Masters or PhD Researcher
$75–90/hr
Remote STEM contract with Alignerr, $75–90/hr. Posted Oct 23.
$75–90/hr
Apply on AlignerrIs this job worth applying to?
- Pay
- Above typicalTops out at $90/hr. The typical top rate across 148 priced STEM listings is $70/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
- Not statedThe listing names no country.
The job description
About the Role
What if your years of advanced research and deep domain expertise could directly shape how the world's most powerful AI systems reason, think, and solve problems? We're looking for Masters and PhD-level researchers to work with leading AI labs — designing complex, multi-disciplinary problems that push the boundaries of what AI can do.
This is a fully remote, flexible contract role built for researchers who want to apply their expertise in a high-impact, intellectually stimulating environment. No prior AI industry experience needed — your academic and research background is exactly what we're looking for.
What You'll Do
- Develop, solve, and review advanced problems across academic and professional STEM domains with real-world relevance
- Apply your research expertise to design complex, multi-step problem statements that challenge and improve AI reasoning capabilities
- Collaborate asynchronously with AI researchers and fellow domain experts to enhance model performance
- Evaluate the quality and rigor of AI-generated outputs against high academic standards
- Ensure clarity, depth, and intellectual precision across all deliverables
- Complete task-based assignments independently on your own schedule
Who You Are
- Master's or PhD holder in a STEM or highly technical field from a top-tier university
- Strong track record of research, publications, or complex technical project management
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with rigorous attention to detail
- Self-directed and comfortable working independently in an asynchronous environment
- Genuinely excited about AI and its potential to transform how knowledge is applied
Nice to Have
- Prior experience with data annotation, data quality assessment, or model evaluation
- Proficiency in Python, R, or other research-oriented programming languages
- Familiarity with AI tools, reasoning benchmarks, or large language model workflows
- Multi-disciplinary research background spanning more than one technical domain
Why Join Us
- Work directly with cutting-edge AI projects at the frontier of machine intelligence
- Fully remote and flexible — structure your work around your life, not the other way around
- Freelance autonomy with the substance and rigor of meaningful, high-level research work
- Contribute to AI systems that will shape how science and technology evolve for decades
- Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new research 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.
