AI-Training Jobs in Entry-Level Software Listings (2026)

We analyzed 5,625 US software listings labeled “Entry level” on LinkedIn in January–August 2026. Of those, 438 (7.8%) were AI-training work. Counting reposts once, that was 85 of 3,811 unique listings (2%).

Turing's listings titled Remote Software Engineer ($300/hr.) appeared 80 times on LinkedIn, all labeled “Entry level”. They were reposts of 9 unique listings. The title had no AI wording, but the text described the work: “As a Software Engineering evaluator, you will create cutting-edge datasets for training, benchmarking, and advancing large language models”. Across all 5,625 US software developer, engineer and programmer listings labeled “Entry level” on LinkedIn in January–August 2026 — the set Global Software Companies (GSC) analyzed — 438 (7.8%, about 1 in 13) were AI-training work. Counted once, that was 85 of 3,811 unique listings (2%).

How Many Entry-Level Software Listings Were AI-Training Work?

AI-training work here means paid work evaluating or training AI models. Many of the 438 listings were reposts: they contained 85 distinct descriptions, 5.2 listings each on average. We call these “unique listings”: identical descriptions counted once. This doesn't establish how many vacancies there were, or how often a job-seeker saw an ad. Repeated descriptions account for the difference between the two shares.

The gap between listings and unique descriptions was largest for Turing.

What Did the Listings Say the Work Was?

The listings described the work in their own words. Turing's Remote Software Engineer ($300/hr.): “As a Software Engineering evaluator, you will create cutting-edge datasets for training, benchmarking, and advancing large language models”.

Alignerr's Software Engineer (AI Training): “Review and evaluate AI-generated code for correctness”. DataAnnotation's Backend Software Engineer - AI Trainer: “Give AI chatbots coding challenges and evaluate their outputs.”

Did the Job Titles Mention AI?

Most of the adverts did in some way — Software Engineer (AI Training), for example. But 153 of the 438 listings (35%) had no AI wording in the title; counted once, 31 of 85 unique listings (36%). 104 of them were Turing's — counted once, 8 of the 31 — mainly Remote Software Engineer ($300/hr.) and Remote Software Engineer.

Which Companies Posted Them?

Three companies accounted for 394 of the 438 listings (90%), and for 62 of the 85 unique listings (73%): DataAnnotation (147 listings, 28 unique), Turing (142, 11) and Alignerr (105, 23). The remaining 44 listings (23 unique) came from 21 other companies.

256 of the 438 listings (58%) were labeled Contract, 177 (40%) Full-time and 5 Part-time; counted once, 42 of 85 unique listings (49%) were labeled Contract, 39 (46%) Full-time and 4 Part-time.

All of Turing's and Alignerr's listings were labeled Contract; 145 of DataAnnotation's 147 were labeled Full-time. Most of those (140 of 145) also said, “This is an independent contractor position.” 27 of DataAnnotation's 28 unique listings carried the line.

How Much Experience Did They Ask For?

152 of the 438 listings (35%) required 3+ years; counted once, 18 of 85 unique listings (21%). More than half of the 152 (80) were one Turing title, Remote Software Engineer ($300/hr.), which asked for “Several years of software engineering experience (3 years or more)”; all 142 of Turing's listings required 3+ years, 11 of the 18 unique listings.

Experience was preferred, not required, in 141 listings (32%; 31 of 85 unique listings, 36%). Another 122 (28%) didn't state an experience requirement (27 of 85, 32%). For the broader sample, read our analysis of experience requirements in entry-level software listings.

How Can You Tell If a Developer Listing Is AI-Training Work?

What we'd suggest when reading one of these listings:

• Read past the title. A plain title like Remote Software Engineer can sit above text about creating datasets “for training, benchmarking, and advancing large language models”, reviewing “AI-generated code for correctness”, or giving “AI chatbots coding challenges”.

• Check the employment type as labeled (LinkedIn lets you filter by it), and look in the text for contract terms.

• Watch for repeated descriptions: 438 listings came from 85 unique listings.

• Don't rule the work out: it's paid work that some job-seekers want. The point is to know what you're applying for.

Methods and Limits

GSC analyzed US LinkedIn listings posted in January–August 2026. We selected the 5,625 labeled “Entry level” whose titles contained “software” plus “developer”, “engineer” or “programmer”, excluding terms such as “senior”, “manager” or “recruiter”. We classified listings with AI assistance under written rules, rechecked selected experience classifications, and double-checked which listings count as AI-training work. A GSC researcher checked about 1 in 5 of the AI classifications by hand and reviewed the edge cases those checks identified.

AI-training work means paid work evaluating or training AI models; roles building AI products or agents are excluded. Human evaluation of model outputs is a documented part of training large language models: in Training language models to follow instructions with human feedback (2022), researchers had labelers write examples of the desired behavior and rank the model's outputs, then used both to fine-tune it. Unique listings count identical descriptions once, using the first source row within the AI-training group for its characteristics. This doesn't count verified vacancies. “Required 3+ years” means at least 3 years stated as a requirement; preferred experience is excluded.

These selected listings aren't representative of US jobs. Most were posted in June–August 2026, so we don't compare months. None of the 438 appears in the main GSC jobs dataset, which excludes AI-evaluation roles. The separate screening file, version 2026-10-11c, reproduces the AI-training totals and 3+ counts; its aggregate file also reports the three largest advertisers' combined share, the share of titles without AI wording, and employment-type shares, without naming advertisers. Named-company figures, listing titles and quotations appear only in this article. Read the full methods.

Download the data and read how we collected and classified the listings. Related: We analyzed 5,625 “entry-level” software jobs

Last updated 3 November 2026. Corrections: [email protected].

This article draws on GSC’s analysis, the saved listings quoted above and the outside sources linked in the text:

• Global Software Companies, US entry-labeled software listings: screening file, version 2026-10-11c, and its aggregate figures. Definitions and methods: methods.

• Saved copies of the LinkedIn listings from DataAnnotation, Turing and Alignerr quoted in the article, captured June–August 2026. LinkedIn removes listings when they close, so we don’t link to them. Quotations were checked against the saved listing text; the downloads do not include those texts or employer-level figures.

Other sources: