationale behind them become the signal that shapes the next generation of engineering tools.

What you’ll actually do

Design challenging, realistic engineering problems from your own practice: a circuit to specify, a control loop to stabilize, a power stage to size.
Run those problems through frontier AI models and judge the output against your professional standard.
Compare two model versions on identical prompts and call which performed better, and where each fell short.
Critique model-generated derivations, schematics, component selections, and calculations, and write the reasoning behind your call.
Flag concrete failures with evidence: wrong assumptions, sign and unit errors, unphysical results, invalid topologies, fabricated datasheet values, or off-brief interpretation.

Problems draw on whatever you know best:

Analog, RF, and mixed-signal circuits.
Electromagnetics and antennas.
Control and systems.
Devices and materials.
Signal processing and photonics.
Power and energy systems.

Roles this fits

Common backgrounds: Embedded Systems Developer, Firmware Engineer, Embedded Software Engineer.

What we look for

Fluency in English (native or bilingual level).
2+ years of industry experience in circuit or electronics engineering.
Background in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, or a closely related discipline.
Strong command of circuit analysis and design tradeoffs, and the ability to defend component-level and system-level decisions.
The ability to articulate why an answer is wrong, not only that it is.
Working comfort with AI tools, or the ability to pick them up quickly.
A current, in-progress, or completed Bachelor’s is preferred but not required.
Only applicants based in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States will be considered for this role.

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.