get paid for social experiments

The 15 Best Sites for Paid Research Studies

Jenni Sisson, Contributor

• Updated May 24, 2024

Paid research studies are somewhat similar to survey sites , but these studies go a lot more in-depth. The marketing company may ask you to keep a diary of your activities for a week or longer, or they may conduct multiple hour-long phone interviews. They’ll also screen your demographic info much more carefully than if you were conducting simple product tests . 

As such, the payout for research studies is much more than for surveys, with between $50 and $100 per hour being common. Read on to find out more about paid research studies, and which ones are worth your time.

Table of Contents

Key Facts About Paid Research Studies

These studies vary in form and topic and sometimes go by different names, like clinical trials, focus groups, shopalongs, user surveys, paid research opportunities and more. In each case, a company or organization hires a market research firm to answer a question. It could be anything from “Which baby food logo do moms prefer?” to “How many Hispanic citizens in Cincinnati have a favorable view of candidate John Doe?” 

The topic of the research determines what kind of study subjects the project requires, so researchers have to gather respondents of specific demographics. If you sign up for the research company’s database and you fit the profile, they will email or call you to participate in the study. In some cases, you can browse research opportunities and apply to the ones you’re most interested in.

Studies can take various forms: an emailed survey, a phone interview, a video chat, an in-person group panel, keeping a diary of certain activities and more. Your honest responses help companies make marketing and product decisions. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you pursue this side hustle:

• You won’t qualify for every study, so plan to apply to a lot of them and with multiple marketing companies.
• Answer honestly. Lie on the surveys and the recruiter will likely ban you from the platform permanently.
• Check your email regularly. Paid research studies are usually time-sensitive, and often the first respondents are rewarded for their punctuality.
• Do your homework. Not every company that claims to do research is legit. Some take your info, “disqualify you” for the study, then sell that info to other companies. Check sites like the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, Reddit and Trustpilot to sift out the time wasters and bad actors.
• Check their payment terms. Companies pay in gift cards, cash, or via apps like PayPal. The timeframe of when you’ll be paid varies widely between companies, so read the fine print.

We’ve compiled a list of some popular companies that conduct paid research studies. Some are generalists, while some cater to a specific clientele or demographic. 

#1. User Interviews

In our experience, User Interviews offers a very high payout compared to the time spent. During our test, we earned a net rate of $55 per hour . Most of the payments are in the form of Amazon gift cards rather than cash, though there are occasionally PayPal options.

#2. Respondent

Respondent focuses their recruitment on IT/tech employees, CEOs and other industry professionals. They offer hefty compensation for participants, which can rise to as much as $750 per hour (according to their website). Respondent pays in PayPal only and only allows you to apply to three studies per day.

While the payouts for Respondent studies are high, it can be difficult to qualify for them. Professionals in IT and other technology business roles tend to have an easier time. You can only apply to the B2B studies if you link your work email to your Respondent profile.

We only earned $31 per hour in our Respondent testing , but that still makes this one of the highest-paying market research opportunities we’ve discovered. 

A Reddit user who goes by the screen name sauciestcoconut claims to have made over $2,000 with DScout , noting that their key to success is that they “literally apply to almost every single mission that I might qualify for. I skip the ones that obviously don’t relate to me (about kids or certain occupations) but I submit several applications a day.”

#4. Universities

These are the original source of paid research studies, so if you live near a university, they can be a great option to make some extra cash. They can be trickier to locate, as each department will have its own recruitment methods.

There is no central repository for these studies that we could find, but here is a list of a few major institutions to get you started:

• Carnegie Mellon (offers online research opportunities)
• University of Nebraska
• University of Texas
• University of Colorado

To sign up to be part of the pool of research study participants at your local university, do an internet search for the university’s name and “paid research studies.” Many (though not all) research studies are conducted in person.

Here’s another route to find these opportunities: if you live near a medical research university, ask your doctor if they know of any clinical trials going on that you may qualify for.

#5. Fieldwork

Fieldwork offers focus groups in 13 locations around the U.S. If you don’t live near one, you can join their online database. They especially need doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals for their studies.

After you register with their site, an employee will call or email you when you come up as a match for a study’s requirements. They have a good reputation as a legitimate company, but users say it’s imperative that you answer the phone when they call . Otherwise, they’ll move on to the next qualifying person on their list.

#6. U.S. Government Clinical Trials

The federal government is always looking for people to participate in clinical trials of various medications and treatments, many of which are conducted through the National Institutes of Health.

These studies can be a particularly good option if you suffer from a chronic medical condition, as you may gain access to cutting-edge treatments before they’re widely available. And as a general rule, these trials are safe; although they may not produce the results that the researchers are hoping for, researchers don’t conduct trials that they believe have the potential to cause harm. 

You can find a list of ongoing clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov . This is just a repository for the information; each trial is conducted by a different company, university or organization, and you’ll have to contact each study you’re applying for by phone or email. No compensation information is available on the site, and pay rates vary widely depending on factors such as the required time commitment. 

#7. FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com has 16 facilities nationwide where you can participate in face-to-face focus groups and panels. These typically pay well, since there’s more work involved in attending an in-person interview than a phone or internet survey.

This company is now owned by Schlesinger Group (rebranded as SAGO), and the change has caused some operational hiccups. For example, there have been several complaints to the Better Business Bureau of participants not getting paid and receiving poor or no communication from the company. However, most of these issues have reportedly been resolved. 

#8. Rare Patient Voice

Due to the nature of this company’s clientele, it is extremely difficult for them to match people to research studies, as they focus on rare diseases and conditions. That said, if you do qualify (and they list their ongoing studies directly on their site), you are handsomely compensated.

Rare Patient Voice has a good reputation, earning an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau . Most of the complaints from participants are related to delayed payment due to an investigation on whether the participant sped through the questions too quickly to give a thorough review. 

#9. FindFocusGroups.com

This site doesn’t host paid research studies directly; it’s more like Craigslist for vetted, high-paying focus groups. (That means you’ll have to apply to each study individually.) Focus groups are sorted by city and state, but there are nationwide online groups as well.

The interface of the site is filled with ads, so make sure that when you click on a sign-up link you’re signing up for an individual study, not clicking over to a random advertiser (some of whom make their ads looks like study invitations).

The reputation of FindFocusGroups.com is hard to speak to as the site is just a board that posts the focus groups of various companies.

#10. SIS International

As you might guess from the name, SIS International is one of the few companies on this list that is open to participants around the world. Their research covers a broad range of industries — everything from burgers to butane.

Participants seem to like participating in SIS International’s research. The company has five stars on Trustpilot and many complimentary reviews from former study participants. 

#11. Probe Market Research

Probe Market Research has three focuses: consumer studies, business-to-business research and healthcare. It’s a legit company, though some participants complain of late payments and the inconvenience of getting paid in virtual Visa cards , which can only be used online and expire in 90 days. However, the company has four stars on Yelp and most reviews are positive.

#12. Focus Insite

Though they pay well, several Reddit users note that it’s pretty hard to qualify for these studies . Though the reviews aren’t all bad; for example, Redditor stormborn29 said , “Focus Insite sent me a really nice vacuum to test, and I was paid $200 — plus I got to keep the vacuum.” 

Focus Insite does, however, have a few unresolved BBB complaints regarding the lack of payment to participants . They have an active Facebook page, but the reviews on that page look unrelated to market research or surveys. In other words, this research company appears to be legit, but we still recommend proceeding with caution. 

#13. WatchLab

If you’re curious about the latest WatchLab studies, check out their Facebook page . WatchLab’s website is geared toward companies that employ them, not participants, so you’ll get more information on Facebook. Many studies are related to social media use.

This firm is notorious for taking a long time to pay , and they’ve been dinged by many users for not paying at all. They only have 2.5 stars on Yelp (based on 32 reviews), and most of the complaints are due to nonpayment. 

GLG presents a different type of opportunity than most of the other companies on this list. They do research on big purchasing decisions, recruit expert witnesses for trials and more. They keep a list of industry experts in management, law, finance and other professional fields to interview or consult on special cases or niche studies.

“Consultants” usually have years of industry experience, and often have leadership roles. A handful of other companies do this too; AlphaSights, Guidepoint, Third Bridge and Coleman are a few others. 

The screening required to become a consultant for GLG and other high-paying research firms is extensive, as they only want respondents that have specific credentials. To get selected, veterans in this consulting side gig world recommend being very detailed in your LinkedIn profile, as recruiters for these studies rely heavily on the platform to identify potential participants.

Many studies are geared toward mid to senior-level professionals, and if you’re matched with a study, you can make up to $500 per hour or more.

#15. Recruit + Field

Recruit + Field covers the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. They have an impressive list of clients, including Apple, Netflix, Clinique, Spotify and more. This company is somewhere between a GLG (looking for experts) and FieldWork (looking for all walks of life plus healthcare professionals), as they recruit in each of these areas.

Their reputation is fairly good; Recruit + Field has an A- rating on BBB (only 4 complaints, all of which have been answered). 

What About Apex Focus Group?

When we tested Apex Focus Group , we found that the platform offers none of its own paid research studies and uses misleading marketing tactics to get users to sign up for its email list. Once opted in, the company sends affiliate marketing messages to your inbox. Some of those messages contain legit focus group opportunities, but they’re the same focus groups you could find on your own — often by visiting the sites listed above.

Paid Research Study Sites: Summary and Final Thoughts

You won’t qualify for every study, and unfortunately, no amount of hard work will change that. (Plus these companies now have layers of checks and AI algorithms to vet cheating and lying, so don’t try that either). 

Because of this, paid research studies fall squarely in the side-hustle-only camp. For the best return, apply to a number of studies you have a good chance of qualifying for, and quickly respond when you get a call or email from the market research company (as many studies are deadline driven). 

Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent looking to make a few bucks during naptime or a senior project manager looking for a good-paying, low-maintenance side gig , paid research studies can be an easy way to make extra money.

Different companies cater to different demographics, and hence, want different research participants. So do your homework on the research company before you sign up to get a better response rate. 

Financial Tips and Deals Every Friday

Join over 10,000 subscribers and stay ahead with personal finance insights, the best deals, and the best money-making opportunities every Friday.

Email Address Subscribe

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment Read our comment policy.

A Message From Our Founder

Welcome to The Ways To Wealth. I founded this site to help make a difference in people's lives by delivering objective, reliable advice and recommendations that help them make more money, save more money, and invest wisely.

