Hire the Best Machine Learning Engineers

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Based on 7,272 client reviews
Jonathan G.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

$200/hr
4.6
79 jobs

I help clients turn AI initiatives into operational systems that people can actually use and trust. I embed with client teams from discovery through rollout—identifying the right opportunity, designing the architecture, writing the code, integrating existing systems, and building the evaluations and human controls required for adoption. Clients bring me in when an important AI initiative needs more than a strategy deck or prototype. Because I handle both architecture and implementation, I can move from executive conversation to production code without the handoffs and delays of a conventional consulting team. CURRENT WORK • Clinical speech AI and multilingual interpretation For a multi-facility medical clinic in Dallas, I am building the data and model pipeline behind a self-hosted multilingual interpretation platform. The current work centers on collecting dialect-rich Arabic speech from clinic workflows and putting it through rigorous human transcription and review. The system supports segmentation, separate ASR and translation review, second-reader adjudication, consent controls, exact model and audio lineage, and reproducible dataset exports. Generic speech and translation APIs often struggle with regional dialects, medication names, dosages, negations, overlapping speakers, and the messy structure of real medical conversations. This pipeline gives the client a controlled way to evaluate and improve specialized models without allowing unverified AI output to become training truth. The same infrastructure can support Spanish, Vietnamese, Farsi, Urdu, and other high-need languages. The deployment roadmap includes model right-sizing, distillation, and quantization to reduce latency and operating cost across clinic locations. • AI property intelligence and geospatial reasoning Determining what can legally be built on a property is normally a fragmented expert-research process. It requires finding the correct municipal regulations, interpreting ambiguous zoning language, identifying the right parcel and district, understanding road frontage and neighboring conditions, and applying those rules to real geometry. For Plan AI, I built and productionized a property-intelligence engine that performs this work across municipal code, parcel geometry, road networks, building footprints, neighboring lots, FEMA flood data, and permit data. The system converts those sources into setbacks, buildable envelopes, risk signals, maps, and the evidence supporting each conclusion. Because an authoritative-sounding AI answer is not enough, I also built the anti-hallucination and geospatial evaluation layers. They reject invented ordinance language, unsupported calculations, unjustified assumptions, incorrect parcel or building matches, invalid envelopes, and contradictions between the model’s explanation and its result. The result is one evidence-backed workflow for understanding what constrains a property and what can potentially be built—while keeping uncertain cases visible for expert review. SELECTED EXPERIENCE • Led the development of an AI underwriting platform for a publicly traded lender with approximately $40M+ in annual revenue. It automated most application decisions while routing the hardest 10–15% to expert underwriters. • Designed and shipped a production payroll platform for Finally, a $100M Series B company, in approximately six weeks. • Helped build and stabilize Refine.ink, an AI peer-review platform used by faculty at leading U.S. universities. • Built SMART on FHIR and HL7 ADT healthcare integrations, voice-driven legal-intake systems, and computer-vision pipelines for identifying industrial weld defects only a few pixels wide. HOW I WORK I begin with the workflow, the people using it, the cost of failure, and the evidence the system must produce—not with a predetermined model or vendor. I can own the complete path from discovery through production, or embed with an existing team to resolve the critical architecture, integration, evaluation, and adoption challenges. As one Upwork client put it: “Got a week’s worth of work done in less than an hour due to Jonathan’s expertise. Would work with him again, no question.”

  • Machine Learning
  • Python
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Large Language Model
  • AI Development
  • AI Agent Development
  • Retrieval Augmented Generation
  • Next.js
  • Data Science
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Cloud Architecture
  • Data Engineering
  • Azure OpenAI Service
Nguyen Van T.

