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DataAnnotation for AI trainers

Get paid to teach AI your expertise

dataannotation.tech
Open jobs
113
Median pay
$83/hr
Typical pay
$25–130/hr
1,973 reviews
3.9

About DataAnnotation

DataAnnotation is the worker platform of Surge AI, a San Francisco company that sells AI training data to AI labs. It hires generalists, coders, scientists, lawyers, doctors, accountants, and speakers of dozens of languages as independent contractors. They rate and rewrite chatbot answers, check AI code, and write hard prompts. DataAnnotation says more than 100,000 experts work on it. You pick your own projects and hours, with no minimum.

Founded
2020 (Surge AI)
Founder
Edwin Chen (CEO of Surge AI)
Headquarters
San Francisco, USA
Funding
Self-funded ($1.2B revenue in 2024)
Workers
Independent contractors
Payment
PayPal, 7 days after the work

How hiring works

  1. Sign up on dataannotation.tech and take the Starter Assessment for your track, such as general, coding, math, or a language. It takes about 1 hour, and you can take it only once.
  2. Wait for the result. DataAnnotation says it replies in a few days, but many workers say they waited weeks or months, and some never hear back.
  3. If you pass, take the longer Core assessment or a specialist test, then verify your identity with a government ID and a selfie.
  4. Projects then show on your dashboard. Pick the ones you want. More specialist tests unlock better-paid projects.

What workers say

Good

  • Most reviewers say PayPal payments arrive on time.
  • No minimum hours: you choose when you work and which projects you take.
  • Expert roles list $40 to $125+ an hour, and coding roles up to $150+.

Watch out for

  • Many applicants never hear back after the Starter Assessment, or wait for months.
  • Accounts can lose all projects overnight with no reason given. Workers on Reddit say they still got the pay they had earned.
  • Support rarely replies, and work can dry up for weeks. Most recent Trustpilot reviews are 1 star.

Open jobs at DataAnnotation

Open jobs

113 jobs

  • Croatian Specialist

    CroatianTranslation+3

    $25–40/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Icelandic Specialist

    IcelandicTranslation+3

    $25–40/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Management Consultant

    Management Consulting+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe, and Oceania

  • Radiologist

    Radiology+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe, and Oceania

  • Slovak Specialist

    SlovakTranslation+3

    $25–40/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Computational Biologist

    PythonRBioinformatics+5

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 US, Canada, UK; Ireland and Australia may qualify

  • Drug Discovery Scientist

    Medicinal Chemistry+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe and Oceania

  • Experimental Biologist

    Molecular BiologyCloning+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe and Oceania

  • Automation Technician

    Mechanical EngineeringCAD+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe and Oceania

  • Mechanical Design Engineer

    Mechanical DesignCAD+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe and Oceania

  • Mechanical Designer

    Mechanical DesignCAD+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe and Oceania

  • Mechanical Engineer

    Mechanical EngineeringCAD+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe and Oceania

  • Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

    Mechanical DesignCAD+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe and Oceania

  • Validation Engineer

    Mechanical EngineeringCAD+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe and Oceania

  • Electronics Engineer

    Circuit Analysis+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK and US

  • Hardware Engineer

    Circuit Analysis+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK and US

  • Electrical Engineer

    Circuit Analysis+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe and Oceania

  • Embedded Systems Developer

    Circuit Analysis+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 North America, Europe and Oceania

  • Physicist

    MechanicsElectromagnetism+3

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Application Security Engineer

    Application Security+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Biologist

    BiologyMolecular Biology+3

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Chemist

    Organic Chemistry+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Cybersecurity Expert

    Security Engineering+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Designer

    Product DesignUX Design+5

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Incident Responder

    Incident Response+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Mathematician

    Pure Mathematics+4

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Penetration Tester

    Penetration Testing+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Accountant

    Bookkeeping+5

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Actuary

    Actuarial Methods+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Attorney

    Legal ResearchLegal Writing+4

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Auditor

    Audit Planning+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Backend Engineer

    Backend Development+7

    $40–150/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Cardiologist

    Cardiology+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Clinical Documentation Specialist

    Clinical Documentation Integrity+7

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Compliance Officer

    Regulatory Compliance+5

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Contract Manager

    Contract Drafting+5

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Corporate Accountant

    GAAP+4

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Corporate Attorney

    Mergers and Acquisitions+5

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Credit Analyst

    Credit AnalysisUnderwriting+3

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Data Scientist

    PythonSQLNotebooks+3

    $40–150/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • DevOps Engineer

    CI/CDInfrastructure as Code+4

    $40–150/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Equity Research Analyst

