Handshake AI
Handshake's AI-training fellowship for graduate-level experts, mostly in the US.
Last reviewed 2026-10-14
Coding pay
$65–150/hr on Handshake's software-engineer listing; $30–125/hr across roles
Who can join
US work authorization with SSN or ITIN; most roles want a master's or PhD; no H-1B or STEM OPT
How you get in
Apply, verify ID, wait for a project invite; ~2 h onboarding with a quiz
Payouts
Weekly via Stripe, sent by Wednesday
Watch out
Reported suspensions with pay withheld; AI-tool use means unpaid work; onboarding usually unpaid
What it is
- Official
Handshake is a San Francisco career platform for students and early-career job seekers, founded in 2014. Handshake AI, its AI-training business, launched in January 2025.
stripe.com· checked 2026-10-14 Note: the source is a Stripe customer case study, so it is a vendor page that Handshake took part in, not a Handshake page.
stripe.com· checked 2026-10-14- Official
Program names: the program launched in June 2025 as the Model Validation Expert (MOVE) fellowship for master's students, doctoral candidates, postdocs and advanced researchers. It is now called the Handshake AI Fellowship; some help-center URLs still say "MOVE". No official rename announcement was found.
- Official
What fellows do: paid, part-time, remote work training and evaluating large language models, mainly by writing prompts and assessing model responses in their own field. Fellows are 1099 independent contractors paid by Handshake, not by the AI lab.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14
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- Official
Size, company claims: the Handshake AI page shows "$500M+" in payouts and "188k+" fellows.
joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Handshake job postings say the business is at about a $1B run rate and pays about $60M to more than 30K people every month.
builtinsf.com· checked 2026-10-14 Stripe's case study says Handshake AI processes more than $15M in payouts per week.
stripe.com· checked 2026-10-14- News
Revenue: The Information, as summarized by Dealroom on Apr 14, 2026, reported AI-training gross annualized revenue of nearly $1B, up from $550M in January 2026, with about $300M net after contractor payments.
dealroom.co· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Clients: Handshake says client lab names are confidential.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - News
Business Insider reported contractors working on OpenAI projects through Handshake.
aol.com· checked 2026-10-14 - News
Acquisition: Handshake acquired Cleanlab, a data-quality startup, on Jan 28, 2026, mainly as an acqui-hire of nine staff. Terms were not disclosed.
techcrunch.com· checked 2026-10-14
Coding work
- Official
Software Engineer listing: Handshake posted a contract "Software Engineer" role at $65–$150/hr, independent contractor, part-time, project-based, remote in the USA. The work is evaluating AI-generated code and technical content, designing coding questions, and giving structured feedback on correctness and efficiency. It asked for 4+ years of professional software engineering experience, internships excluded. The listing was removed on Feb 24, 2026.
builtinchicago.org· checked 2026-10-14 - News
Press figure: Business Insider (Mar 2026) reported freelance listings starting at $75/hr for software engineers.
aol.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Contract type: all fellows are 1099 independent contractors. Projects run from about 2 weeks to 3+ months, and fellows can accept or decline each project.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Hours: remote, asynchronous, typically 5–20 hours a week. The SWE listing said there was no minimum.
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- Official
Other fields: the Handshake AI page lists roles such as AI Evaluation Specialist, Energy Professional, FP&A Analyst, Game Developer/Designer, PCB Tool Specialist, Philosophy Expert and Software Engineer. Fellow testimonials mention music, chemistry, medicine, mathematics, physics, biology, nursing, English literature, corporate finance and supply chain. Degree levels range from associate's to postdoc depending on the role.
joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Help center: $30–$125/hr, based on education level, expertise and project.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Handshake AI page: "up to $100/hr" in the description, while listed opportunities range from "up to $17/hr" to "up to $125/hr".
joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - News
Business Insider: $175/hr for investment bankers and $300+/hr for people with medical degrees or PhDs.
aol.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Pay models: most projects pay hourly or per task, as set in each project's Project Terms. Some tasks have a maximum handling time ("time cap"), and pay stops at the cap even if the task runs longer.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Unpaid time: onboarding is paid only when the Project Terms say so. Optional meetings, Slack time, and time lost to technical or login problems are unpaid.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
AI tool ban: fellows may not use LLMs to generate, edit or solve work, including LLM-based grammar tools, unless Handshake authorizes it in writing. Drafts and notes must be kept for 90 days.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14
Eligibility
- Official
Location: the Handshake AI page says fellows must be based in the U.S. with work authorization Handshake can support.
joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
The work-authorization article says international (non-US) participation is currently invite-only.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
US tax ID: US persons need an SSN or ITIN to finish the application, onboarding and payment setup.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Supported statuses: US citizens, permanent residents, F-1 on CPT or OPT with DSO approval, H-4 with EAD, L-2 dependent spouse, DACA, refugees, asylum seekers or grantees, and TPS.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14
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- Official
Unsupported statuses: F-1 STEM OPT extension, J-1, H-1B, TN and H-4 without EAD, because Handshake uses a contractor model.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
F-1 details: do not accept a project or sign a contract until the DSO or USCIS has approved work authorization. Handshake may not meet a school's CPT course requirement. Offer letters for DSOs are available only after an invitation to an eligible project.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Education: most roles require graduate-level expertise (master's, PhD or postdoc), but some roles consider people without a formal degree who show subject expertise. The SWE listing asked for 4+ years of professional experience instead.
- Official
Identity verification: phone verification at sign-up, and identity verification plus payout setup are required before project work.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Background check: required only for projects whose customers demand it. Persona verifies identity and Yardstik runs the screen (Checkr outside the US). It may cover criminal history, identity, employment and education, and needs an SSN. Results usually arrive within 7 days.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14
How to get in (format only)
- Official
Steps: (1) apply and verify identity; (2) get matched to a project; (3) take the training; (4) contribute; (5) get paid.
joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Application form: sign up or log in from the Fellowship page, answer work-authorization questions, describe your background, upload a PDF resume (max 50 MB), and accept the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Contractor Agreement.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Matching: applications are reviewed on a rolling basis against partner-lab needs. There is "no fixed timeline" for an invitation, and no reply does not necessarily mean rejection. A matching project sends an interest email with length, time commitment, pay and requirements; some ask for a portfolio or work samples.
- Official
Onboarding format: about 2 hours of Canvas modules, a knowledge quiz, and a paid live practice task with reviewer feedback. Projects can add their own onboarding.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14
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- Official
Coding assessment: the SWE listing said passing a coding assessment was required. Its length, timing and retake rules are not public.
builtinchicago.org· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Official apply page: apply only through joinhandshake.com/ai. A lookalike site on a third-party domain appears in search results.
joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14
Pay and payments
- Official
Schedule: the pay period runs Monday 12:00 am to Sunday 11:59 pm PST. Handshake usually sends payouts to partner pay platforms by Wednesday afternoon, and funds can take about 48 hours to become available. Some projects may set a different schedule in their Project Terms.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Provider: Stripe. You are prompted to set up Stripe payouts after your first task, and a valid payout method is required before payment.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 Stripe says Handshake AI switched to it in December 2025 and pays out every Wednesday.
stripe.com· checked 2026-10-14- Official
Taxes: fellows complete a W-9 or W-8 and are responsible for their own taxes; Handshake may withhold tax where legally required.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14
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- Official
Pay dashboard: a dashboard showing weekly earnings, base pay, incentives, referral pay and deductions began rolling out on Oct 14, 2026.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Rate disclosure: pay is shown before you accept a project and is set in the Project Terms.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14
Work availability
- Official
Official position: joining does not guarantee work. Projects launch on a rolling basis with no fixed timeline for an invitation.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Worker reports
Projects scale up and wind down fast, with reports of 40+ hours one week and an empty queue the next.
breakingeven.online· checked 2026-10-14 - Worker reports
A Trustpilot reviewer (Aug 2026) finished setup, including tax forms, and saw zero projects. Another (Oct 2026) said most jobs are US-only.
trustpilot.com· checked 2026-10-14
Risks and controversies
- News
Suspensions and withheld pay: Business Insider (Mar 4, 2026) reported that five contractors on OpenAI projects had accounts suspended without warning between late December 2025 and January 2026, and four were not paid for their work. Handshake support cited contract violations, in one case credential discrepancies, task times 3–4x benchmarks and working from outside the US, and said the decision was final with no appeal. The contractor denied the violations. Handshake declined to comment.