Hanoi, Vietnam

$60/hr
5.0
120 jobs

Hello, I'm Tam 👋 - 7+ years of experience in Deep Learning, Computer Vision, LLM, and Generative AI. - 3+ years of experience in AI Automation, RAG, AI Agents. - Tech stack: Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, OpenCV, FastAPI, Docker, CUDA, AWS, Modal, DeepStream, Javascript/TypeScript, NodeJS, NextJS, ReactJS, Electron, Tauri, PyQt - Built high-performance real-time object detection systems with NVIDIA DeepStream for edge and GPU deployment. - Developed OCR & document understanding pipelines for scanned documents, engineering drawings, and forms. - Built LLM/VLM-powered AI applications, including multimodal assistants, RAG systems, image analysis, and AI inference APIs. Let's turn your AI idea into a production-ready product.

  • Machine Learning
  • Machine Learning Model
  • Deep Neural Network
  • TensorFlow
  • Computer Vision
  • PyTorch
  • Natural Language Processing
  • Deep Learning
  • Keras
  • Python
  • Data Entry
  • Docker
  • Amazon S3
  • OCR Algorithm
  • AWS Lambda
  • n8n
  • Automation
  • Selenium
goga K.

Tbilisi, Georgia

$40/hr
5.0
194 jobs

Hello, I am investing all my time and resources in Upwork ☝ My experience covers data analysis, AI/ML model training, fine-tuning, and deployment to production on AWS, GCP, Azure, or edge devices. ⬣ Skills : GenAI : RAG, Vector databases, LLM finetune, AI Agent/Multi Agent systems. Machine Learning : classification, regression, similarity search. Computer vision : object detection&tracking, pose estimation, image processing. ⬣Programming languages : Python, MATLAB,C#. ⬣ ML/DL LIBRARIES : TensorFlow, Scikit-Learn, Keras, Pandas, Numpy, OpenCV,Pytorch, HuggingFace,Unsloth, Ultralytics. ⬣ Inference engines: llama.cpp, OLlama, LiteRT-LM, TensorRT. ⬣ Certificates : ✅ AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional ✅DeepLearning.AI Machine Learning Engineer for production I AM READY TO IMPLEMENT YOUR PROJECT AND CONVERT YOUR IDEAS INTO A REALITY!

  • Machine Learning
  • Python
  • Deep Learning
  • Amazon SageMaker
  • PyTorch
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Cloud Computing
  • Google Cloud Platform
  • Retrieval Augmented Generation
  • AI Agent Development
  • Vertex AI
  • LangChain
  • Databricks Platform
  • FPGA
  • VHDL
  • LoRa
  • AWS Lambda
  • Diffusion Model
  • Automatic Speech Recognition
  • AI Text-to-Speech
Pradipta D.

Fogelsville, Pennsylvania

$50/hr
4.8
81 jobs

* Expert Vetted talent in Upwork with 100% job success rate. * I am looking for long term work in solving problems with Machine Learning solution. * I have been working on Machine Learning for over 5 years. * My area of expertise in Machine Learning area are: Computer Vision and NLP. * My live projects include: 'Detect Products of Super-market shelves', 'Detect sharp objects from x-ray image', various Image classification models like to classify inside/outside House, Shoes(of different materiel), 'Text classification' of various articles. * I have also worked on stock forecasting LSTM model using stock data and sentiment data. * I have a certification from Udacity in "Self Driving Car Engineer" Nano Degree

  • Machine Learning
  • Machine Learning Model
  • Python
  • pandas
  • Computer Vision
  • Deep Learning
  • Keras
  • TensorFlow
  • Classification
  • Model Tuning
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Deep Learning Modeling
Ojaswini S.

