AfterQueryCoding & software eval
Software Developer Expert
$75/hr
About this role, in AfterQuery's words
This is a remote, project-based role for software engineers with 1–3 years of professional experience. You will complete tasks spanning software development, debugging, code review, and technical implementation across a variety of stacks and applications. Work is over the next 2–3 weeks, asynchronous, and assigned on a project-by-project basis, with an expected commitment of 10–20 hours per week for the projects you accept. This position offers exceptional pay, exposure to real-world engineering problems, and a strong addition to your professional portfolio.
What you'll do
Responsibilities
- Design, implement, and ship clean, well-tested code across a variety of projects and technology stacks
- Debug, refactor, and optimize existing codebases for performance, maintainability, and scalability
- Participate in code reviews, providing and incorporating constructive technical feedback
Show all 5 itemsHide the other 2 in Responsibilities
- Collaborate asynchronously on technical specifications, architecture decisions, and implementation plans
- Document code, APIs, and technical approaches clearly and reproducibly
Candidate background
Required qualifications
- 1–3 years of professional software engineering experience in a full-time or equivalent role
- Strong proficiency in at least one modern programming language and its associated ecosystem
- Demonstrated ability to independently scope, implement, and deliver software features or fixes
- Solid understanding of software engineering fundamentals including data structures, algorithms, and system design
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience)
Preferred qualifications
Show all 4 itemsHide these 4 items in Preferred qualifications
- Experience working across multiple layers of the stack — frontend, backend, APIs, or infrastructure
- Familiarity with version control workflows, CI/CD pipelines, and collaborative development practices (e.g., Git, GitHub Actions, or similar)
- Exposure to cloud platforms and deployment environments (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure, or similar)
- Background in contributing to open source projects or building personal software projects independently
Quoted from selected sections of AfterQuery's posting. The full posting may state other conditions. Read the full posting
A closer look
More context, when you need it.
Full job descriptionThe original posting, in AfterQuery's words
Posted by AfterQuery, reproduced here so you can judge the role before clicking. Original posting ↗
This is a remote, project-based role for software engineers with 1–3 years of professional experience. You will complete tasks spanning software development, debugging, code review, and technical implementation across a variety of stacks and applications. Work is over the next 2–3 weeks, asynchronous, and assigned on a project-by-project basis, with an expected commitment of 10–20 hours per week for the projects you accept. This position offers exceptional pay, exposure to real-world engineering problems, and a strong addition to your professional portfolio.
Responsibilities - Design, implement, and ship clean, well-tested code across a variety of projects and technology stacks - Debug, refactor, and optimize existing codebases for performance, maintainability, and scalability - Participate in code reviews, providing and incorporating constructive technical feedback - Collaborate asynchronously on technical specifications, architecture decisions, and implementation plans - Document code, APIs, and technical approaches clearly and reproducibly
Required qualifications - 1–3 years of professional software engineering experience in a full-time or equivalent role - Strong proficiency in at least one modern programming language and its associated ecosystem - Demonstrated ability to independently scope, implement, and deliver software features or fixes - Solid understanding of software engineering fundamentals including data structures, algorithms, and system design - Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience)
Preferred qualifications - Experience working across multiple layers of the stack — frontend, backend, APIs, or infrastructure - Familiarity with version control workflows, CI/CD pipelines, and collaborative development practices (e.g., Git, GitHub Actions, or similar) - Exposure to cloud platforms and deployment environments (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure, or similar) - Background in contributing to open source projects or building personal software projects independently
Why apply - Flexible Time Commitment – Work on your schedule while tackling meaningful engineering challenges - Startup Exposure – Work directly with an early-stage Y Combinator-backed company, gaining hands-on experience that sets you apart - Portfolio Building – Gain experience solving complex, real-world software engineering problems across diverse codebases - Professional Growth – Sharpen your skills on varied, challenging development tasks spanning multiple domains and technologies
Working with AfterQueryPay, getting started and work, from AfterQuery's own pages
What the platform publishes in general. These are not extra terms confirmed for this particular role.
- Getting paid
- Approved work is paid every Friday for the prior week, by Stripe to a bank account, with no fees. Stripe holds the first payout for 7 days. docs.afterquery.com/articles/payments-taxes/payment-setup
- Before your first paid task
- One assessment per expert pool, unpaid and with no retake. Onboarding takes about 10 minutes: legal documents, phone, ID through Persona, and payments. docs.afterquery.com/articles/onboarding/assessments, docs.afterquery.com/articles/onboarding/complete-your-onb...
- How much work
- Projects are assigned by assessment fit as they come up, and higher-rated contributors get priority. docs.afterquery.com/articles/onboarding/assessments, docs.afterquery.com/articles/about/contract-work
- Contract
- Independent contractor. Most contractors register as individuals. docs.afterquery.com/articles/about/contract-work, docs.afterquery.com/articles/onboarding/complete-your-onb...
Read on the pages linked above on 23 Sep 2026. Platforms change these terms, so check the linked page before you rely on one.
How does the pay compare?Across Coding & software eval roles, not this role alone
From our own daily reads of every open listing on the platforms we follow, not from AfterQuery's posting. How we count.
Pay across the field: Coding & software eval
Across 391 roles in this field with a stated hourly rate in US dollars, on 14 platforms, the middle half pays $65 to $120 an hour at the top of the range, and the median is $95. This role's top rate, $75, is in the middle half. Of the 140 distinct rates we count, 44 are lower and 92 are higher.
| Platform | Roles | Top of range, per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Alignerr | 137 | $50 to $400 · median $100 |
| micro1 | 44 | $60 to $350 · median $120 |
| Handshake AI | 43 | $47 to $125 · median $80 |
| Meridial (Invisible) | 34 | $22 to $150 · median $60 |
| Mercor | 33 | $60 to $200 · median $105 |
Sources and listing historyWhere this information comes from
This listing's history
- First seen here on 26 Aug 2026, and still on AfterQuery's list when we last read it on 12 Oct 2026.
- Listed pay changed on 29 Sep 2026: up to $100/hr before, $75/hr after.
A change can also be a correction to how we read AfterQuery's feed. The figure at the top of this page is always the latest read.
- Posted by AfterQuery
- First seen by AIPayList
- Last seen live
- Listing ID
- 1785830229414
Pay as the source states it: “$75/hr”.
Platforms sometimes change a rate after posting. Every listing here is re-read at least once a day and corrected when its source moves, so a difference you see on the platform is usually a change made since the last read. How freshness works.
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