• Money Management
• Debt Payoff
• About The Ways To Wealth
• Media & Advertising
• Privacy Policy

Latest Posts

12 ways to make $1,000 as fast as realistically possible, hometap review: what you need to know about the costs, the best survey sites and apps to make money, get paid to watch videos & ads myth vs. reality in 2024, netflix tagger jobs are real, but they’re not what you think, popular tags.

• Reading Lists

15 Legitimate Places to Participate in Paid Research Studies

Our readers always come first.

The content on DollarSprout includes links to our advertising partners. When you read our content and click on one of our partners’ links, and then decide to complete an offer — whether it’s downloading an app, opening an account, or some other action — we may earn a commission from that advertiser, at no extra cost to you.

Our ultimate goal is to educate and inform, not lure you into signing up for certain offers. Compensation from our partners may impact what products we cover and where they appear on the site, but does not have any impact on the objectivity of our reviews or advice.

From testing products and services to sleep and diet studies, here's a list of vetted places you can participate in paid focus groups.

• Side Hustles

Our mission at DollarSprout is to help readers improve their financial lives, and we regularly partner with companies that share that same vision. If a purchase or signup is made through one of our Partners’ links, we may receive compensation for the referral. Learn more here .

A few years ago, I got an invitation to attend a research study hosted by a local skincare company. They were launching a new line of products and wanted feedback from 20 to 25 year-old-women with dry skin.

Since I was a new college grad who needed extra cash, I decided to go. They asked me various questions regarding my current skincare regimen, the products I used, and how I felt about them. It only took an hour, and I got a $75 Visa gift card and a few product samples. Not a bad way to kill an hour.

If you like the idea of getting paid to share your opinions, you’re in luck. There are plenty of places that host paid research studies. While the study I did was in-person, there are many online research studies you can do at home.

Websites That Offer Paid Research Studies

You can find online focus groups that’ll pay you for your time and feedback through a variety of websites. Each site has its own requirements and payment structure, so it’s a good idea to explore all the options available.

1. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a survey site that’s been around since 2005. It will pay you to take surveys and express your opinions to big brands who want to improve their products and services. After you answer several questions about yourself and create a profile, the site will match you to surveys that are relevant to you.

Any time you complete a survey, you’ll earn virtual points, which you can redeem for PayPal cash or online gift cards. Most surveys take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, and you can expect to make between 100 to 200 points or $1 to $3 per survey. You won’t have to buy any products or sign up for other websites.

2. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion is a survey panel that partners with large companies who want customer opinions. To join, you’ll enter basic information such as your age and where you live. Then, you’ll take a general household survey where you’ll share details about your lifestyle.

You’ll likely receive survey invitations via email several times a year. The number of points you’ll rack up will depend on the length of the surveys.

While short surveys are typically worth anywhere between 5 and 50 points, you can earn up to 5,000 points with longer ones. One point equals $0.01, and you can cash your points in for PayPal cash or donate them to charity.

Related: 17 Best Places to Take Paid Online Surveys for Money

3. Respondent

Respondent is unique because it organizes one-on-one paid research studies online and in person. You can sign up with your email address or via your Facebook or LinkedIn profile through the site.

Once you do, you’ll fill out some basic personal information such as your name, birthday, and email address. They’ll also ask for demographic details like your gender, ethnicity, and educational background.

After you’ve signed up, you’ll browse all of the “projects” available and details like the pay and how long they take to complete. When you see a project that interests you, you can apply to it through a short questionnaire. You’ll be emailed if the company chooses you for their project.

Most of the projects focus on small business or technology and pay anywhere from $50 to $85 via PayPal for 45 minutes to an hour of your time.

4. FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com began in 1988 and offers surveys as well as in-person and online focus groups via phone and webcam. After you create a profile, you’ll be emailed surveys and focus group invitations.

The majority of the site’s surveys and focus groups revolve around health and wellness, pet products, finances, and shopping habits.

You’ll earn between $75 and $150 if you participate in focus groups and points for surveys, which you can apply toward a prepaid Visa debit card. You can cash out 100 points for $1.00.

5. Plaza Research

Plaza Research pays parents, kids, teens, students, doctors, and business professionals to share their opinions on new products and services. It hosts surveys and a variety of in-person focus groups throughout the country.

If you attend a focus group, you’ll likely be asked to try a new product, watch a TV commercial, or discuss your thoughts about future products. To receive survey and focus group invitations, fill out an online form. The form will ask you questions about your education, electronic use, employment, household, pets, and more.

You’ll get an email if you’re a good fit for a survey or focus group. The amount you’ll earn depends on its length and scope. Most participants will earn between $50 and $200, paid via check, for two hours of their time.

Related: How to Get Paid to Write Reviews

6. Mindswarms

You can create an account online or via the Mindswarms mobile app and get paid to answer questions via your smartphone or webcam.

After you apply to a survey that appeals to you, you’ll answer a few targeted questions to make sure you’re a good fit for it. If you are, you’ll answer seven questions and earn about $50. The money will be sent to your PayPal account within 24 hours. You can also redeem your earnings for an Amazon gift card.

7. Fieldwork

Fieldwork has facilitated marketing research studies since 1980. The company hosts in-person focus groups in 11 cities across the U.S. If you don’t live near any of these cities, you can still register for Fieldwork’s national database and participate in online or phone interviews.

To register, fill out an online questionnaire and wait for Fieldwork to call or email you when an opportunity is available. Most in-person focus groups last between one and two hours and can be on random topics such as cereal and video games. Compensation is usually a $75 Visa gift card.

8. User Interviews

User Interviews organizes focus groups in-person, via phone, or video streaming about products, services, and websites. For a chance to participate, create a profile with your birthday, gender, household income, marital status, and education level.

If you find a project that interests you, complete a short screener survey to see if you’re eligible. If you are, you can sign up for the focus group and earn an average of $50/hr. You’ll get paid via check.

9. Brand Institute

Brand Institute is a branding agency that supports healthcare and pharmaceutical companies with their marketing initiatives. You can become a Brand Institute panel member after you fill out a short online registration form. If you qualify for a paid research study, you’ll get an email notification and can participate right away.

Payment depends on the survey you take, and you’re more likely to receive invites for higher-paying surveys if you have a medical background. You can earn between $2 and $30 via check or PayPal. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and others in healthcare report that they receive about four surveys a month.

Engage finds respondents for various market research and usability studies. It offers both in-person focus groups and online discussions for panel members. You can join the healthcare panel if you’re a medical professional or consumer panel if you’re an everyday consumer.

You’ll have to provide information about your income, marital status, education level, and job. Once you do, you’ll receive an email notification whenever you qualify for a study. Most studies cover topics like cars, electronics, food products, music, and medical conditions. They usually pay $50 to $250 via check or PayPal.

Universities that Facilitate Paid Focus Groups

  You can also find paid focus groups at colleges and universities. Many of them offer year-round opportunities and focus on psychology and human behavior. While most of these studies are performed online, a few require that you participate in person.

You don’t have to be a student to participate, and payment is typically in the form of PayPal cash, gift cards, or a check. If you’d like to earn money via college-run focus groups, take a look at the schools near your home. Their websites will likely include details about these types of opportunities.

• Purdue University ( See studies )
• Center for Decision Sciences Columbia Business School ( See studies )
• Northwestern University Department of Psychology ( See studies )
• Harvard University Psychology Study Pool ( See studies )
• MIT Behavioral Research Lab ( See studies )

DollarSprout co-founder Jeff Proctor participated in a six-week research study on high-fat diets at Virginia Tech. During the study, he was compensated with meals and $500.

“It was a great experience but very involved,” he said. “I had to check in every day to get weighed, choose my meals, and get several blood and urine samples taken.”

How to Tell if a Focus Group Opportunity is Legit

Even though many focus group opportunities are legitimate, there are plenty of work-from-home scams out there. If you have to pay to participate or reveal confidential information such as your Social Security number or credit card details, that’s a red flag. Stay away from any focus groups that force you to buy products or services or sign up for other websites.

If you find an opportunity that interests you, do some online research to make sure it’s valid. Check the Better Business Bureau to see its rating and read any complaints. This way you can avoid a situation where you get excited about a focus group and then find out it’s a scam.

A legitimate company will never charge you to attend a focus group or take a survey. In addition, they’ll have a privacy policy that’s prominently displayed on their website and will only email you from a business email account, rather than one from a free service like Gmail or Yahoo.

Related: How One Woman Earns $5,000 per Month as a Surrogate Mother 

You May Also Like

12 High-Paying Companies Offering Website Testing Jobs

22 Best Money Making Apps for Earning On the Go

10 Legit Ways to Get Paid to Write Reviews (Movies, Restaurants, and More)

How to Make Money Managing Facebook Ads for Local Small Businesses

9 Legitimate Ways to Get Paid to Search the Web

31 Practical Ways to Make $500 Fast

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

• Participate in Research Studies

Paid Research Opportunities

The following studies are recruiting participants and pay for your time. Read the descriptions and requirements. If you are interested, email the researcher asking to participate. Information on some studies is also posted on bulletin boards in Swift Hall.

Social Interactions Study

We are seeking young people to participate in a research project at Northwestern University about how the relationships between social networks, personality, and unusual thoughts some people may have fluctuate over a brief period. The goal of this research is to increase understanding of how social interactions influence mental health concerns and/or mental health concerns influence social interactions.

You may be eligible for this study if you are between 12 and 34 years of age. The study would entail coming in for 3 visits each approximately one week apart, and you will be compensated $25 per hour for your participation. During these sessions, you will complete questionnaires about unusual thoughts and experiences, mental health symptoms, and your social network and a brief interview with a researcher about your social life.

If you are interested, please email us at [email protected] , and a member of our team will get back to you shortly.

Principal investigator : Dr. Vijay Mittal

Study Title : ORBITZ

IRB# : STU00203263

Individual Differences in Talker Identification

The SoundBrain Lab is seeking participants for a research study investigating how our brains identify and categorize different talkers/voices.

You may be eligible if:

• You are between 18-35 years old.
• You are a native speaker of English
• You have no experience with Mandarin Chinese.
• You have normal hearing (no hearing loss).
• You have no history of neurological or psychological disorders.
• You can travel to Northwestern’s Evanston campus.

