Materials Science Expert (AI Safety)
Listing checked November 4, 2026 · pay as published by AfterQuery
Key details
- Pay
- $150/hr
- Location
- Remote
- Job type
- contract
- Posted
- November 4, 2026
Overview
AfterQuery builds evaluations that test whether an AI model can separate a safe request from an unsafe one in materials science. Domain experts write the prompts, classify submissions from other specialists, and explain the reasoning that justifies each verdict. Work is task-based, so schedules stay flexible, and the listing puts pay at $85 for every approved task, a $150/hr equivalent. Structured reviewer feedback comes back on each submission, and you revise from there. Strong grounding in materials science or metallurgy matters more here than any prior AI background.
What You'll Do5
- Write prompts and scenarios that push at the boundary between legitimate and dangerous requests in materials science.
- Sort prompts submitted by other domain experts into safe or unsafe calls.
- Document the analysis behind each classification, spelling out what makes a prompt acceptable and where it crosses into unsafe territory.
- Rework submissions in response to structured reviewer feedback.
- Explain the technical reasoning behind a safety judgment in terms precise enough for another expert to follow.
Requirements4
- Citizen of a Five Eyes nation: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.
- Physically located in one of those five countries for the duration of the work.
- Master's degree or above in materials science, materials engineering, metallurgy, or a closely related discipline.
- Ability to lay out the technical reasoning behind a safety call in clear and precise terms.
Preferred Qualifications2
- Prior work in AI evaluation, red teaming, or data annotation.
- PhD, or professional experience in metallurgy, advanced or energetic materials, nuclear materials, or national laboratory research.
Who Should Apply
Materials scientists and metallurgists holding a master's degree or higher who want flexible, task-based work shaping how AI handles safety questions in their own field. Five Eyes citizens living in one of those five countries meet the location and citizenship bar.
Salary Insight
Pay lands at $85 for each task a reviewer approves, which the listing presents as a $150/hr equivalent. That figure sits well above typical freelance rates for expert annotation and evaluation work. Total earnings track how many submissions clear review, and the listing mentions no benefits or guaranteed hours.
Pay and demand for AI Training roles
Market estimates from live NearSkill listings — separate from this job's published terms.
This role · as published
$150/hr
Taken from the listing itself.
Typical pay · estimated
$65/hour
Median of 1,134 similar roles that publish pay · 300 publish only a top rate; those count at the rate they gave
Most AI Training roles pay $38–$92 per hour. This role's pay sits above that range.
Rates shown per hour. Yearly and monthly pay converted; one-time fees and non-USD pay are not included.
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Most requested skills · share of roles
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