AI Anytime Business · AI Staffing
Senior AI engineers, composed into teams. Live in ten days.
Staff augmentation and dedicated AI teams — AI engineers, forward deployed engineers, AI architects and fractional AI leaders, on our payroll and embedded in yours. Priced for a world where AI writes the code: you pay for judgment and accountability, not keystrokes.
In short
AI Anytime Business provides AI staffing through staff augmentation, dedicated offshore AI development centres (ODCs) and composed teams. Engineers are vetted on production work, employed on our payroll, and embedded in your team within ten days. Rates start at $20/hour; a senior AI engineer is $58/hour ($8,350/month full-time) and an AI architect $75/hour — with a two-week risk-free trial, a five-day replacement SLA and no recruitment fee.
At a glance
- Rates
- From $20/hr · senior AI engineer $58/hr
- Time to start
- First commit in 10 days
- Trial
- 2 weeks, risk-free
- Replacement
- Within 5 business days
- Fees
- No recruitment, platform or deposit fees
- Employment
- On our payroll — tax, benefits, kit covered
- Overlap
- Minimum 4 hours with your working day
Why engineers, not licences
The model is the cheapest part.
$1
Model & API tokens
$8–12
Integration · data plumbing · evaluation · guardrails · deployment · monitoring · maintenance
Buying the model is easy. Everything after it is the project — and that work is engineered by people who have done it before. A senior engineer is not a cost line; they are the difference between $8 and $3.
Industry rule of thumb for implementation spend relative to model API spend. Directional, not a universal benchmark.
How we work together
Two ways in.
Talent
People, on our payroll, in your team.
- Engineers hourly or full-time monthly
- Composed teams of 3–12, one invoice
- Fractional CTO, AI CTO and architects
Launchpad
Fixed scope, fixed price, shipped.
- AI MVPs and production agent builds
- Applied AI research engagements
- Audits, evals and model migrations
Most clients start at one door and end up using both.
Roles
Junior to principal, in every discipline.
Core AI engineering
Engineers who build, ship and run LLM, agent and ML systems.
Product & platform engineering
The engineers around the model: data, backend, frontend, infrastructure, security and QA.
Leadership, delivery & product
Fractional technology leaders, architects, AI product and delivery managers.
5-day shortlist SLA for every role.
2026 rate card
Transparent rates, held for the term.
USD · top line per hour · below, per month full-time on our payroll (160 hrs) · every junior role is a flat $20/hour.
Core AI engineering
| Role | Junior0–2 yrs | Mid3–5 yrs | Senior6–10 yrs | Lead10+ yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI Engineer | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $38/hr$5,500/mo | $58/hr$8,350/mo | $78/hr$11,200/mo |
| LLM / GenAI Engineer | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $42/hr$6,050/mo | $62/hr$8,900/mo | $82/hr$11,800/mo |
| Forward Deployed AI Engineer | — | $48/hr$6,900/mo | $68/hr$9,800/mo | $88/hr$12,650/mo |
| AI Architect | — | — | $75/hr$10,800/mo | $95/hr$13,700/mo |
| ML Engineer | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $38/hr$5,500/mo | $56/hr$8,100/mo | $76/hr$10,950/mo |
| MLOps / AI Platform Engineer | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $40/hr$5,750/mo | $58/hr$8,350/mo | $78/hr$11,200/mo |
| AI Eval & Reliability Engineer | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $35/hr$5,050/mo | $52/hr$7,500/mo | — |
| Data Scientist | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $38/hr$5,500/mo | $56/hr$8,100/mo | — |
Product & platform engineering
| Role | Junior0–2 yrs | Mid3–5 yrs | Senior6–10 yrs | Lead10+ yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Engineer | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $34/hr$4,900/mo | $50/hr$7,200/mo | $68/hr$9,800/mo |
| Backend Engineer | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $30/hr$4,300/mo | $45/hr$6,500/mo | $62/hr$8,900/mo |
| Full-stack Engineer | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $32/hr$4,600/mo | $48/hr$6,900/mo | $65/hr$9,350/mo |
| Frontend Engineer | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $28/hr$4,050/mo | $42/hr$6,050/mo | — |
| DevOps / SRE | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $34/hr$4,900/mo | $50/hr$7,200/mo | $68/hr$9,800/mo |
| Security Engineer | — | $36/hr$5,200/mo | $54/hr$7,800/mo | $72/hr$10,350/mo |
| QA & Test Engineer | $20/hr$2,900/mo | $26/hr$3,750/mo | $40/hr$5,750/mo | — |
Most often bought as part of a composed team rather than individually.