Participation includes:

• Hearing screening
• This measure consists of resting your chin on a cushioned platform fixed to the desk you’re sitting at. You will be instructed to fix your gaze on a computer screen in front of you and respond to various sounds played over headphones.

All measures are non-invasive. Participation requires two 1-hour visits. These visits may be on the same day, separated by at least two hours, or on consecutive days. Participants will be compensated at $15/hour.

 If you are interested, please email [email protected] for more information.

Principal Investigator : Bharath Chandrasekaran, PhD

Study Title : Neural Systems in Auditory and Speech Categorization

IRB# : STU00219433 

Daily Experiences Across Relationships (DEAR) Study

Northwestern’s Relationships and Motivation Lab and University of Chicago’s CEDAR Lab are conducting a 6-month study about people’s life experiences and romantic relationships. This study consists of all online surveys that can be done from home. It involves a quick introductory zoom session with a member of our research team, an hour-long initial survey, 2 weeks of short 5-minute surveys, and three 25-minute follow-up surveys that come 2, 4, and 6 months later. You and your partner can earn up to $120 each for participating ($240 per couple).

You may be eligible if you:

• Have been in a relationship for at least 6-months
• Both of you are at least 25 years old, current US residents, and fluent English-speakers
• Have regular internet access
• Have a romantic partner who is willing to participate

Please contact Erin at [email protected] for more information!

Principle investigator: Eli Finkel

Study Title: Daily Experiences Across Relationships Study

IRB #: STU00219294-MOD0001

Cognitive Architecture of Bilingual Language Processing

The  Bilingualism and Psycholinguistics Research Group  at Northwestern University is looking for  Korean-English bilinguals  for an EEG study on language and cognition. We are interested in how languages are represented in the mind. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a safe and non-invasive neuroimaging technique. We are recording the neural activity at the surface of the scalp as it naturally occurs in the brain. The testing session takes approximately 3 hours to complete. For your time and effort, you will be compensated $15 per hour.

You may be eligible to participate if: 

-You are proficient in Korean and English.

-You are between the ages of 18 and 35.

-You are right-handed.

-You have normal or corrected-to-normal vision (glasses, contacts).

-You have no history of neurologic, cognitive, or psychiatric disorders. 

The study takes place at Northwestern’s Evanston campus at 2240 Campus Drive (Frances Searle Building) in room 3-367. Appointments will be scheduled at a time that is most convenient for you. 

If you are interested, please email Ashley Chung-Fat-Yim at  [email protected]  or give us a call at 847-467-2709.

Principal Investigator:  Dr. Viorica Marian

Study Title:  Cognitive Architecture of Bilingual Language Processing

IRB #:  STU00023477

Can over-the-counter hearing aids help with hearing loss?

The Hearing Aid Laboratory at Northwestern University is looking for participants for a research study about how over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids impact how we listen and communicate with others. We are looking for adults with known or suspected mild-to-moderate hearing loss to bring a communication partner with them (i.e., spouse, friend, neighbor, adult child, etc.) to have a conversation together while wearing OTC hearing aids.

What to expect:

• The study involves a total of 2 visits to our lab.
• The first visit involves tests of memory, hearing, and communication with a partner for one visit to our lab, lasting approximately 2 hours. We will provide you with a free comprehensive hearing test, and you will be fit with OTC hearing aids during your visit to the lab.
• The second visit involves a test of speech in background noise while wearing OTC hearing aids.

You may be eligible to participate if:

• You have diagnosed or suspected mild to moderate hearing loss in both ears

• You are 18 years or older

• You are able to bring someone with you to your first visit

• You have normal or corrected-to-normal vision (glasses, contacts)

• No history of neurologic, cognitive, or psychiatric disorders

The person you bring to the study with you is eligible if:

• They have no hearing loss, OR wear hearing aids consistently if they have hearing loss

• Are at least 18 years of age

• English is their primary language

• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision (glasses, contacts)

The study takes place in either Northwestern’s main campus at 2240 Campus Drive in Evanston, or at our downtown location at 710 N Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. Visits will be scheduled at the located that is most convenient for you. 

If you are interested, please email us at [email protected]  or give us a call at 847-467-0897.

You can also fill out an initial interest form by clicking here.  

Principal Investigator: Dr. Pamela Souza

Study Title: Investigation of direct-to-consumer hearing aids on conversation efficiency and listening effort

IRB #: STU00217791

Visual Adaptation, Selective Attention, and Shape Coding: An Integrative Investigation of Visual Attention; Understanding the Mechanisms that Control the Dynamics of Perceptual Switches

The laboratories of Dr. Satoru Suzuki and Dr. Marcia Grabowecky are currently seeking healthy adults to participate in research on perception. Studies take place on the Northwestern University Evanston campus. Participants are compensated $15/hour for volunteering. Note: no transportation or parking costs will be covered.

If you are interested in participating, please contact our laboratory by telephone (847) 467-6539, or email for more information: [email protected]  

Once you contact the laboratory, you will be informed of studies in progress and their specific requirements (for example, handedness, age range, gender) and procedures. Typically, studies involve responding to images or sounds presented by a computer and last from 1-2 hours. Some studies also require responding to personality or mood questionnaires, or having physiological responses recorded (for example, brain waves or eye movements). The details of the particular study will be provided when you contact the laboratory. If you are interested in volunteering and you qualify to participate in any ongoing studies, an appointment will be scheduled.

Principal Investigators: Dr. Satoru Suzuki and Dr. Marcia Grabowecky

Study Title: Visual Adaptation, Selective Attention, and Shape Coding: An Integrative Investigation of Visual Attention; Understanding the Mechanisms that Control the Dynamics of Perceptual Switches 

IRB #: CR1_STU00013229 

Psychosis Risk Outcomes Network Study

We are seeking young people who are concerned about recent changes in mood, thinking or behavior. This research project aims to increase understanding of mental health concerns in young people and how to prevent the development of a more serious mental illness such as psychosis.

You may be eligible for the study if you meet any of the following criteria:

• Ages 12 - 30
• Noticing a recent change in thinking, behavior, or experiences, such as:
• Confusion about what is real or imaginary
• Feeling not in control of your own thoughts of ideas
• Feeling suspicious or paranoid
• Having experiences that may not be real, such as hearing sounds or seeing things that may not be there
• Having trouble communicating clearly

The study would entail visits over a 2-year period, and you would be paid $30 per hour for your participation.  Eligible participants will be asked to come in for various assessments including:

• clinical interviews
• biological assessments (MRI & EEG brain scans; blood and saliva testing)
• cognitive testing

If you are interested, please email us at [email protected]  or fill out this online eligibility survey , and a member of our team will get back to you shortly.

Principal investigator: Dr. Vijay Mittal Study Title: ProNET IRB #: STU00215145

Good at sleeping?

The Cognitive Neuroscience Lab in the Department of Psychology at Northwestern is recruiting volunteers to participate in sleep research ( STU00034353 )

 Compensation is provided for studies ($12.50/hr)

You can participate in Chicago or at our sleep lab on the Evanston campus.

 To sign up and learn more about the The Paller Lab, visit:    www.northwestern.edu/people/kap/apply  

Principal Investigator: Dr. Ken Paller

Study Title: Strategically strengthening declarative memories during sleep: Learning, Creative Problem-Solving, REM Sleep, and Dreaming

IRB# STU00034353-MOD0044

Participate in Studies

Help us further our discoveries of how the mind works

You do not have to be affiliated with Stanford University to participate in Psychology research. The majority of our paid studies take place on the Stanford campus, but we also offer opportunities to take part in our experiments online. We appreciate your participation, which is vital to the continued success of our department. Out of consideration for our researchers' time and resources, we ask that you please only sign up for studies you can attend and that you cancel any appointments you are unable to make.

Stanford students in Psychology classes can not receive course credit for participating in paid studies. Please check your course syllabus for participation instructions.

Sign up to participate

Existing participants can  log in  to browse our current studies and sign up for open timeslots.

Participating in Research

The Behavioral Lab (BeLab) studies human behavior and decision-making by inviting participants to participate in paid online or in-person studies and contribute to cutting-edge research. To participate in paid studies:

What Do These Studies Involve?

HBS researchers study a wide range of topics, including decision making, consumer preferences, group interactions, and economic behaviors. Studies typically involve completing surveys and tasks on a computer. Some studies involve small group interactions with other participants. ​More information on each study is listed in their descriptions on Sona .

To Participate, You Must Be:

Based in the United States

18 years of age or older

Able to show a valid photo ID (government or school issued)

Able to understand and speak English

Comfortable using a computer

Location & Directions

The BeLab is located on the 3rd floor of 2 Arrow St, Cambridge, MA 02138. It is a 5–7-minute walk from Harvard Square. The lab is close to Massachusetts Avenue and located near popular shops like Berryline yogurt, Kung Fu Tea, Boston Burger Company, and across the corner from Zinneken’s Belgian waffles. We are also next to Arrow Street Cleaner’s on Arrow Street.

By Public Transportation

The lab is about a 7-minute walk from the Harvard Station MBTA stop, that includes the Red Line and various bus lines. The lab is also one block away from the MBTA bus 1 stop at Mt. Auburn and Putnam.

Parking in Cambridge is limited and heavily regulated. When possible, we recommend that participants use public transportation. If you decide to drive to the BeLab, there are a few metered parking spaces on Mass Ave and Arrow Street and nearby paid parking garages.

50+ Clinical Trials with Compensation Near You

Home / Clinical Trials / 50+ Clinical Trials with Compensation Near You

Clinical trials with compensation are a great opportunity to get involved in important medical research. A clinical trial is held to gather data on the potential of a novel treatment to address a specific illness. A clinical trial often focuses on people with a certain chronic condition or genetic risk factors.

A clinical study with compensation focuses on paying individual for participating in their trials. This helps study teams to more quickly drive interest around a trial, and also helps to ensure that clinical trial participants subsist through the entire trial. Some clinical trials with compensation also recruit healthy volunteers, those with no specific diagnosis or special medical needs. Which volunteers are needed for which study depends on the study’s goals. Nobody qualifies for every study, but through effective upfront communication with the study team most participants can quickly learn whether or not they are a good fit for an observational study or investigational treatment.

Compensation for research studies is a hot topic for both participants and organizers. Not all clinical trials with compensation fit everyone, but the right trial can help participants defray their costs and earn some money – anywhere from just $10 for a single visit to multiple thousands for longer studies.

