Hire a Top Data Annotation Specialist in LatAm. Same Quality. 63% Less.

South helps growing companies find, hire, and pay top Latin American talent. Build high-performing teams in 21 days or less.

Latin American Talent Savings

Hire 

Data Annotation Specialist

s for up to

63

% less

We’ve helped hundreds of clients hire amazing staff in Latin America.

6000

/month 

Average US Salary

2250

/month 

Average LatAm Salary

63

%

Potential Savings

See a few of our 80,000 pre-vetted professionals

Camila Q.
Data Annotation Specialist
Data Labeling Assistant
Junior
Middle
Senior
Chile
3
years exp.
Labelbox
Supervisely
CVAT
Google Sheets
Detail-oriented
Monthly Salary
$
1.2
k - $
1.7
k
Patricia V.
Data Annotation Specialist
Data Annotation Specialist
Junior
Middle
Senior
Uruguay
5
years exp.
Labelbox
V7
SuperAnnotate
CVAT
Notion
Problem-solving mindset
Monthly Salary
$
2.2
k - $
2.7
k
Victor P.
Data Annotation Specialist
Data Labeling Manager
Junior
Middle
Senior
Colombia
7
years exp.
Labelbox
Supervisely
V7
SuperAnnotate
Python
Strong leadership
Analytical thinker
Monthly Salary
$
3.2
k - $
3.7
k
Our talent has worked at top startups and Fortune 500 companies

Data Annotation Specialist

Tasks:

  • Review raw data such as images, videos, audio, or text to prepare for annotation.
  • Accurately label data according to predefined guidelines and project requirements.
  • Use annotation tools and platforms to tag data with high precision.
  • Validate and cross-check labeled data to ensure quality and consistency.
  • Report and document anomalies, edge cases, or unclear labeling scenarios.
  • Collaborate with machine learning engineers to refine annotation protocols.
  • Meet daily or weekly data labeling quotas and productivity benchmarks.
  • Participate in training sessions to stay updated on labeling standards and tool updates.
  • Maintain data security and confidentiality throughout the annotation process.
  • Provide feedback to improve annotation tools and workflow efficiency.
  • Flag ambiguous or low-quality data samples for review or escalation.
  • Help train or onboard new annotators when required.

Data Annotation Specialist

Qualifications:

  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Proficiency in using data labeling tools and platforms.
  • Ability to follow complex annotation guidelines precisely.
  • Basic understanding of machine learning concepts and training data.
  • Good written communication skills in English.
  • Reliable internet connection and ability to work independently.
  • Familiarity with different data types such as images, video, audio, and text.
  • Experience in remote work environments or distributed teams.
  • Capacity to handle repetitive tasks with high consistency.
  • Strong time management and ability to meet productivity targets.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What does a Data Annotation Specialist do?

A Data Annotation Specialist labels training data for machine learning: bounding boxes on images, transcription of audio, sentiment on text, intent on user queries. The work is precision-focused and feeds directly into model quality. Strong annotators are fast, consistent, and disciplined enough to flag ambiguous cases rather than guess.

How much does it cost to hire a Data Annotation Specialist?

The average U.S. Data Annotation Specialist salary is $6,000 per month compared with an average Latin American salary of $2,250 per month, creating potential savings of up to 63%. LatAm produces strong candidates for this role from countries like Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, many with years of remote U.S.-team experience and direct exposure to the same tools and processes used in U.S. companies.

Can a U.S.-based company hire a remote Data Annotation Specialist from Latin America?

Yes, and most modern companies already do. South contracts the hire locally, handles compliance and payroll, and bills you monthly. The person joins your tools (Slack, Notion, Jira, GitHub, Zoom) just like a domestic employee. Time-zone alignment is the unlock: live meetings, real-time collaboration, and same-day decisions all work without the async lag you get hiring in EMEA or APAC.

What skills should I look for when hiring a Data Annotation Specialist?

Look for accuracy at speed and the discipline to flag rather than guess. Ask about an ambiguous edge case they raised and how the team handled it. The best annotators improve the labeling guidelines over time, not just label faster.

What tools and software should a Data Annotation Specialist know?

Labelbox, CVAT, Roboflow, V7, Scale Studio, SuperAnnotate, Prodigy, and Doccano. Strong specialists also work with custom in-house tools and provide feedback on labeling guidelines that the ML team writes.

How is a Data Annotation Specialist different from a Machine Learning Engineer?

An ML Engineer builds models; an Annotation Specialist creates the data those models learn from. The roles are different but tightly coupled. Bad annotation tanks model performance no matter how good the engineering. Hire an Annotation Specialist when your model quality bottleneck is data, not architecture.

How can South help me hire a Data Annotation Specialist?

South vets LatAm talent through structured interviews, work-sample tasks, and reference checks. You see a shortlist in seven to ten days, run your own interviews, and onboard in two to three weeks. South handles the contract, monthly payments, and offers a replacement guarantee. Schedule a free call here to get started!

Interview Questions:

  • Walk me through how you handle an ambiguous label.
  • Tell me about a case where you pushed back on the labeling guidelines.
  • How do you maintain quality at 1,000 annotations per day?
  • How do you handle inter-annotator disagreement?
  • Compare Labelbox, CVAT, and Roboflow. Pick one.
  • Walk me through quality control for a 100K-image labeling project.
  • How do you train a new annotator on a complex schema?
  • Tell me about a labeling project that went badly. What did you learn?
  • How do you handle a model that disagrees with your labels?
  • What does great labeling guidelines documentation look like?

Related Roles:

Related Skills:

Why Latin America?

