Handshake AI: how it works
Handshake AI is the AI training arm of Handshake, the early-career recruiting network, and it recruits expert contributors to work on model training and evaluation tasks.
Its contributor base skews toward graduates, postgraduates and early-career specialists drawn from the wider Handshake network.
What the process looks like
- Create or connect a profile and apply to a listed contributor role.
- Qualify for a subject area, often on the strength of academic specialisation.
- Work on tasks in that subject area as they are released.
- Contracting and payment are handled by Handshake AI.
Who tends to do well
Postgraduate and recently-qualified specialists, particularly in academic subject areas where depth is easier to evidence through study than through years of practice.
What Handshake AI is hiring for right now
342 roles from Handshake AI are currently on our board. The biggest categories:
| Category | Open roles |
|---|---|
| Data & business analysis | 21 |
| Healthcare & medical | 18 |
| Finance & accounting | 17 |
| Education & academia | 10 |
| Generalist AI trainer | 8 |
| Supply chain & operations | 7 |
| Software engineering | 5 |
| Design & creative | 5 |
| Role | Platform | Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2D Design Expert | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| 3D Designer – AI Training | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| 3D Slicer Specialist | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AEC Specialist | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI & Machine Learning Researcher | Handshake AI | Up to $75/hr | Apply |
| AI / ML / Data | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Agent Evaluator | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Coding Agent Evaluator | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Content Evaluator – Remote | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Data Specialist | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Evaluation Specialist | Handshake AI | Up to $40/hr | Apply |
| AI Evaluation Specialist | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Evaluation Specialist – Remote | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Expert – Remote | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Model Evaluator | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Model Evaluator – Remote | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Quality Analyst | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Research Engineer | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Response Evaluator | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Response Evaluator – Remote | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Software Engineer | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Trainer | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Trainer – Remote | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI Training Expert – Remote | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| AI/ML Engineer | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| Academic Expert – AI Training | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| Accounting Expert – AI Training | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
| Adversarial Prompt Expert | Handshake AI | Up to $65/hr | Apply |
| Advertising Sales Representative | Handshake AI | Up to $75/hr | Apply |
| Aerospace Engineer – AI Training | Handshake AI | Up to $125/hr | Apply |
Showing 30 of 342. See all Handshake AI roles on the live board →
About the company
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA |
| Founded | 2014 — AI division launched Jan 2025 |
| Total raised | $434M |
| Latest round | $200M Series F at a $3.5B valuation (Jan 2022) |
| Notable backers | Coatue, Kleiner Perkins, Spark Capital, True Ventures, EQT |
| Core staff | ~890–2,900 |
| Expert network | 20M+ students and alumni |
Our relationship with Handshake AI
YO AI Labs is a referral partner to Handshake AI. We refer candidates and are compensated by the platform. We do not run Handshake AI's interviews, set its rates or influence its hiring decisions, and applying through us does not change your terms.
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Common questions
How much funding has Handshake AI raised?
Handshake AI has raised $434M in total. Its most recent round was $200M Series F at a $3.5B valuation (Jan 2022), with backing from Coatue, Kleiner Perkins, Spark Capital, True Ventures, EQT. Figures are from public sources as of August 2026 and change over time.
Where is Handshake AI headquartered?
Handshake AI is headquartered in San Francisco, USA and was founded in 2014 — AI division launched Jan 2025. The work it lists is remote, so its location does not usually restrict where you can work from.
How big is Handshake AI?
Handshake AI's core team is ~890–2,900, which is separate from its expert network of 20m+ students and alumni. Headcount figures on aggregator sites are often far higher because they count contractors rather than employees.
Is Handshake AI legitimate?
Handshake AI is an established AI talent platform that pays contributors for completed work and does not charge candidates to apply. As with any platform, read the contributor agreement covering rates, payment timing and IP before you start.
How many jobs does Handshake AI have open?
342 Handshake AI roles are currently listed on our board, spanning 23 professional categories. The board is rebuilt as listings change.
Does applying through YO AI Labs change my pay on Handshake AI?
No. Rates and terms are set by Handshake AI. A referral records where the application came from; it does not reduce or increase what you are paid.