Each clinical trial responds to diverse needs, so there’s no way of knowing precisely how much any given study will offer in compensation. With that said, there are a few basic facts you should know as you do research and decide whether participating in a trial focused on an investigational drug or treatment plan is the right fit for you.

Clinical Trials For Healthy Volunteers With Compensation

How much can volunteers make in clinical trials with compensation.

Compensation for clinical trials varies widely. It can range anywhere from below $100 to thousands of dollars for qualified participants. Compensation generally scales with the length and complexity of the trial, with individuals participating in the entire study maximizing their compensation. The shorter a clinical research study, the lower the amount of compensation offered, just as with research studies in other fields.

Can You Get Expenses Paid for in a Clinical Trial?

When you are cleared to participate in a research study, you will usually have any direct costs related to the study covered by the presiding company or organization. For example, you will not need to pay for a treatment given to you as part of a research study, and it does not matter if you have insurance.

Depending on the structure of the study, you may or may not qualify to have certain indirect expenses paid for. The most common indirect expense is travel. If you need to travel a long way from your home to a laboratory facility, you can often submit receipts for gas or other expenses for reimbursement.

When Do You Receive Clinical Trial Compensation?

Reimbursements are generally processed soon after they are received. On the other hand, if you’ve been offered a flat sum for your participation in the study, you will usually only receive it at a certain point in the study or after specific conditions are met.

These “conditions” usually relate to the length of the study. For example, a study that’s intended to run for a year might compensate volunteers every three months. This recognizes the fact that even some of the volunteers who qualify will not necessarily stay with the study for its entire duration.

Which Clinical Trials Offer the Most Study Compensation?

There’s no way of knowing exactly how much any given trial will provide in compensation until you contact the study sponsor. In order to make sure that you are a good fit for the trial, there will be a thorough screening process that makes sure you are a good fit, pass the exclusion criteria, and will complete the trial. As a general guideline, though, more complex clinical trials provide more compensation.

Many clinical trials have only a few basic requirements. As long as you meet the exclusion criteria, all you need to do is take the medical treatments as directed and occasionally get blood tests or other laboratory tests. But sometimes, researchers will need more information from you or will be in contact more frequently with the study physician or research team.

For instance, you might be asked to maintain a “clinical trial diary” that gives greater insight into how a condition responds at different times after treatment. This is an example of something the study research staff might figure into their calculations when determining compensation.

Is Compensation for Clinical Trial Participation Based on the Study’s Outcome?

In a word, no. A clinical trial will not offer its volunteers more or less money based on whether or not the research was successful, but rather fully participating in studies should aware you with the full compensation package. In fact, it might be months or even years before anyone can say with full certainty whether a study had the results the sponsor hoped for.

While you’re never responsible for the outcome of a study, your level of participation is definitely a factor. If you accidentally fail to follow instructions (on treatment dosage or timing, for example) it potentially invalidates your data, which may preclude compensation.

How Do I Find Out How Much Compensation a Trial Offers?

Most clinical trials with compensation advertise that compensation is available. However, a study sponsor might be legally limited in how much information they can publicize. Once it’s been verified that you match the required volunteer profile, you will receive written documentation of compensation and requirements. In some situations, an annual trial compensation package might be appropriate based on the types of interventions or medical treatments being tested.

Compensation for clinical trials makes it easier and more accessible to be a part of important medical research. Your decision to participate could help people all around the world that you will never meet, and help study drugs and treatment get out to market more quickly.

Are There Clinical Trials That Offer Compensation Near Me?

Most studies, especially ones that focus on healthy volunteers, have various locations and can even be ran in multiple countries. While technology is still being developed to allow participants to remotely participate in clinical trials, generally most study teams and study sponsors still require clinical trial participants to meet in-person based on the study design during the trial to check in on the progress of a treatment. Most major cities in the United States will offer some clinical trials that offer financial compensation and studies with locations near you.

Other Conditions

• Acute Aortic Dissection
• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Alzheimer’s
• Auditory Loss and Deafness
• Autoimmune Hepatitis
• Bronchiectasis
• Breast Cancer
• Esophageal Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Skin Cancer
• Compensation
• COPD Treatments
• Coronavirus
• Crohn’s Disease
• Diet And Nutrition
• Endometriosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Mindfulness
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Ophthalmology
• Osteoarthritis
• Parkinson’s Disease
• PBC and PSC
• Plant Based Diet
• Plastic Surgery
• Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Urinary Tract Infections
• Weight Loss

Paid Vaccine Trial For Women 16-17 Years Old

CMVictory: a vaccine trial for women between 16-17 years old. 

Paid Clinical Trials Nationwide

Nationwide clinical trials offering up to $3,000 for participation and treatment.

Paid Vaccine Study For Teens

Vaccine study that aims to protect teens ages 12–17 against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and infectious mononucleosis (mono).

Paid Clinical Studies Nationwide

Sign up to receive email notifications on clinical trials for individual conditions in your local area.

ivetriedthat

35 Paid Online Research Studies Seeking Participants

How can one participate in paid online research studies and get paid for your brain, your health, and your opinions?

• Inbox Dollars - Get paid to check your email. $5 bonus just for signing up!
• Survey Junkie - The #1 survey site that doesn't suck. Short surveys, high payouts, simply the best.
• Nielsen - Download their app and get paid $50!

Well, you’re in the right place.

Today, let’s look at 35 different opportunities to get paid as a participant in research studies.

Types of Paid Online Research Studies

A medical study involves a group of people within an age group, gender, race, ethnic group, or individuals with the same specific health issues.

Participating in these studies often involves answering a combination of interviews, tests, surveys, or experimentation to be able to answer questions on how to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure health disorders and diseases.

Aside from paid medical studies, market research makes use of paid online research to find out what customers want or need from various products and companies.

The cool thing about paid online research studies available today is that even if you are not a part of the target audience, you can still participate in the study in another capacity.

Online research studies can be either quantitative or qualitative.

Quantitative studies are the ones with static, pre-planned answers. A questionnaire with multiple-choice answers is a good example of this study. It is made as such so that the researcher can easily analyze the results.

Qualitative studies are a bit more complex since they involve open-ended answers.

However, this type of study ends up with better data. Focus groups and interviews are both methods used in qualitative studies.

How Much Can You Earn from Paid Research Studies?

Imagine earning up to $1,000 just for sharing your opinion, review of a product, or thoughts about a particular experience without even stepping out of the house.

You don’t even have to spend a cent to participate in these research studies.

Most of the time, you’d only have to be at least 18 years old and currently live in the US.

Even when you’re below 18 years old, researchers sometimes allow you to participate as long as you had a waiver from your parent or legal guardian.

The amount you earn from joining research studies depend on the following:

• Method of research — Did you join a focus group? Answered a lengthy interview? Filled out a survey form?
• Length of study — Some interviews only take an hour and earn you $150. Some focus groups could take several sessions and end only after several weeks.
• Type of payment — Not all companies pay cash. Some use PayPal, while others prefer checks, gift cards, prepaid cards, and so on.

Quick surveys can be as little as $10 and high as $100.

Focus group sessions range between $50 and $500 per session.

Interviews can earn you somewhere from $50 to $400 for an hour of your time.

Simply put, the amount you’ll be paid will vary from study to study.

Join These to Start Making Money Today!

Before digging into the list below, I suggest you sign up for the 3 best focus group/market research companies.

Anyone can participate and you will be invited to take part in research studies, focus groups, and product testing opportunities.

These companies pay in cash and offer cash signup bonuses to get you started.

• SurveyJunkie - Get paid CASH to share your thoughts on some of the world's biggest brands.
• Branded Surveys - Work directly with companies like Nike, Samsung, Amazon, and Disney to improve their product lines.

On to the list!

35 Ways to Get Paid for Research Studies Online

The following universities have year-long research studies in a wide range of topics.

1. Northwestern University Department of Psychology

Earn from $10 to $40 an hour if you participate in one of the school’s online studies.

The studies change regularly and vary widely from topics such as phone usage, changes in thoughts and feelings, Artificial Intelligence,  sleeping patterns, psychosis, aging, and even products like hearing aids.

2. Harvard University Psychology Study Pool

Join Harvard’s Psychology Study Pool and earn from $10 to $25 an hour, paid via gift cards.

The online studies are available year-round for both Harvard students and guests.

3. Carnegie Mellon University

If you’re at least 18 years old, can read and speak English, and have never joined any research studies at the Center for Behavioral and Decision Research at Carnegie Mellon, you can sign up for their paid online research studies.

Topics range from personal beliefs, attitudes, decision-making, human judgment, interpersonal perceptions, and group performance, among others.

You’ll earn $8 an hour, paid in gift cards. Each study takes anywhere from 5 and 20 minutes.

Paid participants are needed for in-person studies in labs on campus, but may sometimes be able to participate online on a home computer.

Note that only students are accepted (ID will be requested).

4. Center for Decision Sciences Columbia Business School

For participating in an online survey or study, you can earn $16 an hour, as long as you’re 18+ years old and have a PayPal or Amazon.com account to receive payments.

No need to be a student at Columbia Business School, but you need to register in the CDS Virtual Lab Online Panel.

5. MIT Behavioral Research Lab

There are in-person and paid online research studies available at MIT.

Payment amounts vary from study to study, but participants usually earn $11 to $20 per hour for online studies.

Anyone aged 18 or older, residing in the United States, and proficient in spoken and written English can join the BRL participant pool.

Membership is open to all; you don’t need any association with MIT to participate. Other requirements may be needed for studies requiring specific respondents.

6. University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business

As long as you’re a current Smith student (and eligible for certain studies), you can get paid for research studies online here.

Make sure you create an account, sign up for the studies that you want to participate in, and get paid once you fulfill your role.

7. Purdue University

You can find a lot of paid online studies here.

Currently, they have studies on Parkinson’s disease (and other neurodegenerative diseases), flavored water, biosensors, mushroom nutrition, linguistics, cancer, and so on.

Participants are paid somewhere between $10 and $500.

What’s great about Purdue University is that the studies are varied and open to the public.

8. Stanford Graduate School of Business

You’ll be paid up to $25 an hour for online research studies, but you’d have to be eligible and complete a prescreen form.

You also can’t participate in the same study more than once.

9. UCLA Anderson School of Management

The behavioral lab has some paid online studies, if you’re interested in topics like consumer behavior, organizational behavior, judgment, and other similar topics.