Dalhousie, India

$20/hr
5.0
7 jobs

I am an AI Engineer with 4+ years of experience building and deploying production-ready AI systems across classical machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, NLP, and Generative AI. Unlike many AI developers who focus only on LLMs, I work across the entire AI stack. I believe the best solution isn't always a large language model or an expensive API. Many real-world problems are better solved using classical machine learning or deep learning, resulting in lower infrastructure costs, faster inference, reduced latency, and greater control over your solution. My goal is always to build the most effective system not the most expensive one. Some of the areas I regularly work in include: * Classical Machine Learning (XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost, Random Forests, SVMs, feature engineering, predictive modelling, forecasting, anomaly detection, recommendation systems) * Deep Learning (PyTorch, TensorFlow, CNNs, Transformers, Vision Transformers, knowledge distillation, model optimization) * Computer Vision (object detection, image classification, segmentation, OCR, document understanding, face recognition, multi-object tracking, embedding-based search) * NLP & LLMs (RAG, GraphRAG, agentic workflows, fine-tuning, embeddings, semantic search, document QA, information extraction) * Generative AI applications using OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and open-source models * End-to-end AI pipelines from data collection and preprocessing to training, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring I also have extensive experience optimizing AI models for production through knowledge distillation, pruning, quantization, and efficient inference, making models smaller, faster, and more cost-effective for both cloud and edge deployments. On the engineering side, I work comfortably with Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, pgvector, asynchronous programming, Docker, GPU acceleration, and cloud deployments. I build complete AI products and APIs that are designed to scale not just research prototypes. Beyond implementation, I enjoy solving difficult research and engineering problems. Whether it's designing a predictive model, improving model accuracy, reducing inference costs, building an intelligent document processing pipeline, or deploying an LLM application, I focus on solutions that are reliable, maintainable, and practical for production. I also lead a team of AI engineers, giving me experience not only in technical execution but also in planning, code quality, mentoring, and delivering projects on time. If you're looking for someone who can understand the problem first, choose the right AI approach, and build a production-ready solution that balances performance, cost, and scalability, I'd be happy to help.

  • Machine Learning
  • Machine Learning Model
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Vision
  • Natural Language Processing
  • Generative AI
  • Large Language Model
  • Model Optimization
  • Hugging Face
  • OpenAI API
  • Deep Learning
  • Multimodal Large Language Model
  • Web Scraping
  • LangChain
  • LLM Prompt
  • LLM Prompt Engineering
  • Graph Neural Network
  • Research Papers
  • Machine Learning Algorithm
  • Predictive Modeling
Mahmudur R.

Dhaka, Bangladesh

$15/hr
4.9
6 jobs

With a strong background in machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing, I have consistently delivered real-world AI solutions across diverse industries. My professional journey spans multiple roles where I have developed and deployed intelligent systems for image and language understanding, focusing on accuracy, performance, and scalability. Currently working as a freelancer, I have built intelligent data extraction pipelines for financial applications by combining advanced computer vision and NLP methods to extract information from bank cheques with high precision. Additionally, I worked on a complex chatbot project addressing the limitations of large language models (LLMs), such as context window constraints. I implemented optimization strategies like history truncation, prompt summarization, and prompt caching, which significantly improved coherence, processing speed, and memory efficiency in generated responses. As a Data Science Fellow at Fellowship.AI, I developed a robust evaluation pipeline to measure confidence levels in LLM outputs using datasets like LiveBench and MMLU. I applied strong evaluation metrics such as Expected Calibration Error (ECE) and BERTScore and utilized stronger LLMs for benchmarking, providing valuable insights into model calibration and reliability. Previously, as a Computer Vision Engineer at Hello Llama, I played a pivotal role in building IoT-enabled safety solutions. I developed end-to-end ML pipelines and Android applications integrating BLE and real-time video streaming, designed to work with radar warnings and dashcam systems. My work focused on real-time object detection of urban infrastructure and safety violations, deploying models on NVIDIA Jetson Nano for low-latency, edge-based inference. I also created a custom helmet detection system with facial focus and chin-strap detection and used sensor mat data to recognize multiple riders on scooters. My responsibilities included complete development cycles—from data collection to annotation, model training, validation on unseen data, and deployment—with comprehensive testing to ensure robustness in production environments. Earlier in my career as a Machine Learning Engineer at Expert Consortium Ltd., I worked on automatic face recognition and liveness detection systems. I designed pipelines capable of distinguishing live individuals from photographs and automatically created datasets for unknown individuals by organizing webcam feeds, labeling them, and training recognition models using LBP. I also built a driver activity recognition system for behavioral monitoring and an object tracking tool that captured snapshots when specific spatial triggers were activated. I utilized GPU acceleration and RabbitMQ to ensure high performance and seamless message passing during training and inference. Throughout my experience, I have demonstrated a unique ability to bridge the gap between computer vision and natural language processing. I have built robust pipelines, optimized LLM performance, engineered edge-deployable vision systems, and created intelligent, real-time applications in safety, finance, and mobility. My strengths lie in developing production-ready ML systems, optimizing performance in resource-constrained environments, and delivering intelligent solutions that scale effectively and meet real-world demands. I have direct Experience working on following topics: C++ Python Scikit-learn Tensorflow Keras OpenCv Embedded device Aws Azure Flutter

