1

Freelance Software Tester Jobs in Kentucky (NOW HIRING)

Understanding of software development fundamentals: version control, testing, MVPs, iterative development etc.. * Bachelor's or Master's degree in Data Science, ML/AI, Software Engineering, or a ...

Freelance Software Tester information

See Kentucky salary details

$16

$37

$60

How much do freelance software tester jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average hourly pay for freelance software tester in Kentucky is $37.79, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $29.04 and $45.53 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a freelance software tester do?

A freelance software tester is an independent professional who evaluates software applications for bugs, usability issues, and overall quality. They work with different clients or companies on a project-by-project basis to ensure that software meets specified requirements and functions as intended. Their tasks typically include creating and executing test cases, reporting defects, and providing feedback to development teams. Freelance testers may work remotely and often specialize in specific types of testing such as manual, automated, or performance testing.

What does a freelance software tester do?

A freelance software tester or testing engineer works on a contract basis to evaluate and test software applications. Some of your responsibilities in this career may be to perform QA duties for a software program, create a historical analysis of test results, execute and design test plans for different computer applications, maintain and operate test networks, test a script, and maintain a manual database of software defects. Other roles include detecting software failures, documenting issues and anomalies, comparing results from the previous testing to current testing, creating application instructions for users of the software, documenting and recording testing results, and verifying specific functions or actions of a code.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a freelance software tester, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Freelance Software Tester, you need a solid understanding of software testing methodologies, bug tracking, and quality assurance principles, often supported by a degree in computer science or related certifications like ISTQB. Familiarity with test management tools (e.g., JIRA, TestRail), automation frameworks (such as Selenium), and various operating systems is highly valuable. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help in accurately identifying issues and collaborating with remote teams or clients. These competencies ensure reliable test results, timely feedback, and high-quality software deliverables in a competitive freelance environment.

How do freelance software testers typically manage communication and workflow with remote development teams?

Freelance software testers often collaborate with remote development teams using project management and communication tools like Jira, Slack, or Trello. Clear and timely communication is essential to ensure testing requirements are understood and feedback is promptly addressed. Testers usually participate in regular stand-up meetings, provide detailed bug reports, and maintain documentation to keep everyone aligned. Adapting to different team structures and time zones is a common challenge, so strong organizational skills and proactive status updates are highly valued.

What is the difference between Freelance Software Tester vs QA Tester?

AspectFreelance Software TesterQA Tester
CredentialsTypically no formal certification required, but certifications like ISTQB are beneficialOften requires a QA or software testing certification
Work EnvironmentIndependent, remote or on-site freelance projectsUsually employed full-time in a company's QA department
Employer & Industry UsageHired by multiple clients across industries as a freelancerEmployed by organizations to ensure product quality
Search & Comparison IntentLooking for freelance testing opportunities or contract workSeeking full-time QA roles or internal testing positions

Freelance Software Testers work independently on various projects, often remotely, and may not require formal certifications. QA Testers are typically employed full-time within organizations to maintain quality standards. Both roles focus on testing software, but their work settings and employment types differ significantly.

What are the most commonly searched types of Software Tester jobs in Kentucky?

The most popular types of Software Tester jobs in Kentucky are:

What are popular job titles related to Freelance Software Tester jobs in Kentucky?

For Freelance Software Tester jobs in Kentucky, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Freelance Software Tester jobs in Kentucky look for?

The top searched job categories for Freelance Software Tester jobs in Kentucky are:

Infographic showing various Freelance Software Tester job openings in Kentucky as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 84% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $78,593 per year, or $37.8 per hour.

Freelance Technical Consultant

Toloka

Remote

Full-time

Re-posted 26 days ago


Job description

Company Intro

At Toloka AI we create data that powers leading GenAI models and innovations. We work with frontier labs, big tech, renowned AI startups, enterprises and non-profit research organizations worldwide. We use a combination of Experts + Crowd + Tech Platform to teach AI models to reason and evaluate their efficacy and safety. We have experts in more than 50 different domains-from doctors and lawyers to physicists and engineers-and boast one of the most diverse global crowds, representing over 100 countries and speaking 40+ languages. We are a well-funded startup with an enviable portfolio of clients including AnthropicAmazonMicrosoft, PoolsideRecraft,  and Shopify.

Recently, we secured strategic investment led by Bezos Expeditions and Nebius Group with participation from Mikhail ParakhinCTO of Shopify  and board advisor to leading GenAI companies, who now serves as our Chairman of the Board. Our remote-first team is globally distributed around the world: USAUKthe Netherlands,  Serbia, and more. 