Most studies here pay from $10 to $20 an hour.

They also have in-lab and in-person studies.

10. Boston University Behavioral Lab

If you’re interested in human behavior and is willing to participate in online studies, try to join if you’re eligible.

These studies pay between $10 and $20 an hour.

The studies from Boston University’s Behavioral Lab is open to both BU students and the general public.

11. University of Maryland Department of Psychology

You need to create an account at the SONA System website to see available research studies.

Each of the studies have different eligibilities and payment.

12. University of Nebraska-Lincoln

This college holds a wide range of research studies revolving MRI research, human brain, behavior, and so on.

There are studies exclusively for seniors, and those that are for teens.

There are two ways to volunteer for these studies:

• Join the CB3 Research Participant Volunteer Registry (and wait for them to e-mail you)
• Pick the study and contact researchers directly.

Pay can go as high as $80 per study.

13. American University Psychology Department

Topics vary widely, but they are related to psychology and human behavior.

You can earn up to $20 an hour for just filling out a form as a smoker’s first-hand experience during stressful situations.

14. Respondent.IO

This next one isn’t a university, but it’s a comprehensive resource if you plan to participate in numerous market research and other online studies.

Pay ranges from $25 to $200.

Eligibility requirements vary between studies.

Make sure to check details and never pay to join a focus group or study.

15. Brand Institute

Want to be at the forefront of the pharmaceutical industry?

Join consumer market research panel groups by signing up with Brand Institute.

16. mindswarms

It’s sort of like an interview since you are required to answer ten questions with a video.

In exchange for your thoughts, you’ll be paid $50.

Earn somewhere between $50 and $250 by participating in healthcare or consumer market research studies.

18. Probe Market Research

The company pays people for online, phone or group interviews about their clients’ products, services, ads, or other campaigns.

Payment goes as high as $400.

19. Penn State University

(Quick shoutout to my Alma Mater… We Are!)

… and they are seeking just about anyone who’s alive to participate in a research study. With over 200 current open studies, odds are, you’ll qualify for something they have available.

Keep an eye out for “Total Compensation” to see just what the study pays.

20. User Interviews

Get paid for your feedback on real projects.

Create an account by filling up a form and wait for project invitations if you’re eligible.

There are online and in-phone interviews available.

21. Yale School of Management

If you live anywhere near Yale campus, be sure to sign up for their newsletter as they frequently put out requests for both in person and paid online research studies.

You will be paid, in cash, at the completion of your study.

They also have a Facebook group that announces when new studies are available to participate in.

22. Georgetown University Department of Psychology

Georgetown’s Department of Psychology is regularly looking for both students and non-students alike to participate in studies.

Average pay will run you about $10 per hour, so it can be some nice change to pick up in your spare time.

Their research includes personality, memory, and impulse control tests to name a few.

23. UCLA Semel Institute

UCLA offers both in-person and online research studies to check out.

They have a massive list of open opportunities for you to click through. The highest paying ones often need you to come into their offices for scans and interviews, but there are a lot of remote positions available too.

24. PingPong

Web designers and developers working on websites and applications value the input of real-life users and are willing to pay for these users’ opinions and insights

You can get paid anywhere from €15 to €40 per hour and even up to €100 for special projects.

Payment is credited through Transferwise or PayPal.

25. American Consumer Opinion

Yet another survey site, American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) pays you for your answers to their survey questions.

You can even get paid up to $100 if you fit a certain demographic and able to participate in special projects.

Research studies on this site may not be constantly available, though. It’s best to check back frequently.

26. Recruit and Field

Recruit and Field is a market research company that hosts paid online research studies all around the US and even in international locations.

They look for participants from any gender and age for their studies, including professionals and medical professionals (doctor, nurse, lab technician).

They normally pay via PayPal but also offer Amazon or digital gift cards.

The pay ranges from $100 to $275 for phone interviews, online surveys, and sometimes in-home product testing.

27. Focus Group

Focus Group is an aptly named online community comprised of participants interested in sharing opinions and views on popular products and brands through in-person, telephone, or online surveys.

The pay ranges from $75 to $200, and specialized health studies may pay more.

28. 20|20 Panel

Since 1986, 20|20 Panel has been recruiting participants to share their opinion on various companies.

They specialize in qualitative market research, which is achieved via in-person or online roundtable discussions. You can get paid from $50 to $350 to participate in these discussions.

They also send out quick surveys for which you can get paid smaller amounts (from $1 to $10).

29. FindFocusGroups

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a directory of all the paid research opportunities in the country?

FindFocusGroups is probably the closest one, as it lists more than 75,000 verified and legitimate focus groups in the country.

It’s quite simple to search by city and state, and check the information for details on whether the discussions are online or in-person.

It’s difficult to know how much the average payment would be, but upon browsing the first few studies on the homepage, they range from $50 to $300.

30. SIS International

SIS International conducts focus group discussions in cities all over the US and globally and collects consumer feedback on anything from appliances, skincare products, gadgets, and just about anything.

Rates range from $25 to $200 for 2 to 3 hours of your time.

31.  Apex Focus Group

Apex Focus Group connects regular people like you and me with researchers, who will pay for participants to join clinical research trials, phone interviews and focus groups.

As a participant at any Apex Focus Group study, you can be paid up to $750 a week.

Online and in-person studies are available.

32.  Fieldwork

If you live near New Jersey, New York City, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, or Minneapolis, you can participate in current Fieldwork research studies.

Most of the paid focus groups are face-to-face (but online are sometimes available).

Each study lasts about 1 or 2 hours. Participants earn between $75 and $100 for their time.

33. Rare Patient Voice

This company mostly looks for participants who have rare diseases and medical conditions. As such, only eligible people can benefit from the studies.

However, anyone who qualifies will receive $120/hour.

You can share your views via online surveys, clinical trials, or web-assisted phone interviews.

34. ClinicalTrials.gov

The federal government continually seeks individuals willing to participate in clinical trials testing different medications and treatments.

Studies are often conducted by the National Institutes of Health.

You can check out a list of ongoing clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov.

Unlike other paid online research studies on this list, DScout is an app you can download.

You need to register to become a “scout” and participate in research “missions,” which will earn you money after completion.

DScout studies are usually 1-on-1 interviews or video responses, so you’d have to be comfortable in front of the camera.

Missions pay from $50 to $100, each lasting about 30 minutes.

Can I turn these Paid Online Research Studies into a Full-Time Job?

While paid online studies are highly interesting and offer legitimate side cash, this gig cannot replicate the steady income and benefits you can get with a full-time job.

You’d have to consider that many research studies:

• have eligibility requirements (which means you’re not guaranteed a slot every time)
• cannot be joined twice (once you’ve participated in a specific study, you can’t do a repeat)
• have varying payments (there’s no stability in such income)

I do think it’s a legitimate side gig if you’re in between jobs or have a lot of free time on your hands.

You can also get paid answering surveys , joining focus groups , or testing products .

READ THIS NEXT: The EASIEST ways to make money online. See how.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter

More Ways to Make Money

The HOTTEST New Way to Make Money in 2021

This is one of the best ways to make real money online. Don't pass this one up.

Continue Reading

100 Different Side Hustles to Fill Your Pockets with Cash

Everyone loves easy ways to make money online. You already have the skills. Turn those hidden talents into extra money from side gigs in 2021.

How to Extreme Coupon and Save Buckets of Money

Learning how to extreme coupon is a brilliant way to save money. Extreme couponing isn’t hard, but it does require dedication and good organization skills.

Should You Start a Paparazzi Accessories Jewelry Business from Home?

Should you join the Paparazzi Accessories MLM as a consultant?

Drone Pilot Jobs: How to Make Money Flying Drones

Drone pilot jobs are increasingly becoming popular. Here’s what you need to know to be a drone pilot, with 12 industries that have jobs.

Paid research studies

Find paid research studies across surveys, interviews, focus groups and get paid to share your insights with researchers worldwide. Join a community of 3M+ research participants in making money by participating in online research projects. Each month, Respondent pays thousands of participants and is a reliable source of side income, regardless of your profession. Apply below to get started.

Type of research

Research methodology, paid studies faq, how does participating in a paid research project work.

The first step is to apply to a project, you can do this by signing up as a participant or logging in and selecting 'Start Screener' on the project you are interested in. Researchers will then review your responses and invite qualifying participants for the project. You will receive an email notification if you have been selected, with instructions on how to participate in the research session. Upon successful completion of the project, the researcher will typically initiate payment within 5 business days.

How much can I earn with Respondent incentives and how long does it take?

Research incentives vary from one research project to another and can range from $5 to $1000 per project, the average incentive for an active participant is around $100. Before you apply to a project you will be able to view the time required for the research task, the type of research and the incentive offered. Research studies on Respondent are typically open for 1-2 weeks and incentive payout is usually processed within 5-10 business days after successful participation.

Is Respondent legit? Can I really make money here?

Respondent is 100% legit and pays participants for completing research studies and is an attractive source of side income. Successful participants on Respondent create a strong, accurate profile and apply to relevant projects, and share their insights with researchers in different kinds of research tasks. Highly trusted platforms such as G2 and Side Hustle Nation rate Respondent as a reliable platform for supplemental income.

How can I find participants for a research project, as a researcher using this service?

Researchers can publish their projects to this page and to the entire Respondent participant panel in 3 easy steps: 1. Create a researcher account 2. Create your project and define the target audience 3. Publish your project Learn more about how to recruit participants with Respondent.

• Skip to Main
• News and Awards
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Department History
• Administration
• Faculty List
• Faculty Directory
• Doctoral Students
• Current Students
• M.A. in Psychology
• M.A. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology
• Ph.D. in Cognition & Perception
• Ph.D. in Social Psychology
• Global Ph.D.
• Program Requirements
• Honors in Psychology
• Study Abroad
• Research Opportunities
• Transfer Students
• Areas of Study
• Participate in Research
• Research Labs, Centers & Facilities
• Social Psychology Events
• Cognition and Perception Events
• Psychology Faculty Meetings
• Developmental Psychology Events
• Open Lab Meetings
• Faculty Search

Participate In Paid Studies

Are you interested in participating in psychological research and at the same time getting compensated for your time? If so, there are many studies being conducted year round by New York University’s Department of Psychology faculty and doctoral students that offer monetary compensation.