Fractional leadership
| Role | Per hour | From / month |
|---|---|---|
| Fractional CTO | $110 | $4,800 |
| Fractional AI CTO | $125 | $5,400 |
| Fractional Head of Data | $100 | $4,400 |
20 hours per month · 6-month minimum.
Delivery & product
| Role | Senior | Lead |
|---|---|---|
| Solutions Architect | $68/hr | $88/hr |
| AI Product Manager | $52/hr | $68/hr |
| Delivery Manager | $48/hr | $62/hr |
| Engineering Manager | $54/hr | $70/hr |
Monthly on request. Delivery lead and architect oversight are included free in every team of four or more.
Delivery model
Where your team sits.
Every listed rate is our Global tier. Tiers apply per seat — most teams run a Global core with one Nearshore lead.
Global
×1.0
India · SE Asia · Africa · MENA
4–6 hrs overlap
Nearshore
+40%
LatAm · Poland · Romania · Portugal · UAE
6–8 hrs overlap
Onshore
+250%
US · UK · EU · Australia & NZ
Full-day overlap
| Senior role, per hour | Global | Nearshore | Onshore |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Engineer | $58 | $82 | $203 |
| LLM / GenAI Engineer | $62 | $87 | $217 |
| Forward Deployed AI Engineer | $68 | $95 | $238 |
| AI Architect | $75 | $105 | $263 |
Hire a team
Composed team packages.
Starter Squad
$19,500
3 people · per month
One workflow to production
vs $22,400 à la carte
Product Pod
$37,500
5 people · per month
A product line, end to end
vs $42,300 à la carte
Scale Pod
$62,000
8 people · per month
A portfolio of workflows
vs $70,500 à la carte
Research Cell
$24,500
3 people · per month
Applied research, not papers
vs $28,000 à la carte
Priced at the Global tier · roughly 12% under à la carte · 6-month minimum, 30-day exit · delivery lead and architect oversight included in every team of four or more.
Launchpad
Fixed scope. Fixed price. Shipped.
| Engagement | Duration | Fixed fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Readiness & Architecture Audit | 2 weeks | $4,500 | Credited to any build |
| AI MVP Sprint | 4 weeks | $18,000 | Eval harness from day one |
| Production AI Build | 8 weeks | $42,000 | 30 days support included |
| Agent Workflow Build | 4 weeks | $16,000 | |
| Applied AI Research Engagement | 6 weeks | $24,000 | |
| Evaluation & Reliability Harness | 3 weeks | $12,000 | |
| Model Migration / Upgrade | 2 weeks | $9,000 |
Commercial models
Four ways to buy.
Hourly
Spikes, advisory and short engagements.
No minimum term
Monthly full-time
One engineer, dedicated, employed by us.
3-month minimum
Composed team
3–12 people around one outcome.
One monthly invoice
Fixed scope
Launchpad builds, price agreed up front.
Milestone payments
You can move between models at any point in the engagement.
What the rate covers.
Employment
- Contract & salary
- Benefits & paid leave
- Labour-law compliance
Tax & entity
- Payroll tax
- Entity of record
- IP assigned to you
Kit & tooling
- Laptop & peripherals
- Dev and AI tooling
- Endpoint security
Delivery cover
- Named delivery lead
- Architect review at key gates
- 5-day replacement
No recruitment fee. No platform fee. No deposit. Paid leave is ours — you are never billed for absence.
Quality
How we vet.
- 01Production evidenceA real system they shipped — what broke and how they fixed it.
- 02Evaluation designDesign the eval set for a messy workflow. Our sharpest filter.
- 03Live agent debuggingA broken agent, 90 minutes, reasoning under non-determinism.
- 04Architecture & costDefend model choice and unit economics.
- 05Client communicationExplain a model failure to a non-technical executive.
Everyone we propose has already been paid by us to do real work. You are never the trial.
Getting started
First call to first commit in ten days.
Day 0
Scoping call
45 minutes
Day 2
Composition
Named team + fit rationale
Day 5
You meet them
Swap anyone, free
Day 7
Paperwork
MSA, SOW, IP, NDA
Day 10
First commit
Weekly demos begin
Two-week risk-free trial
Wrong fit in the first two weeks? You owe nothing.
Five-day replacement SLA
A scored replacement starts within five business days.
Comparison
How AI Anytime compares.
| Criteria | AI Anytime | Talent marketplace | Consultancy | Direct hire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior AI engineer / hr | $58 | $100–220 | $300–600 | — |
| Time to first commit | 10 days | 2–4 weeks | 6–10 weeks | 3–6 months |
| Team composed for you | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Employment handled | Yes | Partly | Yes | You |
| Delivery lead included | Yes | No | Billed | No |
| Replacement SLA | 5 days | Varies | Varies | Re-hire |
| Risk-free trial | 2 weeks | Sometimes | No | No |
Market ranges are typical published rates for senior AI engineers and vary by provider.
