Software Developer Expert (Remote Contract)
Listing checked September 22, 2026 · pay as published by AfterQuery
Overview
AfterQuery hires a Software Developer Expert for a remote contract that runs across a 2 to 3 week project window. Work covers software development, debugging, code review and technical implementation. You accept projects one at a time. The company is an early-stage Y Combinator-backed startup, so each task ties to real engineering problems across different codebases. The listing sets a 10-hour weekly commitment, while individual projects can ask for 10 to 20 hours per week, with contract pay between $50 and $100 per hour. Preferred tools include Git, CI/CD pipelines and cloud services such as AWS or GCP.
What You'll Do5
- 1Build clean, tested code for projects that span different stacks and applications.
- 2Debug, refactor and improve existing codebases for performance, maintainability and scalability.
- 3Review code from other engineers and share useful technical feedback.
- 4Join async discussions about technical specs, architecture choices and implementation plans.
- 5Write documentation for code, APIs and technical approaches so others can reproduce the work.
Requirements9
- 11 to 3 years of professional software engineering experience in a full-time role or similar setting.
- 2Strong command of one modern programming language and its ecosystem.
- 3Proof that you can scope, implement and deliver software features or fixes on your own.
- 4Solid grasp of data structures, algorithms and system design.
- 5Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering or a related technical field, or comparable practical experience.
- 6Experience across frontend, backend, APIs or infrastructure.
- 7Familiarity with version control workflows, CI/CD pipelines and shared development practices, such as Git or GitHub Actions.
- 8Exposure to cloud platforms and deployment environments, including AWS, GCP or Azure.
- 9Open source contributions or personal software projects you built from scratch.
Who Should Apply
Engineers with 1 to 3 years of professional experience will get the most from this contract, particularly if they can point to shipped features, clean commits and code they debugged or refactored. The role rewards people who can read a spec, ask sharp questions in async channels and deliver working software without a manager watching every step. That person fits someone building a portfolio across stacks or exploring an early-stage Y Combinator startup. The contract is less suitable for engineers who want one long product roadmap or deep ownership of a single system, because AfterQuery assigns work by project over a short window. A common reason candidates score low is a GitHub profile that lists languages but shows little evidence of scoped, shipped work or tests. Another is treating code review as a formality instead of a chance to give and take technical feedback.
Salary Insight
AfterQuery lists pay at $50 to $100 per hour for this contract. That range sits above many entry-level full-time salaries and matches contract rates for engineers who can ship across stacks with little ramp-up. The top end often reflects proof of shipped work, strong code review habits, or cloud and CI/CD experience. The listing does not explain how AfterQuery sets the rate within the band.
Pay and demand for Software Engineering roles
AggregatedTypical pay
$65/hour
This role
$50–$100/hr
Most Software Engineering roles pay $40–$85 per hour. This role's pay falls inside that range.
Based on 377 similar roles that publish pay · 122 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
- 431
- Listed in last 30 days
- 243
- Remote
- 94%
Hiring most right now: micro1 (157) · SME Careers (118) · Mercor (36)
Most requested skills · share of roles
- llm evaluation22%
- ai training21%
- trainer feedback18%
- python18%
Figures from Software Engineering 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
$50–100/hr
Required Skills
Application Tip
Because the application asks for a GitHub profile and a list of programming languages, make your GitHub the centerpiece. Pin one or two repos where you scoped, built and shipped a feature, include README notes and tests, and list only languages you can discuss in depth. If you used CI/CD, cloud deployment or code review in those projects, call that out in your application so the reviewer can map your experience to the preferred qualifications.
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