Open Source Contributor – Remote Contract
Listing checked September 16, 2026 · pay as published by Micro1
Overview
This is a remote contractor role for engineers who have a public track record of contributing to open-source projects. You will work on an AI training project that involves exploring unfamiliar repositories, debugging front-end and back-end systems, and translating code between languages. The position is flexible, about 15 hours per week, and pays $100–$150 per hour. You will need to discuss your specific pull requests and code during the screening process.
What You'll Do8
- 1Navigate and understand codebases you have never seen before.
- 2Write, change, and fix both client-side and server-side components.
- 3Follow how data moves through APIs, databases, libraries, and external services.
- 4Recreate reported bugs and find the root cause.
- 5Add solutions that match the project's existing architecture and style.
- 6Create unit, integration, regression, and end-to-end tests.
- 7Check AI-generated code patches for bugs, security gaps, and maintainability.
- 8Convert full coding builds from one programming language to another.
Requirements6
- 1A public GitHub profile that verifies your work.
- 2Significant contributions to or ownership of open-source repositories. Documentation updates, dependency bumps, and typo fixes do not count.
- 3Strong engineering background in front-end, back-end, full-stack, systems, tooling, or infrastructure.
- 4Comfort with multiple programming languages such as TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Java, Go, Rust, C++, C#, Ruby, or PHP.
- 5Ability to read and modify code you did not write.
- 6Willingness to talk about specific repositories, pull requests, and issues you authored.
Who Should Apply
This role fits engineers who maintain or contribute to open-source projects and can point to real code they wrote. You should be comfortable jumping into unfamiliar repositories and debugging across the stack. It is less suitable for people whose GitHub activity is mostly documentation, formatting, or small dependency updates. Candidates often get rejected when they cannot discuss their pull requests in detail or when their contributions are not substantial. Another common reason for low fit is lacking experience with multiple languages or struggling to explain how they traced a bug through a system.
Salary Insight
The rate is $100 to $150 per hour. Pay is output-based, meaning you receive payment per task that meets the project specifications. The time to complete each task varies. There is a minimum number of tasks you must submit each week.
Pay and demand for Software Engineering roles
AggregatedTypical pay
$75/hour
This role
$100–$150/hr
Most Software Engineering roles pay $55–$96 per hour. This role's pay sits above that range.
Based on 156 similar roles that publish pay · 14 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
- 191
- Listed in last 30 days
- 80
- Remote
- 92%
Hiring most right now: micro1 (98) · Mercor (20) · Turing (17)
Most requested skills · share of roles
- python27%
- JAVA21%
- Typescript20%
- React18%
Figures from Software Engineering roles live on NearSkill when this page loaded. A role can close before you apply, so check the listing itself.
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Compensation
$100–150/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
Before applying, pick two or three pull requests you authored that show real engineering work, such as a bug fix or a new feature. Be ready to explain the problem, your solution, and the code changes in detail during the AI interview.
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Application & verification flow
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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.
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