Why look elsewhere? Users often leave Ethos because of Match volume that depends on client demand in your field. Below are platforms that solve this specific pain point.
Ethos matches senior professionals to paid work off a single AI voice interview, with no listings to apply to. That means volume depends on client demand in your field, and each project sets its own payment terms. If you want open listings to apply to or a fixed weekly payday while you wait on matches, these platforms fill the gap.
Mercor has the most open roles we track, and AfterQuery the highest median rate
Ethos ranks 2nd of 5 on median hourly pay and 4th of 5 on open roles we track among the platforms on this page.
| Platform | Open roles we track | Median hourly listing | Pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethos | 260 | $80 | Not published |
| SME Careers | 261 | $50 | Weekly |
| Micro1 | 393 | $70 | Not published |
| Mercor | 1,404 | $75 | Weekly |
| AfterQuery | 216 | $87 | Weekly |
Roles and rates as listed by each platform, from our dataset on October 4, 2026. Some platforms post only part of their work as public listings, so a low count can undercount available work. Medians cover hourly listings only and need at least 10 of them. "Not tracked" means we don't collect that platform's listings.
SME Careers is SuperAnnotate's network for subject matter experts who train and evaluate AI models. You apply with a CV and take a recorded AI interview, some roles add a qualification exam or a call, and a human makes the final hiring decision. Contracts and weekly payouts run through Deel, in any country Deel supports. Listings publish a maximum rate only, so expect typical pay below the figure shown.
We track 261 open SME Careers roles with a $50 median hourly listing, against 260 and $80 on Ethos. It pays weekly.
💬 Real User Feedback
"The people here are awesome—both the SuperAnnotate team and the high-quality colleagues I worked with. This was my first time, and despite some early snags, the team was incredibly supportive. The work is meaningful and the payment is reliable."
– Tina S. • Nov 2
"SuperAnnotate is a great company. The work has been pretty steady, and the leaders are excellent."
– Michael N. • Nov 2
- ✓ Weekly payouts through Deel
- ✓ Open in any country Deel supports
Includes a recorded AI interview
Current Openings
4 latest listings from SME Careers
Workforce Experience Specialists
Legal & Compliance Specialist
Finance & Accounting Specialist
Healthcare Specialist
Micro1 vets professionals once with its AI interviewer, Zara, then matches them to projects that train and evaluate AI models. Engineering is one track among many: legal, healthcare, STEM, business and language roles make up most of the board. Listed hourly rates have a $67.50 median, legal and healthcare roles post the highest, and pay runs through Deel in USD twice a month.
We track 393 open Micro1 roles with a $70 median hourly listing, against 260 and $80 on Ethos.
💬 Real User Feedback
"Everything was good. Only after the interview it asked me to upload my CV but suddenly the screen changed before I could upload it. Minor hiccup aside, the AI interview process was smooth and professional."
– Hassan • Jan 22
"The entire interview setup was incredibly exemplary. I barely found any hitch or difficulties while answering the questions. The AI interviewer was responsive and the process felt natural."
– Arham • Jan 22
"Zara often interrupted my answers to give her own responses. She did not allow time for me to consider an answer to a question before trying to move on. Otherwise, it was a unique experience and an interesting way to conduct interviews."
– Suzanne Fisher • Jan 21
- ✓ One AI interview covers future role matches
- ✓ Paid in USD twice a month through Deel
Interview runs on camera with screen share
Current Openings
3 latest listings from Micro1
Simulation Expert — Real-to-Sim 3D Environments & Assets
Investment Banking Associate
Korean Language Expert
Mercor hires professionals as contractors to train and evaluate AI models, with more open roles than any other platform we track. Fields run from law, medicine and finance to software, STEM and languages, and listed hourly rates have a $75 median. You apply with one AI interview and a one-time Persona ID check, and pay lands every Wednesday via Stripe or Wise.
We track 1,404 open Mercor roles with a $75 median hourly listing, against 260 and $80 on Ethos. It pays weekly.
💬 Real User Feedback
"Mercor was my first experience with training AI and working intensely in a remote setting. I've been around for six months plus and while nothing is perfect, Mercor is darned close. I've met some amazing colleagues and learned a tremendous amount about AI."
– Steven W. • Jan 22
"Out of all the AI training companies I've worked for, Mercor has the highest pay rates and the most available projects. Even though it can take a while to get accepted into a project, it's definitely worth the wait."
– B Maly • Jan 20
"The hourly rate was good and competitive compared to other platforms. However, the work was not always consistent and availability varied month to month."
- ✓ Paid every Wednesday for the previous work week
- ✓ More open roles than any other platform we track
Every role starts with an AI interview
Current Openings
3 latest listings from Mercor
Multimodal Image Expert
Task Writer: Project Agentic-MME
Baseball Fan – Live MLB Game AI Evaluator (US)
AfterQuery hires ML researchers, PhD scientists and niche-domain professionals (COBOL, audit accounting, atmospheric modeling) as well as generalists. Hourly listings run $15 to $175/hr with an $85 median, legal, finance and quant roles reach $150 to $175/hr, and pay lands every Friday through Stripe. Each talent pool has one unpaid assessment, projects run 2 to 3 weeks at 10 to 20 hrs/wk and arrive in bursts, and payouts reach the 95 countries Stripe supports.
We track 216 open AfterQuery roles with a $87 median hourly listing, against 260 and $80 on Ethos. It pays weekly.
- ✓ Listed hourly rates have an $85 median, up to $175/hr
- ✓ Paid every Friday, with no fees from AfterQuery
Project-based: work arrives in bursts, not continuous
Current Openings
3 latest listings from afterquery
Legal Experts
Biology Experts
Medical Expert
Keep your Ethos profile live, the pay ceiling is worth it once matches come in. Put your regular hours on SME Careers or Micro1 in the meantime so a quiet month on Ethos does not mean a quiet month overall. Most people here work 2 to 3 platforms at once.
Common Questions
Why are people leaving Ethos?
The primary issue is "Match volume that depends on client demand in your field". While Ethos is still a solid platform, alternative platforms offer better stability, faster payouts, or less competitive screening.
Should I leave Ethos completely?
Not necessarily. Most successful AI trainers work 2–3 platforms simultaneously. Use Ethos for high-volume tasks while diversifying with one of the alternatives above for stability.
Which alternative pays the most?
SME Careers has the highest hourly rate among the options above, but pay alone doesn't tell the full story. Consider task consistency, onboarding difficulty, and your expertise level.