What to Expect

• The Department of Psychology faculty and doctoral students have diverse research interests. As a prospective participant, you will have the opportunity to participate in research studies that encompass areas such as visual perception and attention, decision-making, language acquisition, learning and memory and social cognitive processes.   
• All NYU studies have formal approval from the University’s Institutional Review Board known as the University Committee on Activities Involving Human Subjects (UCAIHS).
• Most studies are in-person lab studies that take place at  6 Washington Place .
• Studies are non-invasive and many involve completing computer tasks, responding to stimuli presented and/or filling out questionnaires.
• The time commitment for each study varies. Many studies require one visit ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours, and some may be of longer duration or require multiple visits.
• Payment generally ranges from $10/hr to $20/hr.
• In addition to monetary compensation, some studies offer food and/or free merchandise.
• Each study has its own specific eligibility requirements, but ALL paid studies require prospective participants to be at least 18 years old.

Signing Up for a Paid Study

Below are paid studies currently available in the Department of Psychology or at NYU Langone Health.  You may also sign-up for Department of Psychology paid studies on the  NYU Paid Psychology Research Sign-Up System .

Cumulative Allocation of Resources

OPTIMIZING EXERCISE FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY

Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial to Determine the Biological Signature of Cannabidiol as a Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder

The Role of Exercise in the Consolidation of Fear Extinction Learning in Adults with High Anxiety Sensitivity

Do you have depression?

Do you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

Healthy Dieters Needed!

RUNNING STRATEGIES STUDY

Understanding Sex Differences in Response to Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Interested in participating in OCD Research?

We are looking for individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) for our study at NYU Langone Health! The purpose of this study is to look at clinical symptoms, behavior, and brain function in the disorder.

• Be 18-55 years old

• Be medically healthy

What would you have to do?

• Some questionnaires about your health and emotions

• Some computer tasks while having your brain activity measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Total participation time is 6 to 12 hours over 1 to 3 visits (some may be done remotely) and pays at a rate of $25 per hour.

If you want us to contact you to tell you more about the study, please fill out our study interest form: https://redcap.link/PNCLab

For more information, call the Psychiatric neurocognition Laboratory at 646-754-4471, email us at [email protected] or visit us at psychneurocoglab.com .

Please do not disclose any personal or sensitive information via email.

Healthy Dieters Needed for Decision-Making Study

Study Number: i18-01945

Investigator: Candace M. Raio, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine

Study Description: NYU Langone Health is currently seeking healthy adults to participate in a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) research study to investigate how emotions influence the way in which the brain makes decisions about rewards. The study entails a single session, lasting approximately 2 hours total (1 hour in the MRI scanner, plus 1 hour outside the scanner). Outside of the scanner, you will complete self-report surveys and may undergo a mild stressor as well as provide saliva samples to assess stress hormones. In the scanner, you will rate and make choices about different food rewards.  

Specific Requirements: · Healthy females and males between 18-64 yrs old on a diet to lose or maintain weight.
· Must not have metal in or on body that cannot be removed. · Must not be pregnant. · No history of and/or medication for any neurological, psychiatric or metabolic disorders. · Must not have diabetes, food allergies, a heart condition or high blood pressure. · Must not be taking beta-blockers or corticosteroids. Study Location: NYU's Center for Brain Imaging 4-6 Washington Place, Rm 157A New York, NY 10003

Compensation: Up to $55


 If interested, please complete our qualifying survey here:  https://openredcap.nyumc.org/apps/redcap/surveys/?s=3LDJDPMYPNFACKEF If you qualify, you will receive an email in 1-3 days about future availability for an experimental session.

Contact Information: For more information, please email: [email protected]

Are you a medically healthy adult?

We are looking for healthy control subjects for a study looking at the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders at NYU Langone Health. You must be between the ages of 18 and 55 and in good physical and mental health. If eligible, we will ask you to come in for 1-3 separate appointments (some may be done remotely) for a total time commitment of approximately 6 to 12 hours. You will be reimbursed for your participation at a rate of 25 dollars per hour.

During this research study you will be asked to complete some computer tasks while having your brain activity measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We will also ask you about your health and to fill out some questionnaires about your emotions. If you want us to contact you to tell you more about the study, please fill out our study interest form: https://redcap.link/PNCLab

For more information, call the Psychiatric NeuroCognition Laboratory at 646-754-4471, email us at [email protected] or visit us at psychneurocoglab.com. Please do not disclose any personal or sensitive information via email.

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections

Department of Psychology

• About Us overview
• Wellbeing, Equality and Diversity overview
• Athena SWAN overview
• Career Development
• Celebrating Women in the Department overview
• Professor of Comparative Cognition, Nicola Clayton FRS FSB FAPS C Psychol
• Professor of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience, Usha Goswami FBA
• Professor of Psychology, Melissa Hines
• Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Lorraine K. Tyler
• Professor of Experimental Psychology, Zoe Kourtzi
• Professor of Developmental Psychology, Claire Hughes
• Professor of Family Research and Director of the Centre for Family Research, Susan Golombok
• Dignity At Work
• Race Equality
• Neurodivergent Socialities Discussion Group
• Work-Life Balance
• Visitors to the Department overview
• Guidance for Visitors and their Supervisors
• Visitor Application Form
• People overview
• Head of Department
• Professional Services Team
• Academic Staff
• Research Professors
• Researchers and Visitors
• Artist in Residence
• Postgraduate Students
• Psychology Analytical Laboratory Staff
• Study overview
• Psychology A-Z
• Prospective Undergraduates overview
• Applying to Cambridge
• Letter from an undergraduate
• PBS Tripos FAQ
• PBS alumni profiles
• Current Undergraduates overview
• Natural Sciences Tripos Part IB Experimental Psychology
• Natural Sciences Tripos Part II Courses overview
• Data Retention Policy - University Examinations
• Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos
• Letter from an Undergraduate
• Prospective Postgraduates overview
• Introduction to Graduate Courses
• PhD in Psychology (Course Code BLPC22) overview
• Available projects
• Potential PhD Psychology supervisor
• MPhil in Psychology (Course Code BLPCM1)
• Application procedure
• Postgraduate Funding
• Frequently asked questions
• Current Postgraduates overview
• Research overview
• Research Centres & Groups overview
• Adaptive Brain Lab
• ADPRG overview
• Psychology, Public Policy, and Law
• The New Parents Study overview
• New Parents Study Recruitment Partners
• Hayden Henderson
• Auditory Perception Group - Hearing overview
• Auditory demonstrations and useful software
• Publications of Brian C. J. Moore: Books
• BCJM papers in refereed journals
• BCJM Book chapters
• CAM2 (CAMEQ2-HF) Hearing AID fitting software
• THE PATIENT-CENTRED TINNITUS MANAGEMENT TOOL
• CDs for Diagnosis of Dead Regions in the Cochlea – TEN(HL) and TEN(ER3)
• CD of audio demonstrations
• Measuring psychophysical tuning curves
• Two methods for determining TFS sensitivity
• Determining binaural TFS sensitivity: The TFS-AF test
• Software for running psychoacoustic experiments
• Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute - BCNI overview
• About us - BCNI
• About us BCNI
• Research BCNI overview
• BCNI Publications 2003 onwards.doc
• Past events - BCNI
• BCNI Find us
• Contact BCNI
• Online Resources BCNI overview
• Get involved BCNI
• Believing Brain Project overview
• Brain, Language and Bilingualism overview
• Opportunities and Contact - Brain, Language and Bilingualism
• People - Brain, Language and Bilingualism
• Publications - Brain, Language and Bilingualism
• Research at Brain, Language and Bilingualism
• Cambridge Babylab overview
• Meet the Members - BabyLab
• Research Methods - Babylab
• Get Involved!
• Where to Find Us - Babylab
• FAQ's - Babylab
• BabyLab News overview
• BabyPaL Principal Investigator, Dr Rebecca Lawson is a selected performer for the Wellcome Leap, $45M 1kD program!
• Check out the new paper on bilingualism in infants by our own Dr Hana D'Souza!
• Dianna publishes a new paper in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews: Infant social interactions and brain development: A systematic review!
• Dr Ellie Smith publishes new paper in Infant Behavior and Development!
• Dr Hana D'Souza & the Embodied Lab are moving to Cardiff University!
• Dr Sarah Lloyd-Fox writes about "Generation COVID: pregnancy, birth and postnatal life in the pandemic".
• Dr Sinead Rocha-Thomas presented some BabyRhythm data at a Conference!
• Dr. Borja Blanco publishes paper on bilingual adaptations in resting state functional connectivity!
• Ellie & Addie finish data collection for the BabyPaL-GiggleDOT Collaboration!
• Ellie & Addie present at the Society of fNIRS Virtual Conference 2021!
• The BabyPaL monkey-LEAP Project has begun!
• The CNE Babylab's paper was chosen as Editor's Choice in Brain & Language!
• The PIPKIN Project: at home!!
• COVID-19 Changes: How are we making the Babylab safe for our Researchers & your Family to visit?
• Meet Labs - BabyLab
• ANIMATE - Babylab
• Brain Imaging for Global HealTh (BRIGHT)
• Baby Prediction and Learning Lab
• CNE Babylab
• Embodied Attention & Learning - BabyLab overview
• Selected publications
• Summaries of our research
• Current Projects overview
• How does infant social behaviour develop neurologically over the first year of life: using a wearable, baby-friendly brain imaging system? - BabyLab
• Baby Prediction and Learning Lab - Babylab
• How do infants' learn about their environment?
• How has COVID-19 effected the experience of pregnancy for young families?
• Does your Little Scientist like to move? - BabyLab
• Cambridge Body, Mind and Behaviour Laboratory
• Cambridge Centre for the Integration of Science, Technology and Culture
• Cambridge Laboratory for Research into Autism
• Cambridge Personality and Social Dynamics Research Group
• Cambridge Political Psychology Lab overview
• Join the Lab
• Lab Resources
• Publications
• Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab
• Cambridge University Behavioural Insights Team - CUBIT
• Centre for Family Research
• Centre for Neuroscience in Education
• Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain
• Cognition and Motivated Behaviour Lab
• Comparative Cognition Lab. overview
• Research Output
• Consciousness and Cognition Lab
• Higher Values: Aesthetic Experiences, Transcendence, and Prosociality overview
• Project Publications - Higher Values
• Project Team - Higher Values
• IC Thinking Research Group
• Memory Laboratory
• Study Participation
• Applying for Research Fellowships
• COVID-19 Research
• Work with us overview
• Current vacancies
• Guidance for Applications
• New Starters
• Current Staff
• Professional Development
• Retirement & Pensions
• Visas & Immigration
• Services overview
• The Archive
• Psychology Analytical Laboratory
• Staff Intranet (Raven Login)
• Biotronix Electronics Workshop
• Intranet overview
• DA Monday updates overview
• Committee meetings
• Ethics Committee
• Undergraduate Teaching
• Postgraduate Supervisors

Volunteers for Research Study Participation

• Research Centres & Groups
• Work with us

Why become a volunteer? 

