AI Training Guide · Step 10 of 11
How to Get More Hours and Move Up to Reviewer
More hours and better roles go to the people whose work holds up in review. The platforms that explain how they assign work point to quality scores, past performance and availability.
The Usual Ladder
What the Platforms Say Decides Your Work
| Platform | Own help pages and terms, checked 2026-10-06 to 2026-10-08 |
|---|---|
| Mercor | Quality thresholds are set per project. Each contract has a weekly hour cap that the project lead sets, and you can hold more than one hourly contract. When a project ends you are not moved automatically; you apply again, and a paused project sets your hours to zero. Mercor says people offboarded for low performance are unlikely to be rehired |
| Ethos | No promise about how often projects come up, and no pay for a project that is cancelled or ends early |
| Your top pick in the AI Training Job Matcher | Only on one platform? Answer two questions and get pointed to a second that fits you |
Sources: Mercor project help, Mercor contracts, Mercor referral policy FAQ, Ethos expert terms.
Our top pick spells out how work is checked: peer review first, then operations checks, and sometimes a client review. It tracks quality scores, time per task and guideline adherence.
What Gets You More Hours
- Accuracy first, speed later. Mercor says late or heavily revised work can end a contract, and its matching weighs your past interview and assessment results.
- Stated availability. Mercor sends active contractors a weekly survey, due by Sunday, asking for availability and preferred hours, and says to put more hours there if you can take them. It also says an up-to-date, assessment-complete profile is the biggest driver of offers you did not apply for.
- Being a good teammate. Mercor lets teammates endorse each other anonymously with tags such as dependable or knowledgeable, and uses endorsements to match people to better opportunities.
- Asking in the project channel when a guideline is unclear, instead of guessing. Ask after your first task, not after finishing many the wrong way.
- Notes on how you decided edge cases, so you handle them the same way every time.
- A second platform, so a quiet week on one is covered by the other.
Sources: Mercor project offboarding, Mercor instant offers, Mercor weekly contractor survey, Mercor peer endorsements.
When the Queue Goes Quiet
An empty task queue is one of the most common complaints among AI trainers. Causes trainers report include a finished batch, a paused project, a quality review, training you have not finished, or an outage.
- Finish any pending training or onboarding first.
- Check the project or community channel before assuming you were removed.
- File one support ticket, not several.
- Keep a second or third platform active so a quiet week does not stop your income.
- If the queue stays silent for two weeks or more, treat that project as over and move on.
Sources: AI trainer empty queue guide, Empty queue analysis.
Projects can also end suddenly and come back on different terms. Business Insider reported in November 2025 that one large project ended and workers were offered a similar one at a lower rate.
What Working Trainers Say
Trainers on Reddit describe the same pattern across platforms.
- Droughts are normal. Projects come in batches, queues can stay empty for days or weeks, and a new project email can still lead to an empty dashboard. Keep checking, finish any qualifications offered, and do not read a dry spell as a ban.
- Removal can happen even with good scores and little explanation, and appeals are often final. Keep two or three platforms active and some savings in place.
- Guidelines change often. Read every project update, join webinars or office hours when offered, and take questions to the project leads in the project chat.
- Very long days hurt quality. Long-time trainers warn that autopilot work is what triggers attention and quality flags.
This section draws on Reddit threads such as: Reddit thread, Reddit thread.
Track Your Own Work
Keep a simple private log: date, task type, time spent and the feedback score you received. Never copy task content into it; tasks are confidential.
| Date | Task type | Time | Feedback |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-02 | Response rating | 45 min | Score up, feedback: clear justification |
| 2026-11-03 | Ideal response | 70 min | Marked down: missed word limit |
A month of notes shows you which task types you are fastest and best at, so you can ask for more of them.
You can show the work publicly, within limits. Mercor allows it on LinkedIn with “[Contract]” at the end of the job title and the contract employment type, described only at a high level. It bans naming clients, implying you were an employee, and posting screenshots or task content.
Sources: Mercor social media policy.
How to Become a Reviewer
No platform publishes exactly how reviewers are chosen. These habits match what trainers report:
- Keep your quality scores high and steady.
- Write justifications that reviewers rarely need to correct (step 8).
- When you give feedback, cite the guideline section, be specific and say how to fix it.
- Be visible in the project channel, and tell the team you are interested when they ask for reviewers.
Sources: r/mercor_ai thread, r/mercor_ai thread.
Add a second platform
Chat with DigiNo Toucan. Two questions, no CV needed.
Only on one platform? Your top pick in the AI Training Job Matcher shows a second that fits you.
More Hours and Reviewer Roles FAQ
How do I get more hours as an AI trainer?
Keep quality scores high, keep your availability current and ask when guidelines are unclear. Working on two platforms also smooths out quiet weeks.
How do you become an AI training reviewer?
No platform publishes the rule. Trainers report reviewer offers going to consistent contributors with strong scores and justifications that rarely need correcting.
Why did my AI training hours drop?
Usually because a project ended or slowed, or because quality scores dipped. Check your recent feedback and consider a second platform.
Is speed important in AI training work?
Less than accuracy, especially at first. Speed helps once your scores are stable.
Can I keep notes on my AI training tasks?
Keep private notes on dates, task types, time and scores, but never copy task content. Tasks are confidential.