Hire teammates, not offshore resources.

US Time Zones

Argentina & Brazil are just one hour apart from New York. Your Latin America teammates work when you do so you can collaborate all day long.

Excellent English

We screen all candidates for excellent spoken and written English. They are ready to jump right in.

Cultural Fit

We make sure all candidates are a strong professional and culture fit. They are already accustomed to working remotely.

Cost Savings

Latin American salaries are 30-80% less than US-equivalents. Grow your team with top 1% nearshore talent without breaking your budget.

Why Choose South?

We try harder.

Full-Service Talent Partner

We take care of all the headaches of hiring, from recruiting, vetting, compliance, and global payroll. We work to understand your specific needs and to provide unreasonable hospitality every step of the way.

Trusted Top Talent

Tap into our pool of over 120,000 pre-vetted professionals who have worked for Fortune 500 companies and top startups. Our rigorous selection process accepts only the top 0.5% of Latin American talent.

Transparent Pricing

No hidden fees or surprises here. With risk-free hiring, you only pay if you find the right candidate. You’ll know exactly how much you pay for your hires and our fee.

Zero Compliance Headaches

South handles all legal and compliance aspects of employment, ensuring adherence to local regulations in every country we operate in. Bring on global talent confidently, without legal risks or administrative headaches.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Your satisfaction is our highest priority. If your new team member doesn’t meet your needs perfectly, we are happy to provide a quick replacement.

Ready to elevate your team? Start hiring remotely in Latin America today!

Start hiring

How South Works

Hiring great employees globally can be tough. We make it easy with our hassle-free hiring.
01.
Describe the Role
We get to know you, your company, and the job you are looking to fill. Then, we put together a job listing to start finding potential candidates for your specific role.

Time saved: 5 days
02.
We Search & Vet
We search far and wide for the best talent that meets your goals. Then, we run them through English assessments, internet speed tests, the initial interview, behavioral and communication tests, and run reference checks on your behalf. After the candidates survive our gauntlet, we present the best pre-vetted options for you to choose from.

Time saved: 10 days
03.
Hire with Confidence
After you select the best person for the job, we set you up for success with our battle-tested processes for remote onboarding. We handle compliance, payroll, and any mess for you. Then, you are off and running with your new favorite employee!

Money saved: $30k-$100k / year
Why clients love us for hassle-free hiring...

"South was a low-risk, high ROI way to source new talent. In under two weeks, we hired a Customer Support and a SEO Specialist and were able to scale up without getting bogged down in hiring."

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Brent Sanders
CEO, Scout Software

"I got a Finance & Data Manager for under $40k a year, that would have cost me $180k in the US. South knocked it out of the park for us! Their thorough hiring funnel delivered exactly the quality I was looking for. Over half our team is in Latin America now. "

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Trevor Houghton
CEO, Pass Galleries

"Working with South has honestly changed my entire business. I built my whole team with them. They are by far the best."

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Brian Blum
Founder, Nibble Studio

Frequently asked questions

If you have any further questions, get in touch with our friendly team!
Why hire in Latin America?

The region has the perfect mix of everything you want in remote employees: English skills, shared time zones, hard-working, and depth of talent. They are already accustomed to working remotely for top US startups and Fortune 500 companies.

Can they work my time zone?

Absolutely! The US and Latin America have basically the same time zones. No Latin American city is more than two hours ahead of EST.

What tasks can they do? What roles can I hire for? 

Every hire is sourced based on your exact needs. They will arrive ready to support your business right away. They can do basically any tasks done remotely, but we recommend starting them as support so your team has more bandwidth for high-value strategic tasks.

All types of roles - customer service, executive assistant, sales, accounting, email marketing, lead generation, content writers, operations, social media marketing, and more!

How do I pay them? Any tax or visa issues?

You can pay directly through us (most popular) or we can connect you with one of our payroll partners.

You don't have to deal with any American labor laws / taxes when hiring full-time remote contractors. They aren't US-based, so no visas or sponsorships to deal with either.

What does this cost?

We recommend market pay which varies for each role. See our salary guide and success stories for some ideas.

Then, we have two different models:

Staffing (most popular) - We charge a small monthly fee for each employee's monthly salary to make the process hassle-free. The fee covers sourcing, recruiting, admin, payroll, compliance, ongoing support, and a free replacement if necessary at any point. There are no cancellation fees or minimum commitments. You only pay if you make a hire.

Headhunting - A one-time simple fee once we've found the perfect candidate. This comes with a 120-day replacement guarantee.

For both options, you only pay something if we find you someone great that you want to hire.

Do I have to hire full-time?

Yes, we only recruit for full-time and we strongly recommend full-time hiring if you can. Stability (full-time & long-term) is highly sought after abroad. The top caliber candidates are only looking for full-time work.

You're also going to spend time training and getting them up to speed on your processes. It would be a waste to do that over and over again with new people all the time.

Do I have to hire for an individual role or can they handle multiple roles?

We recommend training new hires on one thing at a time.

For example, once they get up to speed on lead generation, you can add the next role writing blog posts or whatever you'd like. You can definitely overlap roles until you have enough work for multiple people.

How can they be 70% less?

The cost of living is much less in Latin American countries. Many of our employees are able to own homes, raise families, provide for their parents, and have in-home help of their own with their salaries.

How does the money-back guarantee work?

If you aren't happy with your hire in the first 120 days, we will work with you to conduct a second round of search for the same role for free.

How do I reach out if I have a question?

Just email us at Hello@HireInSouth.com and we will get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.

Start hiring today!
Free to interview, pay nothing until you hire.