About the Role

Technical consultants play a key role in our company, ensuring top-level delivery of our product, its correct configuration, and the deployment of tailored AI data solutions that meet our customers' needs and deliver an exceptional experience working with us.
As part of this role, you will not only design and implement data labeling pipelines but also act as a trusted technical advisor for our customers - helping them understand their data needs, discover new opportunities, and build scalable AI solutions.
We are looking for a person with more than 3 years of solid technical background, who feels comfortable working in technical environments, solving data-related tasks using Python and AI, and communicating directly with customers. You should be a confident communicator able to engage with both technical and executive stakeholders and collaborate closely with our commercial team.

Responsibilities1. Client Ownership & Communication
  • Act as the primary technical point of contact for customers across technical and executive stakeholders.
  • Lead discovery conversations to deeply understand client goals, problems and quality criteria.
  • Translate client needs into clear, actionable solution designs and delivery plans.
  • Advise customers on best practices in data collection, data quality, evaluation, and model training workflows.
  • Set expectations proactively, communicate progress regularly, and manage risks and trade-offs transparently.
  • Identify expansion opportunities and additional ways Toloka can create value through data and AI solutions.
2. Solution Design & Delivery
  • Design end-to-end data solutions using Toloka's platform, selecting appropriate components, workflows, and quality controls.
  • Configure data labeling components and quality controls, develop user interfaces and AI-driven tooling (e.g. agentic systems, RAGs, synthetic data generation), and integrate them into end-to-end automated pipelines for AI training and evaluation.
  • Run experiments and pilots to validate quality, throughput, and cost assumptions.
  • Lead technical execution during delivery, coordinating internal teams and external stakeholders as needed.
  • Ensure solutions meet agreed quality, performance, and scalability requirements.
3. End-to-End Ownership & Project Management
  • Own delivery outcomes holistically - including technical performance, quality, timelines, and financial efficiency.
  • Monitor key KPIs (e.g. throughput, quality metrics, Gross Margin, Contribution Margin) and act on deviations.
  • Prioritize work based on customer impact and business value.
  • Analyze data to identify failure modes, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.
  • Continuously optimize solutions through iteration, automation, and adoption of new technologies.
  • Troubleshoot delivery, process, or technical issues in collaboration with support, infrastructure, and product teams.
  • Drive solutions toward stable operation with minimal ongoing maintenance.
RequirementsCore Experience
  • Experience as a Solution Engineer, Technical Solutions Engineer, Data Scientist, Data/Systems Analyst, or Technical Project Manager.
  • Proven experience owning projects end-to-end, including scoping, delivery, and stakeholder management.
  • Direct experience working with external customers on technical projects (requirements gathering, delivery, iteration).
Technical Skills
  • Strong Python skills for data manipulation (e.g. NumPy, pandas), natural language processing (e.g. NLTK, spaCy), and building lightweight web services or tools (e.g. FastAPI, Flask).
  • Solid understanding of ML concepts and data workflows; familiarity with LLMs and prompt engineering is a strong plus.
  • Experience designing multi-stage pipelines and complex systems.
  • Understanding of software development fundamentals: version control, testing, MVPs, iterative development etc..
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Data Science, ML/AI, Software Engineering, or a related quantitative field such as Physics or Applied Mathematics, with strong analytical foundations.
  • Ability to reason about trade-offs between quality, speed, cost, and scalability.
Communication & Ownership
  • Excellent English communication skills (B2+), with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
  • Confidence working with data engineers, ML engineers, and researchers from leading tech companies.
  • Strong ownership mindset: comfortable being accountable for outcomes, not just tasks.
  • Ability to manage multiple projects in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
Nice to have
  • Experience with crowdsourcing, expert workflows, or large-scale data labeling.
  • Experience working on ML training, evaluation, or agentic systems.
  • Familiarity with quality frameworks, audits, or data validation pipelines.


[Important Notice] Scam Alert Regarding Fake Job Postings

It has come to our attention that an individual or group is fraudulently impersonating Toloka to post fake jobs and solicit personal information from applicants.Please be aware:

  • Official Communication: Our recruiting team will only contact you from an official "toloka.ai" email address. We will NEVER use Gmail, Yahoo, Tolokainc, toloka.inc,  or other personal or seemingly business email accounts.
  • Our Process: We will never ask for your bank account details, credit card number, or any fees as part of the application or interview process.
  • Official Listings: All legitimate job openings are posted on our official careers page: https://toloka.ai/careers#job-list
What to do: If you see a suspicious job posting or have been contacted by someone you suspect is a scammer, please do not provide any personal information. Instead, report the incident to us directly at security@toloka.ai and report the profile/post to LinkedIn.We are taking this matter very seriously and are working with the appropriate parties to resolve it.
Thank you for your vigilance!
To learn how we collect, use, disclose, and store personal data, check out our Privacy Notice.