Contribute to science, help advance research, help scientists, have you ever wondered what goes on in a psychology lab.

Come and see for yourself! You will not only be contributing to science but you will also receive a modest monetary compensation for your time.

To find out what studies you can sign up to, all you need to do is create a participant account in SONA, our research recruitment system.  

On the SONA System you will be able to:

• Sign up for experiments with just a click
• Choose the time slot that works best for you
• Access the system 24/7 and while on the go through the SONA mobile app
• Receive reminders of all the studies you have signed up to do the next day, so you won't miss any!
• New studies will be added on a regular basis, please keep coming back to check for new experiments."

We look forward to welcoming participants to our studies.

Downing Street, Cambridge

webmaster[at]psychol.cam.ac.uk

• Downing Site
• New Museums Site

Data Protection

Privacy policy.

Information on personal information we gather when you visit the website and how that information is used.

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• Terms and conditions
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

How To Side Hustle as a Lab Rat for Science

And make some sweet, sweet cash.

NASA once paid $18,000 to people who agreed to do nothing but lie in bed for 70 days . It sounds like a dream job, until you start to contemplate the bleak reality of not being able to move for months on end.

But the fact remains that scientific progress depends in great part on the willingness of humans to volunteer their time and their bodies to be experimented upon. The most compelling aspect? You can get paid for it, too.

People suffering from a certain disease might be eager to participate in research related to that condition, either to help themselves or contribute to research that might help others. But there’s lots of research that requires healthy volunteers, too.

Anyone can do it, but matching with the right study is easier said than done.

The Dabbler

If the idea of volunteering for science piques your curiosity, or you just want to learn more about it, you might start with ResearchMatch . “Our vision is to be a successful education and research platform that matches people interested in research with investigators,” program manager Loretta Byrne tells Inverse . “ResearchMatch is a place where people can voluntarily come on and basically raise their hand and say, ‘I’m interested in hearing more.’”

The service focuses on research in health and medicine , but the types of studies offered range from simple online surveys to intensive clinical trials. All you have to do is fill out a simple profile, then wait for researchers to come to you. Only researchers with affiliated non-profit institutions can use the service, and their studies must have been approved by an ethics review board. If they’re interested in you, you’ll get an email from ResearchMatch with information about the study. If you’re interested back, you’ll be connected with the researcher.

Just as the study types vary, so will the compensation. You’ll typically get that information in that first email. There’s no obligation to take part in any study, and you can back out at any time.

The Armchair Lab Rat

If completing surveys is something you enjoy, it’s possible to make a little side cash filling them out while you contribute to science. Lots of psychology and social science research depends on people filling out forms, and the bulk of that work can now be done from the comfort of your home, thanks to the wonders of the internet.

Not all research surveys pay, though. Some offer only gratitude; others offer some sort of prize draw. Freshmen psychology students often earn extra credit by volunteering themselves for these sorts of low-risk studies.

It is possible to make money, though. One option to consider is Amazon’s Mechanical Turk , an increasingly popular tool among social science researchers. One advantage of using this platform over others is the guarantee each survey will come with payment, though typically it is quite low (as low as a penny, and rarely more than a few dollars). You might think that a system designed to get people to quickly perform tasks in order to make money would make for pretty sketchy data, but preliminary efforts have shown that MTurk users give generally equivalent results to participants found using other recruitment tools. You might make $5 an hour as a dedicated turker, though if you’re only interested in certain kinds of surveys or studies, this might amount to less.

There are lots of other options for participating in online research studies. Many are affiliated with individual universities or departments. Unfortunately, there’s no single clearinghouse that works to connect people who want to get paid to be online research subjects with people who need them, so you might just have to Google around until you find something that works for you.

The Local Hero

Leveling up your research subject game is going to require actually leaving the house. If you live near a research university or medical school, that’s where you want to start. Some clever Googling can get you connected with a psychology department or medical research institute, which often have websites showing studies that are recruiting volunteers. Also check the classifieds in the local newspaper or alt weekly, as well as whatever online classified website is most popular in your area. Search terms like “research study,” “volunteer,” and “recruiting.”

As always, pay will vary quite a bit with time and effort put in. Most studies where you physically have to show up will offer at least a prize draw, but often maybe $5-10 an hour for your time. More involved studies will pay better. The more times you have to come in, the more you will be compensated. Any invasive medical procedures will up the ante, too.

If your local research hospital has a sleep lab, you might be in luck. Sleep studies pay well — often $300 or more per night. You have to be prepared to give up normal life for days or weeks, and often some sort of induced sleep deprivation is involved. But if you don’t mind giving up the comfort of your own bed for 24/7 scrutiny, you could do worse than getting paid to sleep.

The Professional Volunteer

It is very much possible to be a career lab rat. Those who get serious about it tend to gravitate towards Phase 1 clinical trials — the first experiments with a new drug in humans. These studies require healthy people so that dosages can be worked out and side effects can be evaluated. Because the volunteers don’t suffer from the thing the drug is supposed to treat, they have little to gain health-wise from participation. And because the effects of these drugs must be closely monitored, Phase 1 trials typically require volunteers to live inside clinics for days or weeks.

At minimum, these sorts of studies require you to be okay with having blood taken, and often. Some studies require even more invasive and uncomfortable procedures, like for example a spinal tap or a bronchoscopy.

But you’ll be paid for your trouble — typically about $200-$250 per overnight stay in the clinic. Paul Clough is a professional clinical trial volunteer who runs a website for others like him called Just Another Lab Rat. He contends that , if you’re really on your game, you can make $18,000 to $28,000 a year doing trials.

Most don’t come close to that, says Jill Fisher, a researcher with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has studied clinical trial participants for a decade. “Even if they think they can, or want to, it’s pretty rare for them to actually do that,” she tells Inverse . She recently wrapped up data collection on a study that followed about 200 healthy clinical trial volunteers for three years.

“Generally speaking, they are people who do need extra money for whatever reason, and they have decided that clinical trials are a good way to do that,” says Fisher. But they get other benefits, too. Many say that volunteering keeps them healthy — because you have to meet certain health criteria to qualify for these studies, participants have an incentive to watch their weight, eat well, avoid smoking, and so on.

Some also enjoy the freedom of not being tied to a desk job, of having free time and money to spend when it’s over. And some enjoy the nature of the work itself. “They’ll sometimes talk about being in studies as kind of a vacation,” says Fisher. “They don’t have to do anything, they don’t have to cook or clean, take care of the kids. They can just catch up on a TV show or what have you.”

Any clinical trial carries risks, though serious adverse effects are fortunately rare, Fisher says. Just Another Lab Rat offers a wealth of information for people interested in clinical trials, including evaluations of different clinics from the participants’ perspective — and some have better reputations than others. The site also lists clinical trials currently recruiting, and has a message board for sharing information and even for arranging carpools.

There is no clinical research get-rich-quick scheme. But there are innumerable ways to offer yourself as a volunteer for the advancement of science while pulling in a bit of side cash. Your contribution just might one day save someone’s life.

• Professionals
• Make Quick Money
• Sell Your Stuff
• Make Money at Home
• Make Money Online
• Hobbies & Skills
• Small Business Ideas
• Hardship Grants
• Holidays & Entertainment
• Technology & Transport
• Save Money Shopping
• Find Home Bargains
• Homes and Housing
• Scams & Rip-offs
• Budget Planner
• Credit Cards & Loans
• Banking & Savings
• Benefits & Debt Assistance
• Investments
• FREE Library
• Newsletters
• Press Centre
• Competitions
• Messageboards

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Get paid to take part in psychology experiments

Marc Crosby 9th Jul 2019 2 Comments

Fancy making money whilst helping researchers understand the human mind?

If so, did you know you can get paid to take part in psychology experiments?

We’ve already shown you how you can make up to £4,000 for taking part in medical research , but psychology experiments are a safer option (though not quite so lucrative), with very rarely any risk to your health.

What do psychology experiments involve?

• Where can I find psychology experiments to take part in?

How much can I make?

Are psychology experiments safe.

The short answer – all kinds of things.

There is a wide range of different experiments, from tests that you can take online on your own computer at home, all the way to MRI scans (not recommended for those of you who suffer from claustrophobia!)

Online experiments

If you’re taking part in online experiments then you usually do so from home. These often work like online surveys , you’ll be presented with a series of questions that you’ll have to answer.

Examples that we have seen include ranking certain voices in order of how trustworthy you find them and rating words in the English language.

Sometimes these online experiments aren’t paid so do make sure you’re fully aware of what it is you’ll get in return if you do complete one.

Take part in psychology experiments

The majority of experiments that pay you for your time will require you to go and take part in person.

Many of these experiments will require the use of equipment to scan your brain. For example, the experiment might involve an MRI scanner, an MEG scanner or some Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (basically a method to establish the connection between the brain and a muscle.)

Some experiments might also have to be conducted in darkened rooms.

The time you spend partaking in an experiment can vary hugely – the experiment may take an hour or it may take three, and in some cases you may be asked to make repeat visits, particularly for memory tests.

Where can I find experiments to take part in?

Most psychology experiments will be conducted at a university and are often run by students.

To begin with it would make sense to start inquiring about universities that are near to you, finding out whether they have a psychology department and, if so, whether there are paid experiment opportunities.

You’ll probably be able to look up all the information you need on their website but you can always phone the university if you have any doubts.

If you’re serious about making money this way, though, you’ll likely have to travel to find a university that has an experiment you can take part in.

Some of the universities we’ve seen (by no-means all of them) with ongoing psychology tests include:

• Cambridge University
• University of Glasgow
• Sussex University
• University of Leeds
• University of Southampton

These are just a few, but there’ll be many more. Just phone your local university and ask for the psychology department. It’s worth speaking to someone there to see if they do these experiments and how you can join up.

