Prompt engineers design and optimize the instructions that allow artificial intelligence systems to deliver accurate, consistent, and cost-effective results. These specialists combine technical knowledge of large language models with strategic thinking to solve business problems like automating customer service workflows and building AI-powered development tools. Whether you're integrating AI into existing operations or launching new products, skilled prompt engineers can help you harness the full potential of generative AI technologies.
What does a prompt engineer do?
A prompt engineer designs, refines, and optimizes the text prompts that allow large language models (LLMs) to generate specific outputs, helping AI output match business goals. They do this using advanced techniques like few-shot and chain-of-thought prompting to guide large language models through logical reasoning, working to minimize errors and hallucinations.
Beyond writing text, prompt engineers play a significant role in system optimization. Because LLMs often charge based on tokens, a skilled engineer crafts concise prompts that reduce token usage without sacrificing quality, directly lowering operational costs. They also rigorously test prompts against edge cases to ensure safety, a process known as red teaming.
Furthermore, prompt engineers collaborate with developers (i.e., ChatGPT developers) to integrate prompts into larger software architectures, working with frameworks like LangChain to build autonomous agents that perform multi-step tasks.
How to hire a prompt engineer on Upwork
Upwork makes it easy to find and hire freelance prompt engineers, with many skilled candidates available to meet your timeline and budget needs. To streamline your hiring process, just follow these four simple steps.
Step 1: Post a job
A well-constructed job post serves as your first filter, helping attract prompt engineers with the skills your project demands. In your post:
Outline your project goals and expected deliverables
Describe specific skills you may need such as few-shot or chain-of-thought prompting, or retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
Request specific experience with frameworks like LangChain or Semantic Kernel
Cover logistical details such as timeline and budget
To create a tailored job post quickly, try the Job Post Generator powered by Uma™, Upwork’s Mindful AI. Describe what you need in a few sentences, and Uma will craft a job post in seconds. You can also review job description templates for inspiration.
Step 2: Evaluate candidates
Prompt engineering is a relatively new field in which experience showing measurable results matters more than education or even certifications. As you receive proposals:
Have Uma give instant video interviews and side-by-side comparisons
Use Upwork’s filters to find candidates by rate, location, and experience
Review proposals for signs that the candidate has understood your job post and has the skills to meet your needs
Review portfolios for before-and-after prompt improvements with measurable results
Check for experience in your specific domain and evidence of working with complex system prompts
Step 3: Interview your top choices
Quick video interviews give you the chance to ask any questions you have left for your top candidates, and to get a feel for what a collaboration with them might be like.
Schedule and conduct interviews within Upwork messaging to get instant transcripts and summaries from Uma
Ask the candidates to walk you through past work from their portfolio, focusing on aspects that are similar to your project and challenges they overcame
Have candidates walk you through a hypothetical scenario in which an AI system is failing; ask how they would diagnose and fix it
Ask about their approach to ethical guardrails and preventing biased outputs
You can refer to common interview questions for freelancers to help keep your conversations focused and productive. You might also adapt AI engineer interview questions to assess a candidate’s technical knowledge.
Step 4: Agree on scope and begin work
Once you’ve found the right person, you can send a contract directly through the Upwork marketplace. A solid contract protects both parties and helps collaborations be successful from beginning to end.
Use Upwork's contract workroom, messaging, and payment protection for secure collaboration
Choose fixed-price contracts for projects with clear deliverables, such as refining a single core system prompt
Break large projects into milestones, such as dataset preparation, prompt tuning, and API integration
Choose hourly contracts for ongoing work or projects without clear deliverables, such as ongoing testing and optimization
After the contract starts, be sure to give the prompt engineer everything they need to succeed, including appropriate access to the necessary files, AI models, and project management tools.
Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.
The rates and information provided in this article are based on current data and industry sources available at the time of publication. Freelance rates can vary depending on factors such as experience, location, project scope, and market conditions. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research to confirm current rates and trends, as this information may change over time.