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Alternative Model Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Cartesia

Researcher, Models

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$180K - $350K/yr

... model performance. Nice-To-Haves * Prior research or publications in state space models, efficient Transformers or other alternative architectures. * Research or practical experience in designing ...

Etched

Performance Modeling Engineer

Cupertino, CA

Sohu is hard-coded for individual model architectures and only supports transformers, but has an ... other alternatives (GPUs, TPUs etc) WE'RE LOOKING FOR ENGINEERS WITH: * Expert knowledge in ...

Etched

Performance Modeling Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

Sohu is hard-coded for individual model architectures and only supports transformers, but has an ... other alternatives (GPUs, TPUs etc) WE'RE LOOKING FOR ENGINEERS WITH: * Expert knowledge in ...

Etched

Performance Modeling Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

Sohu is hard-coded for individual model architectures and only supports transformers, but has an ... other alternatives (GPUs, TPUs etc) WE'RE LOOKING FOR ENGINEERS WITH: * Expert knowledge in ...

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Alternative Model information

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$66

How much do alternative model jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for alternative model in California is $30.96, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.75 and $38.65 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What types of assignments and clients do alternative models typically work with?

Alternative Models often work with brands, photographers, and designers in industries such as fashion, beauty, music, and art, particularly those seeking to showcase unique looks or subcultural aesthetics. Assignments may include editorial shoots, runway shows, advertising campaigns, or promotional events. Models usually collaborate closely with creative teams to bring specific visions to life, requiring flexibility and strong teamwork. The diversity of clients offers opportunities for portfolio growth and connections with influential professionals in the creative field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an alternative model, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Alternative Model, you need confidence in front of the camera, a distinctive personal style, and the ability to pose dynamically for varied creative concepts. Familiarity with photo shoot processes, modeling portfolios, and digital submission platforms is often required. Strong communication skills, adaptability, and professionalism help models stand out and collaborate effectively with photographers and creative teams. These skills ensure successful photo shoots and lasting relationships within the competitive modeling industry.

What is an alternative model?

An Alternative Model is a fashion or commercial model who represents non-traditional beauty standards, such as edgy, gothic, punk, or heavily tattooed looks. They often work with niche brands, independent designers, and alternative fashion labels. Unlike mainstream models, they showcase unique aesthetics and subcultures in photoshoots, runway shows, and promotional campaigns. Their work may also include social media branding, music videos, and artistic projects.

What are popular job titles related to Alternative Model jobs in California? For Alternative Model jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Alternative Model jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Alternative Model jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Alternative Model jobs? Cities in California with the most Alternative Model job openings:
Alternative Model jobs near you
Infographic showing various Alternative Model job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $64,391 per year, or $31 per hour.

Researcher, Models

Cartesia

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$180K - $350K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 29 days ago

Job description

About Cartesia
Our mission is to architect AI that learns from and interacts with the world like humans do.
We're pioneering the model architectures that will make this possible. Our founding team met as PhDs at the Stanford AI Lab, where we invented State Space Models or SSMs, a new primitive for training efficient, large-scale foundation models. Our team combines deep expertise in model innovation and systems engineering paired with a design-minded product engineering team to build and ship cutting edge models and experiences.
We're funded by leading investors at Index Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners, along with Factory, Conviction, A Star, General Catalyst, SV Angel, Databricks and others. We're fortunate to have the support of many amazing advisors, and 90+ angels across many industries, including the world's foremost experts in AI.
Your Impact
Conduct groundbreaking research in neural network architecture design to advance the state-of-the-art in alternative architectures (e.g., state space models, efficient transformers, hybrid architectures).
  • Design novel architectures that improve model quality, inference efficiency, and adaptability across diverse deployment environments, from cloud to on-device.
  • Explore and develop capabilities such as statefulness, long-range memory, and innovative conditioning mechanisms for enhancing model expressiveness and generalization.
  • Investigate how architectural decisions impact model trade-offs, including scalability, robustness, latency, and energy efficiency.
  • Develop new frameworks and tools to evaluate architectural innovations, benchmarking performance across research and production settings.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate architectural research into scalable and impactful systems for real-world applications.

What You Bring
  • Deep expertise in architecture design, with experience in researching or deploying advanced architectures (e.g., state space models, transformers, RNN variants, CNN variants).
  • Strong understanding of how architectures interact with system constraints, including deployment in cloud environments or on-device.
  • Proficiency in designing architectures that balance quality, efficiency, and adaptability across different use cases and modalities (e.g., vision, audio, text).
  • Familiarity with generative modeling paradigms like autoregressive and diffusion models, and designing capabilities such as statefulness and conditioning in deep learning models.
  • A proven research track record in top-tier ML/AI venues (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR) or demonstrable contributions to state-of-the-art architectures.
  • Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on experimentation and iterative refinement.
  • Strong programming skills in deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow, and experience with profiling tools for understanding model performance.
Nice-To-Haves
  • Prior research or publications in state space models, efficient Transformers or other alternative architectures.
  • Research or practical experience in designing architectures for multi-modal systems.
  • Early-stage startup experience or a track record of rapid innovation in R&D environments.

Note: Cartesia participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with Form I-9 information to confirm employment eligibility after hire.
More Details
In-office policy: We're an in-person team based out of offices in S San Francisco, GB London and I Bangalore. We love being in the office, hanging out together, and learning from each other every day.
Visa sponsorship: We provide visa sponsorship support and assess each circumstance on a case-by-case basis. However, visa sponsorship is dependent on many factors, including the role you are applying for, and the location you are going to be based, and so we can't always guarantee success. Your Recruiter will work with you to understand your visa sponsorship needs from the first call.
We ship fast. All of our work is novel and cutting edge, and execution speed is paramount. We have a high bar, and we don't sacrifice quality or design along the way.
We support each other. We have an open & inclusive culture that's focused on giving everyone the resources they need to succeed.
Our Benefits (US Employees Only)
Compensation Competitive base salary alongside attractive equity package.
Health Insurance Fully covered medical insurance along with dental and vision for you and your family.
Parental Leave 9 weeks paternity & 12 weeks maternity leave
401(k)
Commuter Allowance A monthly stipend to help you get to and from the office.
Flexible PTO Take as much time as you need to recharge your batteries.
Meals & Snacks Lunch, dinner and plenty of snacks, provided daily.
Your own personal Yoshi
Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity
Cartesia is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.

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