Handshake AI
Surgingby Handshake · Founded 2025
AI training fellowships for students, graduates and PhDs
- Typical pay
- $30–60/hr
- Published $25–125/hr
- Reliability
- 83/100
- Excellent
- Paid in
- 6 days
- Median, member-reported
- Approval
- 3–18 days
- Sign-up to first paid task
- Entry
- Selective
- Difficulty 3 of 5
Handshake, the student careers network, runs an AI training programme where students and recent graduates are paid to test and improve AI models in their field of study.
Read this before you apply
- Your field of study is verified. Apply to the programme that matches your actual degree.
Reliability
How dependable Handshake AI has been for members: payment, steady work, fair reviews and support.
- Payment speed
Median 6 days to payment
9135% of score - Task availability
Work available 69% of weeks
6930% of score - Fair reviews
7% of tasks rejected
7920% of score - Support response
30h median support reply
9715% of score
Pay
The typical figure is what members report earning in their first months. The published range is what the platform advertises; the top end usually needs specialist skills.
- Payout methods
- Direct depositPayPal
- Payout schedule
- Weekly
Getting in
Current students, recent graduates and PhD candidates
- Time to first paid task
- 3–18 days
- For members we guided
- Assessment
- Education verification and a subject assessment
- Work available once approved
- 5–20 hrs/week
- Difficulty
- Selective (3/5)
- Open to: some experience, expert / credentialed
Who can join
Where the platform accepts contributors from, and which languages are in demand.
Mostly US-based programmes; some international cohorts.
Open to people in
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Australia
- New Zealand
- India
- Germany
- Netherlands
No language is in unusually high demand right now. Most work is in English.
What members say
Summarised from member reports. Experiences differ by country, skill and project.
Good
- Good rates for graduate-level knowledge
- Well-organised cohorts
- Strong support
Not so good
- Education requirements are strict
- Programmes fill quickly
Live projects
Projects on Handshake AI that members have reported and are checking right now.
Is Handshake AI right for you?
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