Linguistics Expert
AfterQuery • Remote
Education
Master's
Type
Hourly
Pay Rate
$75/hr
Listed
29d ago
About this role
From the AfterQuery listing
Linguists to build the language analysis scenarios frontier AI labs use to test model judgment on syntax, semantics, and phonology.
AfterQuery builds the expert evaluation data that frontier AI labs use to measure and improve their models. We're hiring linguists as contractors to author and grade the language analysis scenarios those evaluations run on. Models are made of language, and linguists are unusually well placed to find where their command of it breaks.
What you'll actually do
Author linguistic scenarios that test real analysis, from syntactic ambiguity to semantic entailment to phonological pattern.
Write reference analyses with the argumentation behind each judgment, the data, the generalization, the exceptions.
Grade model output for analytical accuracy and honest handling of the data.
Flag analyses that read plausible but misparse the sentence or mislabel the phenomenon.
Who this is for
Linguists with an advanced degree and at least two years of research, teaching, or applied work.
Specialists in any subfield, syntax, semantics, phonology, morphology, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and beyond.
Analysts who reason from data to generalization and can say what would falsify their own account.
People with strong written English who can make technical analysis clear without flattening it.
Contract and pay
$50 to $100/hr, paid weekly via Stripe. Your rate is set from your experience, not negotiated down after you start.
Remote and async: fully remote, fully async. No fixed hours.
Minimum 10 hours per week, no maximum. Scale up or down week to week.
No screen recording, no keystroke monitoring, no idle timers.
Independent contractor. Ongoing project work rather than single task batches.
How our hiring process works
Apply at /apply/linguistics-expert. About five minutes. Resume plus a few structured questions.
Resume review. Every application gets read against a published rubric and gets a decision.
Written assessment. You may be asked to take a written assessment for further placement.
Onboarding. Sign the contractor agreement, connect Stripe, and get platform access.
Project match. You're matched to live work in your specialty, usually within a week of onboarding.
About AfterQuery
AfterQuery is an expert data lab. We build the evaluation and training data that frontier AI labs use to measure what their models can and can't do in real professional work. Our contributors are practicing professionals, not annotators, and the work is credited, reviewed, and paid at professional rates.
How long hiring takes
Across the AI training platforms we refer candidates to, the median gap between referral and hire is about 30 days. It varies by platform and role, so treat it as a rough guide for this one.
Why this role
$75/hr for Linguistics Expert work puts your Languages expertise on the same footing as an AI lab's own research staff, without the overhead of running a consulting practice around it.
Talent pool
We're light on Languages candidates
We've matched 72 people with a Languages background against 925 Languages listings we've tracked, so most go out without one. Set up a profile and we'll consider you for a role like this one.
Set up your profileSkills and categories
Explore other opportunities in related specializations:
Related jobs
Browse All Jobs from AfterQuery
Discover more opportunities on AfterQuery that match your skills and interests.
View All AfterQuery Jobs →Verified Reviews
Community Reviews
Share your experience with AfterQuery
Help other candidates make better decisions by leaving a review.
Sign in to leave a reviewLeave your review
Common questions
Do I need a PhD to qualify for AfterQuery?
Only for specialist roles: ML research, atmospheric modeling, bioinformatics, COBOL, and audit accounting positions require verifiable credentials, usually a PhD, master's degree, or 5+ years of professional experience. AfterQuery's domain screeners check credentials before confirming an assignment, so listing a degree without the matching experience won't get you through. Generalist reviewer roles have a lower bar but come up less often.
How long do AfterQuery projects last?
Typically 2 to 3 weeks at 10 to 20 hours a week. There's no guaranteed follow-on work once a project closes, so treat it as a high-pay burst contract rather than steady income. AfterQuery does re-hire specialists for new campaigns, but that depends entirely on what AI labs are training at the time.
What does asynchronous AI training work mean in practice?
No set hours, no check-ins, no meetings. You log in when you want, pick up an available task, complete it, and submit; nobody is waiting on you in real time. That's different from remote employment, where you're expected online during business hours. The tradeoff: you're competing with others for available tasks, so an empty queue means there's simply nothing to do until more work is released.
Do task-based AI training roles require an interview?
Most skip a live interview entirely and gate access through an automated assessment or qualification task instead. Where we've confirmed the specific requirement for this listing, it's called out above in What We Know About This Role.
What does Languages work look like for a Linguistics Expert?
Tasks here are scoped to Languages, not generic labeling. As a Linguistics Expert, expect to draw on real domain judgment (evaluating outputs, correcting errors, or providing expert reasoning specific to Languages) rather than following a one-size-fits-all rubric. If you don't have hands-on Languages background, this is likely not the right listing to start with.
What specific skills does this listing call for?
English and Expert are named directly in the listing. If you don't have hands-on experience with these, expect the screening process to test for them directly rather than accepting adjacent experience as a substitute.
How much does this specific role pay?
This listing is posted at $75/hr, an hourly rate. Pay can change between when we last checked the listing and when you apply, so confirm the current number on the platform's own application page before committing time.
What happens when I click Apply on this listing?
You'll be taken to Afterquery's external site to complete your application there. This listing links through a referral, but the process is identical to applying directly; the link just routes you correctly. Create an account on their site and follow their onboarding steps.
Do I need a Master's to qualify?
This role lists a master's degree as a requirement. In practice, the domain assessment is the real gate. If you can pass it, the degree is usually secondary. However, some platforms verify credentials formally, so list your actual qualifications accurately on your profile.