  • Machine Learning
  • Python
  • Deep Learning
  • OpenCV
  • Keras
  • PyTorch
  • Autoencoder
  • Data Science
  • Data Analysis
  • Flutter
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • AWS Amplify
  • Azure Machine Learning
  • AWS Development
  • Embedded System
  • Android

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Resources to help you hire

Cost to hire a Machine Learning Engineer

Cost to hire a Machine Learning Engineer

Explore typical Machine Learning Engineer rates and what businesses pay to hire top talent.

Machine Learning Engineer job description template

Machine Learning Engineer job description template

Get tips to write a job post that attracts qualified Machine Learning Engineers.

Machine Learning Engineer interview questions

Machine Learning Engineer interview questions

Top interview questions to help you hire the right Machine Learning Engineers, faster.

Machine learning engineer hiring guide

Machine learning engineers turn raw data into working systems that predict outcomes, automate decisions, and power AI features across industries. Companies bring them in to build recommendation engines, fraud detection, demand forecasting, and other data-driven products that move measurable business metrics. The right hire shortens the path from a promising idea to a model running reliably in production.

What does a machine learning engineer do?

A machine learning engineer combines software engineering with data science to build, train, and deploy models that run in production environments. They sit between research and engineering, taking an experimental model and turning it into a system that serves predictions at scale, holds up under real traffic, and stays accurate as data changes over time. 

Depending on the project, a freelance machine learning engineer might focus on one specialization or cover several:

  • Model development and deployment. Design, train, and ship models into production, then wire them into your applications and data pipelines

  • Deep learning and natural language processing. Build neural networks for text tasks such as classification, summarization, and chatbots

  • Computer vision. Develop image and video systems for detection, recognition, and quality inspection

  • Recommendation engines and personalization. Create systems that rank content, products, or actions for each user

  • Model optimization and monitoring. Tune accuracy and latency, then track drift and retrain so performance holds after launch

How to hire a machine learning engineer on Upwork

When hiring a machine learning engineer, these four steps take you from a clear job post to a signed contract, and they keep the focus on the skills and signals that matter for machine learning work. On Upwork, the median time from job post to first hire is six hours, so you can move quickly once your post is ready.

Step 1: Post a job

A specific job post attracts the right machine learning engineers and filters out mismatches early. Identify the use case and the stack so applicants can judge fit before they apply.

  • Name the use case. Say whether you need a forecasting model, chatbot, fraud detection system, or computer vision app

  • List core skills needed. Ask for Python and frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch

  • Structure a job description. Spell out data and deployment needs

  • Describe your data. Specify the data sources, approximate dataset size, and whether the engineer will work with structured, unstructured, or streaming data

  • Set scope and budget. Define the deliverable, timeline, budget, and whether the work ends at a model or a deployed system

For a faster start, the Job Post Generator powered by Uma™, Upwork's Mindful AI, can draft a machine learning engineer job post from a few sentences about your project. On average, Upwork clients receive their first proposal within three hours of posting their job.

Step 2: Evaluate candidates

Strong machine learning candidates show their work through code and shipped projects. Look for proof that they have deployed models in production, since a working notebook and a running system take different skills.

