
Machine Learning Researcher - AI - Remote
Listing checked September 18, 2026 · pay as published by Handshake AI
Overview
Handshake AI hires computer science and AI/ML researchers for hourly, project-based work that improves how models handle technical research. You will judge AI-generated answers, build expert training examples, and give written feedback grounded in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and CS research methods. The role is remote and asynchronous, with no minimum hours; contributors on active projects tend to log about 5 to 20 hours each week. Placement hinges on current project needs, and strong contributors may qualify for later projects. The listing notes you do not need prior experience with AI training work.
What You'll Do8
- 1Review AI-generated responses for factual accuracy, relevance, and alignment with current CS and AI/ML research.
- 2Produce expert-level training data that captures research methods and domain knowledge.
- 3Compare model claims against academic sources and explain where outputs miss the mark.
- 4Flag gaps, errors, or outdated references in generated technical content.
- 5Apply your background in fields such as computer vision, natural language processing, or multiagent systems.
- 6Send clear written feedback to AI research teams on an asynchronous schedule.
- 7Track your own tasks and hours without a minimum each week.
- 8Join active projects when your expertise matches current needs, with chances for future project placements.
Requirements7
- 1PhD in computer science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or a related discipline from a top 100 US university.
- 2Research experience in one or more areas: machine learning, AI, computer vision, natural language processing, neural and evolutionary computing, robotics, systems and control, or multiagent systems.
- 3Working knowledge of arXiv.org and the Computing Research Repository (cs).
- 4Strong writing skills for technical evaluation and feedback.
- 5High attention to detail when reviewing research claims and model outputs.
- 6Ability to set your own schedule and share feedback with research teams on an asynchronous basis.
- 7No prior AI training work required.
Who Should Apply
PhD holders with research depth in machine learning, AI, computer vision, NLP, robotics, or a related CS area fit this project well. The role suits researchers who can write precise technical feedback, read arXiv papers with ease, and work without constant supervision. Candidates who lack a PhD from a top 100 US university, or who have no research background in the listed subfields, may score lower on fit. A common rejection reason is sending generic applications that do not name your specific research area or show familiarity with the cs repository. Another low-fit signal is weak written communication, since the work depends on clear explanations of why an AI response is correct or wrong.
Salary Insight
The listing advertises up to $75.00 per hour. That ceiling fits senior, PhD-level AI training work, where pay often reflects your domain expertise and the project's scope. Actual hours vary by project, and the source does not guarantee a set number of hours each week or a fixed total. You will confirm the rate and project terms during onboarding or matching conversations.
Pay and demand for Machine Learning & AI roles
AggregatedTypical pay
$75/hour
This role
up to $75/hr
Most Machine Learning & AI roles pay $55–$100 per hour. This role's pay falls inside that range.
Based on 513 similar roles that publish pay · 90 publish only a top rate; those count at the rate they gave
Rates shown per hour. Yearly and monthly pay converted; one-time fees and non-USD pay are not included.
- Live similar roles
- 570
- Listed in last 30 days
- 253
- Remote
- 97%
Hiring most right now: micro1 (262) · Mercor (79) · SME Careers (60)
Most requested skills · share of roles
- python17%
- technical writing9%
- llm evaluation8%
- data annotation7%
Figures from Machine Learning & AI roles live on NearSkill when this page loaded. A role can close before you apply, so check the listing itself.
Compare your resume against these rolesLocation
Compensation
Up to $75/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
Name your PhD field, university, and graduation year near the top of your profile, then list two or three research areas from the posting, such as natural language processing, computer vision, or multiagent systems. Link to your arXiv papers or Google Scholar page to prove cs repository familiarity, and include a short writing sample that critiques a technical AI answer. Those details help reviewers match you to an active project faster.
See NearSkill jobs more often in your search
Application & verification flow
1Instant rubric match
Your resume is scanned against this role’s requirements to check qualification fit.
2Screened before the employer sees it
Only profiles that clear screening are passed on.
3Outcome by email
We notify you at the address on your resume once the screening is reviewed.
Similar open positions
Explore active roles that match your skills and interests.

Micro1
VerifiedMachine Learning Researcher
This role is about advancing AI systems through hands-on research and real-world data. You'll focus on training next-generation models, using your domain expertise to improve how they learn and perform — no prior AI experience is necessary if you bring strong analytical skills. The work is fully remote and project-based, offering flexibility across a wide pay range.

Handshake AI
VerifiedQuantitative Finance Researcher - Remote
Handshake AI seeks quantitative finance researchers and academics for a part-time, per-hour contract that supports AI research. You apply deep knowledge in mathematical finance, risk modeling, and quantitative methods to judge AI-generated content and write feedback that helps models handle quantitative finance research and methodology. The work is project-based and runs alongside your other commitments, with no prior AI experience required. Most contributors take on around 5 to 20 hours per week when an active project is available, and placement depends on current needs. The role is remote and self-scheduled.

Mercor
VerifiedMachine Learning Expert (Remote, Part-Time)
Mercor runs a standing pool for machine learning practitioners who provide the expert judgment that frontier AI research teams cannot produce on their own. Your standards become the rubric that grades model outputs. Projects are remote and part-time, and clients set rates from $70 to $120 per hour based on scope and depth. Work can involve writing a modeling problem from a system you shipped, checking training and evaluation code that models produce for loss-objective alignment and eval leakage, or catching an approach that would train without error but fail in production because of distribution shift, label noise, or a metric that rewards the wrong behavior.

Handshake AI
VerifiedStatistical Modeling Researcher - Remote Part-Time
Handshake AI seeks statistical modeling researchers for a part-time fellowship that fits around existing commitments. You will apply deep knowledge in Bayesian inference, time series analysis, causal modeling, or applied statistics to assess AI-generated answers and flag gaps in reasoning. The work is project-based, remote, and self-paced, with no minimum hours. Your reviews and written critiques help models handle advanced statistical methodology with greater care.

AfterQuery
VerifiedUndergraduate AI Evaluation Researcher - Remote
AfterQuery hires undergraduates from any discipline for a remote, contract AI evaluation project. You will assess, write, and validate content that needs real academic knowledge, from spectra and schematics to clinical images and maps. The listing notes a 40-hour weekly commitment, while individual project windows ask for about 10-20 hours per week. Work runs on an async schedule, and you choose which projects to accept. Pay ranges from $50 to $150 per hour, and project-week earnings can reach $800-$1,500 based on discipline and seniority.

Micro1
VerifiedMachine Learning Engineer – Remote Contract
This is a fully remote contractor role for a Machine Learning Engineer, paying $80–$150 per hour for roughly 15 hours per week. You will work on an AI training project that involves model development, training and inference systems, numerical computing, and performance optimization. The work is very coding heavy, and you must be comfortable using coding agents with Python in your daily workflow. Tasks include creating, solving, reviewing, and validating challenging ML engineering problems, often requiring you to implement or modify models, build reproducible training or inference pipelines, optimize memory or throughput, and debug numerical or system-level failures. The schedule is flexible, so you choose your hours and days, including weekends if you want.


