Requesters are okay if you know who approves a lot of HITS. Sometimes the ones that pay the least are the ones to go for as they have simpler tasks that are approved much more easily. The problem is finding out who not to work for by trial and error or looking at the amount of HITS they approve.
My short list of the ones who DO pay is just that...very short. But it does take trial and error to find them. Some of the paying requestors are: Powerset--pays within hours of completion Castingwords--pays within hours of completion, I'v never waited more than 24 hours. Information Locators--pays BUT it can be kind of slow, it can take up to a week or 2. Are these items different--pays, but I don't do them often bc of the rejection rates they have. Ask a question--pays usually within hours but can take a couple of days. Line Drawings-- IF you can get these, they pay well and pay within hours. Content Spooling--pays within hours. Paul Pullen-- you have to email him to get approval to work on these, but well worth it and pays within hours. Todd Dickerson--he usually takes a day or two. I hope this information will help you in finding reliable requestors.
I would add techlist to that as well. They pay a little slower than some other Requesters, but the pay tends to be fair and they often provide opportunities for bonuses and special jobs. For about 10-15 minutes work a week I do for them, I generally make $6-$10, and could make more if I wanted to take on more.
Todd almost always pays me within hours. Some requestors with tens of thousands of hits won't pay until ALL of the hits have been completed. I don't mind this if they pay well. I'm willing to wait if I'm going to get a sweet chunk of change. Sophia Manzia was like that. She had lots of hits but they were super quick to do. I made good money back in June from her. Paul Pullen pays quickly but he rejected me one too many times for my personal comfort. I didn't understand that, given the fact that Todd almost never rejects my work and leaves positive feedback. Although I've yet to hear of anyone getting a bonus from him, as he promises.