aol.com· checked 2026-10-14 - News
Pay lawsuits: the same report describes a small-claims suit for $9,600 in lost income (filed November 2025, the contractor moved to dismiss in January 2026) and an unpaid-wages suit where a contractor accused of using AI was awarded $6,475 (resolved October 2025). Courts and parties were not named.
aol.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
LLM-use enforcement: suspected LLM use suspends payment pending review; confirmed use means the work is rejected and unpaid, and the fellow can be offboarded or terminated. The policy page describes no formal appeal beyond submitting evidence during review.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Time-logging enforcement: logging time for non-eligible activities can lead to non-payment, offboarding, loss of access or disqualification.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14
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- Worker reports
Time tracker underpayment claims: Trustpilot reviewers in May 2026 said a new time tracker cut logged hours. Unverified individual reviews.
trustpilot.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Lookalike sites: Handshake asks fellows to verify any invite before responding.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14
Referral program
- Official
Exists: yes. It has a published Terms of Service page.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Who can refer: fellows based in the United States, India or Canada. Referrers must have an active account both when they refer and when a bonus is paid.
- Official
Who can be referred: someone new to Handshake AI with no prior account, who signs up through the referrer's unique link (general or role-specific). Attribution cannot be added after sign-up. The referral can be in any country where the Fellowship is available.
- Official
Amount: 10% of the referred person's hourly rate on their first accepted project, for every hour they work. On pay-by-task projects it is 10% of the published approximate hourly rate. The rate is locked when the referral is placed on that first project. Paid in USD.
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- Official
Cap and thresholds: the referral must complete onboarding and at least 10 hours of paid production work within 6 months of account creation; payouts unlock after those first 10 hours. Earnings are capped at 40 hours per referral (40x the bonus rate). The maximum per referral also depends on the referral's country.
- Official
Worked example from those terms: a referral on a $100/hr first project earns the referrer $10 per hour, capped at $400 total.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Window: 6 months from the referral's account creation. It cannot be reset or extended, including when Handshake cannot place the referral on a project.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Exclusions: unapproved, reversed or disputed work does not count. Handshake may withhold or delay bonuses for suspected fraud or referral gaming.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Official
Payout: weekly, as part of the regular pay cycle, to the referrer's payout method.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 Conflict: one third-party listing site says referral bonuses are paid monthly. The official pages say weekly.
aigigjobs.com· checked 2026-10-14- Official
Program change: referrals under 6 months old were moved to the current program; older unpaid referrals expired.
ai-support.joinhandshake.com· checked 2026-10-14 - Worker reports
Third-party referral sites: some review sites use personal referral links in their apply buttons and disclose a bonus.
breakingeven.online· checked 2026-10-14
Worker sentiment (reports, not verified)
Ratings: Trustpilot (joinhandshake.com) shows 1.8/5 from 28 reviews, 86% 1-star and 7% 5-star, with 24 reviews in the last 12 months. Handshake has not replied to negative reviews. A separate handshake.ai profile shows 2.8 from 3 reviews.
trustpilot.com· checked 2026-10-14Negative, top theme: account freezes or bans, often tied to alleged LLM use or quality flags, with unpaid balances and no clear appeal.
Negative: subjective QA scoring and slow support.
breakingeven.online· checked 2026-10-14Negative: unpaid onboarding or training time and lower pay than advertised on some projects.
trustpilot.com· checked 2026-10-14Positive: high pay ceiling for credentialed experts, weekly pay, a clean interface, and some interesting projects.
Quick answers
- How much does Handshake AI pay for coding work?
- $65–150/hr on Handshake's software-engineer listing; $30–125/hr across roles
- Who can join Handshake AI?
- US work authorization with SSN or ITIN; most roles want a master's or PhD; no H-1B or STEM OPT
- How do you get into Handshake AI?
- Apply, verify ID, wait for a project invite; ~2 h onboarding with a quiz
- How and when does Handshake AI pay out?
- Weekly via Stripe, sent by Wednesday
- What should you watch out for at Handshake AI?
- Reported suspensions with pay withheld; AI-tool use means unpaid work; onboarding usually unpaid