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OpenTrainPhD

Engineering Expert, AI Response Evaluation

You will help improve large language models by creating engineering prompts and reviewing their responses. Your evaluations will focus on technical understanding, accuracy, reasoning, and overall quality.

Field
Engineering
Where
United States
Commitment
part time
Hours
up to 20/week
Asks for
PhD
Posted
6 days ago

Pay data for your profession: Engineering AI trainer jobs · PhD AI trainer jobs

How this pay compares

The title points to rating and reviewing ai output: judging a model's answers or code against guidelines, such as which of two is better or whether one is correct and safe. What each kind of AI training work pays

At $75/hr, this role pays more than 39% of the 207 open engineering roles with a listed pay range, below the median of $80.

Open engineering roles that ask for a PhD have a median of $94/hr (34 roles).

Among platforms with 10 or more priced engineering roles, Mercor has the highest median ($88/hr across 35 roles) and micro1 the lowest ($60/hr across 28).

OpenTrain AI roles that closed since late October stayed listed a median of 31 days (122 roles). OpenTrain AI posted this one 6 days ago.

Computed from 2,746 open roles we track across Mercor, micro1, Handshake AI, Alignerr, Appen and OpenTrain AI, refreshed daily. Midpoints of listed ranges; “up to” ceilings are left out of medians.

What you would earn at this rate

Rate

$75/hr

Per week, before tax

$1,500

Per month, if the work is steady

$6,500

Tax
Contract pay arrives with no tax withheld. A US contractor at this rate and these hours would set aside about $1,643 a month for self-employment tax plus federal income tax at the 12% bracket (25%, before state tax). Outside the US, your own country's rules apply.

Assumes paid hours only; unpaid assessments, onboarding and gaps between projects lower the real figure. Full take-home calculator · Track what you actually earn

Open engineering roles on each platform

The same kind of work, priced on every platform we track, with the best-paid open role on each.

PlatformOpenMedianBest-paid open role
Mercor36$88/hrInfrastructure / Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)$200/hr
OpenTrain AIthis role132$85/hrChief Engineer / Senior Mechanical Engineer$200-300/hr
Alignerr14$61/hrRobotics Technician$40-120/hr
micro129$60/hrMember of Technical Staff, Research Engineering$400k-800k/yr
Handshake AI52up to $85/hrEngineering LeadUp to $195/hr

“Up to” rows list only ceilings, so their median is a maximum, not comparable with the range midpoints above them.

All 263 open engineering roles →

The full listing

As posted on OpenTrain AI. See the original

The work

You will help improve large language models by creating engineering prompts and reviewing their responses. Your evaluations will focus on technical understanding, accuracy, reasoning, and overall quality.

The work includes researching engineering topics with AI assistance and explaining specialized concepts clearly enough to identify strong, flawed, or incomplete answers. Projects are remote and primarily asynchronous, so much of the work is completed independently.

  • Write prompts based on engineering concepts and specialized questions
  • Evaluate AI responses for technical accuracy and quality
  • Check whether responses show sound engineering understanding and reasoning
  • Research engineering topics with help from AI
  • Explain technical concepts clearly when assessing model output
  • Work independently in an asynchronous project setting

What it pays and takes

This is part-time contract project work for engineering specialists. The role is open to candidates in the United States and requires professional fluency in English.

  • Pay: up to $75 per hour
  • Time: 20+ hours per week
  • Location: Open to candidates in the United States
  • Format: Remote, asynchronous work with flexible hours
  • Education: Current doctoral study, a completed doctorate, or postdoctoral research experience in engineering
  • Strong knowledge of engineering concepts in your area of expertise
  • Clear technical communication and the ability to judge whether AI responses are correct and well reasoned
  • Comfort conducting independent research with AI assistance
  • Helpful experience: large language models, prompt development, AI evaluation, technical research, or engineering education

How it works

Apply on OpenTrain with your resume and then complete the application on the hiring site.

About AI training work

AI training is the human work behind systems that write and answer questions. Contributors create examples, review model responses, and provide expert feedback so AI systems become more accurate and useful; specialized knowledge is important when the subject is engineering.

From applying to your first payment on OpenTrain AI

  1. 1

    Create a profile

    Create a free OpenTrain profile with your domains, languages and hourly rate.

  2. 2

    Apply

    Apply to the listing. Some listings hire through OpenTrain; others send you to the hiring platform.

  3. 3

    Funded milestones

    The client funds each milestone before work starts.

  4. 4

    First payment

    OpenTrain pays out to your connected payout method when the client approves the milestone. It doesn't publish a fixed payout schedule.

Sources: OpenTrain: AI training careers, OpenTrain docs: invoicing and payouts

Full OpenTrain AI profile: watch-outs and the public record →

Pay history

OpenTrain AI has listed this role at $75/hr since Nov 6, 2026 with no change.

Across OpenTrain AI's engineering roles, the median listed pay was $69/hr on Nov 1, 2026 (50 roles) and is $85/hr as of Nov 11, 2026 (130 roles).

What workers report about OpenTrain AI

Anonymous reports from people who applied or worked there: whether they got work, what they were paid and how fast.

Other engineering roles

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