    Equity Research+4

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Finance Expert

    Corporate FinanceFP&A+4

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Financial Reporting Manager

    Technical Accounting+6

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • FP&A Analyst

    FP&AForecastingBudgeting+3

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Frontend Engineer

    ReactTypeScriptCSS+4

    $40–150/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Full Stack Engineer

    JavaScript+4

    $40–150/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Healthcare Compliance Specialist

    HIPAAHealthcare Compliance+3

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Healthcare Operations Manager

    Healthcare Administration+5

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

  • Insurance Underwriter

    Insurance Underwriting+5

    $40–125/hr

    🌍 Worldwide

Open jobs by category

  1. Languages42 open jobs
  2. Finance20 open jobs
  3. STEM16 open jobs
  4. Medical13 open jobs
  5. Coding11 open jobs
  6. Legal8 open jobs
  7. Generalist2 open jobs
  8. Creative1 open jobs

Hourly pay of open jobs

  1. Under $250 open jobs
  2. $25–5043 open jobs
  3. $50–750 open jobs
  4. $75–10070 open jobs
  5. $100–1500 open jobs
  6. $150–2000 open jobs
  7. $200 or more0 open jobs

Frequently Asked Questions about DataAnnotation

How much does DataAnnotation pay?

DataAnnotation has 113 open jobs on this site. The median pay is $83/hr, and most jobs pay $25–130/hr. Each job page shows its own rate.

How does DataAnnotation pay workers?

DataAnnotation pays in USD through PayPal, and its job pages list weekly payouts. Workers on Reddit say pay for hourly work becomes transferable 7 days after you log the time. You can then move it to PayPal at once, but only once every 3 days. Some workers in countries without PayPal say they get paid through Payoneer. Its terms let DataAnnotation reject work it finds inadequate, and rejected work is not paid. You pay your own taxes.

How do I get hired at DataAnnotation?

1. Sign up on dataannotation.tech and take the Starter Assessment for your track, such as general, coding, math, or a language. It takes about 1 hour, and you can take it only once. 2. Wait for the result. DataAnnotation says it replies in a few days, but many workers say they waited weeks or months, and some never hear back. 3. If you pass, take the longer Core assessment or a specialist test, then verify your identity with a government ID and a selfie. 4. Projects then show on your dashboard. Pick the ones you want. More specialist tests unlock better-paid projects.

Is DataAnnotation legit?

Yes. DataAnnotation belongs to Surge AI, a San Francisco company founded in 2020 by Edwin Chen. Surge made $1.2B in revenue in 2024 without outside funding, and it works with AI companies such as Meta and OpenAI. DataAnnotation pays through PayPal, it never asks you for money, and it has 3.9 of 5 on Trustpilot from about 2,000 reviews. In May 2025, a worker filed a class action in California that says Surge should treat its workers as employees, not contractors.

How are DataAnnotation and Surge AI related?

DataAnnotation is the worker platform of Surge AI. Surge sells AI training data to AI labs, and DataAnnotation finds and pays the people who do the work. When you join, you accept terms with Surge Labs, Inc., the legal name of Surge AI, and you work as an independent contractor. The DataAnnotation logo now reads "powered by Surge AI".

Why haven't I heard back from DataAnnotation?

DataAnnotation says it contacts you only if you pass and it has work that fits your skills, and it cannot reply to every applicant. On Reddit, some workers got projects in a day, and others waited months or over a year. You cannot retake the Starter Assessment, so take your time on it and write careful answers.

What is an AI trainer job?

AI trainers help companies improve AI models. You review and rate model answers, write example answers, find mistakes, or record voice and video data. Experts in law, medicine, coding, languages, and other fields teach models how a professional thinks. Most of this work is remote, flexible, and paid by the hour.

Are AI trainer jobs remote?

Yes. Every job on this site is remote, and most have flexible hours. Some jobs accept people from certain countries only, so check the 🌍 location on each job before you apply.

What skills or degrees do I need?

It depends on the job. Generalist jobs need clear writing and attention to detail. Expert jobs usually ask for a degree or work experience in the field, such as a law license or medical training. Language jobs need native or fluent skill in that language. Coding jobs need real programming experience.