  • Review technical proof. Check GitHub repositories, deployed models, and links to framework projects or competitions such as Kaggle

  • Match the specialization. Confirm depth in your area, whether that’s NLP, computer vision, or recommendation systems

  • Look for MLOps experience. Prioritize candidates who have deployed, monitored, and maintained machine learning models in production environments

  • Read ratings and reviews. High Job Success Scores and talent badges signal reliable delivery and clear communication

Uma can conduct instant video interviews and give you a shortlist of candidates with side-by-side comparisons, so you can narrow a long applicant list to a few strong fits.

Step 3: Interview your top choices

Interviews show how a machine learning engineer reasons through tradeoffs and messy data. Prepare a few machine learning interview questions and use a structured process to ask each candidate to walk through their thinking. Possible questions:

  • How do you address overfitting and underfitting in machine learning models?

  • How do you handle the bias-variance trade-off?

  • How do you evaluate model performance after deployment and respond to issues like model drift or declining accuracy?

  • How do you choose the right machine learning algorithm for a problem?

You can schedule and conduct interviews within Upwork Messages, and you get an immediate transcript and summary after each interview to compare candidates later.

Step 4: Agree on scope and begin work

A clear scope keeps a machine learning project on track from the first dataset to the deployed model. Set milestones that match how the work actually progresses.

  • Break the work into phases. Use milestones such as data prep, model training, evaluation, and deployment

  • Agree on success metrics. Decide up front whether you’ll measure accuracy, AUC, latency, or another target

  • Set the tools you’ll need. Note the models, libraries, and infrastructure the engineer should work with

  • Define handoff requirements. Confirm whether the final deliverables include source code, trained models, documentation, deployment scripts, and monitoring dashboards

Use messaging and the contract workroom to communicate and manage the project in one place. Identity verification, payment protection, hourly tracking, and project funds add security for both sides as the work moves forward.

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.

How much does hiring a machine learning engineer cost?

Hiring a machine learning engineer typically costs $50-$200 per hour, depending on the project scope and experience needed. 

This table breaks down typical project-based costs by the type of machine learning engineering work completed:

Proof-of-concept model

$2,000-$6,000/project

Beginner to intermediate
  • Baseline model on your data
  • Accuracy report and next steps
  • Notebook or short demo

Production ML pipeline

$12,000-$40,000/project

Advanced
  • Trained model in production
  • Data and retraining pipeline
  • Deployment and API access

NLP or chatbot build

$8,000-$30,000/project

Intermediate to advanced
  • Text or conversational model
  • Integration with your app
  • Evaluation on real queries

Computer vision system

$10,000-$35,000/project

Intermediate to advanced
  • Detection or recognition model
  • Labeled dataset and training
  • Inference setup for your stack

Ongoing model optimization

$3,000-$9,000/project

Intermediate to advanced
  • Monitoring and drift checks
  • Regular retraining
  • Accuracy and latency tuning

Frequently asked questions

Is hiring a machine learning engineer worth it?

Yes, a machine learning engineer can be a worthwhile investment if your business relies on predictive analytics, automation, or AI-powered features. This point is echoed by practitioners on Reddit who note that a freelance machine learning engineer pays off once the use case and dataset are clear. Hiring on Upwork carries low downside as well, since 89% of first-time clients complete a contract on Upwork.

What skills should a machine learning engineer have?

When hiring a machine learning engineer, look for strong Python skills, hands-on experience with frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch, and a working knowledge of data pipelines and model deployment. Depth in your specialization, such as NLP or computer vision, matters more than a long list of tools.

What's the difference between a machine learning engineer and a data scientist?

A machine learning engineer focuses on building and deploying models that run reliably in production, while a data scientist focuses on analysis, experiments, and insights. The roles overlap, but engineers own the systems and data scientists own the findings.

What do I do after I hire a machine learning engineer?

After you hire a machine learning engineer, start with a short kickoff to confirm the data, success metrics, and first milestone, then use the contract workroom to track progress and review each phase. Plan for monitoring and retraining after launch so the model stays accurate as your data changes.