What we commit to in writing.
Named engineer guarantee
Who you interviewed is who delivers.
Rates held for the term
The rate you sign is the rate you pay.
You own the IP
Full assignment. Your data is never reused.
No hidden markup
No platform fee. No recruitment fee. No deposit.
30-day exit
After the minimum term. No penalty.
We use AI too
Our engineers ship with AI tools — you keep the saving.
Where we deliver.
Minimum four hours of daily overlap with your working day, guaranteed.
- North America
- United Kingdom
- Europe
- APAC
- MENA
- Africa
- South America
- Australia & NZ
- Follow-the-sun: 16–24 hour coverage on critical systems.
- Data residency: EU, UK and UAE delivery where required.
- Tax: Rates exclude tax. 18% GST for Indian clients; exports zero-rated under LUT.
How much does it cost to hire an AI engineer through AI Anytime?
Senior AI engineers are $58 per hour or $8,350 per month full-time. Mid-level AI engineers are $38/hour ($5,500/month) and leads $78/hour ($11,200/month). Every junior role is a flat $20/hour ($2,900/month). Rates are in USD at our Global tier, exclusive of tax.
What is AI staff augmentation?
AI staff augmentation means adding vetted AI engineers, architects or data specialists to your existing team for a defined period. They work in your tools and rituals, while AI Anytime handles hiring, payroll, benefits, equipment and replacement.
What is an AI offshore development centre (ODC)?
An AI ODC is a dedicated team of AI and product engineers in India working exclusively on your roadmap, with a named delivery lead and architect oversight from AI Anytime — an extension of your engineering organisation.
How quickly can an AI engineer or team start?
Typically ten days from first call to first commit: a 45-minute scoping call, a proposed team with a written fit rationale in 48 hours, interviews by day 5, paperwork by day 7 and first commit by day 10.
Are the engineers contractors or employees?
Everyone is on AI Anytime's payroll. Employment, contracts, payroll tax, benefits, paid leave, laptops, tooling and labour-law compliance are ours. You are never billed for leave.
Is there a trial period?
Yes. Every engagement starts with a two-week risk-free trial — if the fit is wrong in the first two weeks, you owe nothing.
What if an engineer leaves or isn't the right fit?
A scored replacement starts within five business days, from a bench of pre-vetted engineers matched to your seat.
Is there a minimum term?
Hourly engagements have no minimum term. Monthly full-time engineers have a 3-month minimum. Composed team packages run a 6-month minimum with a 30-day exit afterwards, with no penalty.
Do you charge recruitment, platform or placement fees?
No. There is no recruitment fee, no platform fee and no deposit. Rates are held for the term of the engagement.
Who owns the IP and code?
You do. All work is fully assigned to you, and your data is never reused.
What is a forward deployed AI engineer and what does one cost?
A forward deployed AI engineer embeds with your business or customer teams to discover the problem, prototype on real data and integrate AI into your systems. Rates are $48/hour mid, $68/hour senior and $88/hour lead at the Global tier.
How much does a fractional AI CTO cost?
A fractional AI CTO is $125 per hour, from $5,400 per month for 20 hours a month. A fractional CTO is $110/hour (from $4,800/month) and a fractional head of data $100/hour (from $4,400/month).
Can the team work in our time zone?
Yes. Every engagement guarantees at least four hours of daily overlap. Global-tier engineers (India, SE Asia, Africa, MENA) give 4–6 hours; Nearshore (+40%) gives 6–8 hours; Onshore (+250%) gives a full-day overlap, with follow-the-sun coverage for critical systems.
How do you vet AI engineers?
Candidates show production evidence of systems they shipped, design an evaluation set for a messy workflow, debug a broken agent live, defend architecture and unit economics, and explain a model failure to a non-technical executive. Everyone we propose has already been paid by us to do real work.
Do you offer fixed-price AI projects instead of staffing?
Yes. Launchpad engagements are fixed scope and fixed price — from a 2-week AI readiness audit ($4,500, credited to any build) and a 4-week AI MVP sprint ($18,000) to an 8-week production AI build ($42,000).
Are prices inclusive of GST?
No. All rates are in USD and exclusive of tax. 18% GST applies to Indian clients; exports of services are zero-rated under LUT, so overseas clients pay no GST.
Next step
Tell us the outcome. We'll compose the team.
- A 45-minute scoping callWe'll tell you what it needs and what it costs.
- A proposed team in 48 hoursNamed people, fit rationale, price. No fee.
- Or start with a $4,500 auditTwo weeks, credited to whatever you build.