If you’re only looking for online experiments to take part in then you could use a site like Onlinepsychologicalresearch.co.uk – however, do remember that not all online experiments are paid.

Realistically you’re not going to make a fortune partaking in online experiments – you can probably expect a rate of between £6-12 an hour, depending on the type of experiment and the equipment used.

At the time of writing there is an eye experiment (two and a half hours in total) offering £7.50 an hour and an EEG memory study that takes place over two-three days and pays £20 for each two hour session. So that gives you an idea of what’s on offer.

If you’re taking part in an online experiment then you can expect less, maybe £3 for a short survey or just the possibility of winning a competition (for example, a £40 Amazon gift card.)

To be honest, if you’re interested in making money filling in surveys you’re best taking a look at our online survey list first – although don’t be put off from doing psychology surveys if you do want to help out in research.

Psychology experiments are usually extremely safe, and carry much less risk than clinical trials.

Obviously make sure you notify those carrying out the experiment of any conditions you have (for example, if you’re epileptic) but there is very little risk attached to psychology experiments in general.

worth a go. Psychology has always interested me

It would be an interesting way to make money.

Join our newsletter

Get weekly ideas, deals & freebies

Newsletter Sign-up 2023

New data capture form 2023

" * " indicates required fields

Latest from Make Quick Money

Jasmine Birtles

Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.

Sign up now

Newsletter Sign-up 2023 Popup

New data capture form 2023. This is for the popup form to avoid duplicate IDs.

• [email protected]
• 0117 921 0008
• Looking for participant recruitment?

Take part in paid research studies Improve your digital & consumer experiences

Feed back on products and services and get paid for your opinions. Paid market research and usability testing – Website testing, game testing, app testing, focus groups, one to one interviews and more.

How does it work?

Companies and organisations across the UK (London, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Edinburgh and other cities) will pay you for your feedback about the digital and consumer products and services you use.

What’s in it for me?

You get to inform the design of new products and services as well as receive a cash or gift voucher incentive for taking part in paid market research and usability testing. Learn more here

What’s next?

Simply sign up and we will email you relevant opportunities .

Taking part in research

Paid market research and usability testing – Find out more about the many types of paid research in the UK.

Common questions

How can I apply for paid market research and usability testing in London, Bristol and other cities? What happens during a research session or focus group?

People for Research have been recruiting members of the public to take part in paid research studies and usability testing across the UK and overseas for the last 25 years.

Recent opportunities

Are you responsible for identifying any risks for your company?

Where? UK When? Monday 30th September How much will I get paid? £100 bank transfer/voucher How long do you need me for? 60 minutes

Do you have a partner/spouse and children?

Where? London/Edinburgh When? Friday 26th July How much will I get paid? £85 bank transfer/voucher How long do you need me for? 75 minutes

Researching or planning a funeral?

Where? UK wide When? Monday 15th July How much will I get paid? £140 bank transfer/voucher How long do you need me for? 2 hours (total)

• View on Facebook Page (Opens in a new tab)
• View our Twitter Page (Opens in a new tab)
• View our Instagram Page (Opens in a new tab)
• View our Youtube Page (Opens in a new tab)

You Can Make Real Money Participating in Clinical Trials, If You Dare

If you’ve got the time, energy, and motivation, a side hustle can be a good idea—but side hustles aren’t what they used to be. As venture capital dries up, outfits like Uber have started tightening the purse strings ; artificial intelligence (AI) is undermining a lot of traditional sources of side income; and side gigs like answering surveys might seem easy but pay abysmally once you factor in the effort involved.

If you’re looking to make real money without getting a second job , participating in paid clinical trials might be an option for you. Pharmaceutical companies are constantly testing new drugs and therapies, and companies are always conducting research to understand conditions and outcomes better. While most of the folks involved in a clinical trial are volunteers who benefit from free, potentially cutting-edge treatment, these trials often need healthy folks as well—and those folks are often paid for their time. There’s huge money in developing new treatments, and money is pouring into the system to speed up the process, so if you’re looking to make some significant cash, this is a real option that’s often overlooked.

Real money, real risk

How much money are we talking about? The answer is that the money you can make can be significant, but it’s probably not going to replace a full-time job. According to a comprehensive study that appeared in the journal Clinical Trials , the median compensation from paid clinical trials is about $3,000, with most people participating in about three trials a year. A very small number of people earn more than $10,000 from clinical trials annually, so it isn’t going to make you a millionaire. That being said, earning a few thousand dollars is nothing to sneeze at, and there are trials that pay quite well—like this study in Utah that’s offering $15,000 .

Most trials involve some basic steps:

An application process, typically online, to determine your eligibility

A pre-trial medical examination. Depending on the nature of the trial, this might be done remotely.

Signing an Informed Consent Form (ICF) where you legally assert you understand the risks involved

The study period itself, which might be a single day or be spread out over a longer period of time with multiple visits (sometimes with stays of several days or even longer), check-ups, and tests

If you’re thinking, yes, this sounds like good money for sitting around doing nothing, there are some things to keep in mind:

Time: Many of the higher-paying trials require a significant time investment. That $15k trial mentioned above? You have to go to Utah for 16 days, and return nine times for follow-up visits. And keep in mind that while you can withdraw from a trial at any time, if you don’t complete it, you probably won’t get paid.

Out-of-pocket expenses: You need to read the study details carefully to see what you’re expected to pay for out of pocket. Sometimes the compensation offered is specifically for travel and lodging expenses, while other times that’s included and there’s more compensation on top. Ideally, you want to target paying trials that reimburse for your expenses.

Insurance: Many clinical trials expect your insurance to pay for things like blood tests that would normally be covered. If you don’t have insurance, this could be a problem, and if you do have insurance you should double-check that it will cover everything the trial isn’t paying for.

Risk: Clinical trials often involve brand-new drugs or therapies, and the whole point is to test them on humans to see what happens. While most of these therapies will have been tested extensively on animals and in laboratories by the time you’re involved, there’s always a risk that you’ll experience negative side effects. Drug clinical trials are organized into phases, with Phase 1 being the earliest round of testing. These pay the most because you’ll be among the first humans to try the drug—but they’re also the most risky. Later phases will be less risky because humans have already tested things out before you—but as a result, you won’t get paid as much.

So, yes, the money is real if not life-changing—but lower-end trials and studies can put $100-150 in your pocket with minimal effort on your part, and there’s potential for a lot more.

Finding paid trials

You need money and you’re willing to rent your body to science. How do you find a paid clinical trial in the first place?

The U.S. government maintains a database at ClinicalTrials.gov , but the site is notoriously difficult to use. It’s geared towards people with a specific condition who are seeking help (and not broke healthy folks looking for a little cash), and there’s no way to search for compensation. It’s a starting point, however. You can plug in your location, set a minimum distance, and leave all other fields blank. This will get you a long, long list of trials in your geographical area that you can start investigating.

StudyScavenger is a searchable database of studies that allows you to list by compensation or location, which helps narrow things down quickly. ResearchMatch is a program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that lets you set up a profile to be matched to potential studies and trials. You can also access Trials Today , which is another database that matches you with current clinical trials based on a few quick profile questions.

There are also a few companies that are always running paid trials, though most of them are limited to specific geographical areas where they maintain facilities. Many of these sites will require a specific condition as a search term, which won’t work if you’re looking to be a healthy volunteer for compensation. Still, some of these sites allow you to leave that field blank and search for some trial cash:

Fortrea Clinical Trials makes it easy to find the paid trials they’re running, but the geographical locations are often limited (as of this writing, they’re only offering trials in Dallas, Texas, Daytona Beach, Florida, and Madison, Wisconsin).

ICON is another company that offers a lot of trials, but is also pretty limited in its geographical area, conducting studies only in Kansas and Utah.

Altasciences runs a number of pretty high-paying trials, mainly in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas of California.

Finally, there’s a good old-fashioned Google search. That won’t be the most efficient way to find a paid clinical trial, but it may point you to studies that aren’t listed in other databases.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

The Savvy Couple

Fast Track Your Financial Freedom

15 Best Sites To Find Paid Research Studies In 2024

Kelan Kline | Updated January 24, 2024 Make Money

Many people regularly participate in paid research studies as a side hustle to make extra cash quickly .

However, finding legitimate studies can sometimes be difficult if you don’t know where to look.

If you want to learn more about participating in paid studies, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll share 15 of the best sites and companies offering paid studies.

So without further ado, let’s get started.

Start sharing your opinion, earn points, and cash them out for free gift cards or cash today. Claim your FREE $10 sign-up bonus now!

Table of Contents

Quick Picks

I’m sure you want to know all the options for paid research, but here are the top picks we’ve done to get quick and high payouts for our time:

• Quickest Payout: Swagbucks
• Most Survey Offerings: Survey Junkie
• Biggest Payouts: Northwestern University Department of Psychology

15 Best Sites For Paid Research

For paid research studies, we have a variety of survey sites, marketing research, and clinical research that give a variety of payouts.

There are plenty of creative ways to earn money , and these sites give you many options.

Some can give you a few bucks for a few minutes of answers, whereas others take a few hours and can make you $300!

Let’s check out your options for research studies:

1. Swagbucks

Have you taken any Buzzfeed quizzes lately? Where you won’t know which Hogwarts House you’re in, you could answer survey questions and make instant money !

One of the quickest ways to take paid online surveys and get fast payouts is Swagbucks .

Swagbucks is a site that connects people with paid research opportunities from marketing companies.

They have an extensive database of paid online surveys from all types of industries, like beauty products, baby products, housewares, and more.

And they also offer other ways to earn money, including watching videos, playing games, and shopping online.

Check out our Swagbucks Review to find out more!

Typical Payout

Most surveys pay an average of $1 to $5.

Many surveys vary regarding how long they take to complete and how much they pay. But you can typically expect to make around $10 – $15 per hour.

• $10 sign-up bonus available
• Can cash out to PayPal
• No minimum withdrawal amount
• Free to join
• Easy to use
• Not available in all countries
• Some surveys may take longer
• Surveys have lower payouts than other research studies

2. Survey Junkie

Do you like the idea of earning money by sharing your opinion? If so, Survey Junkie is one of the best survey sites to do it!

You can take surveys on a variety of topics. Best of all, you can do it entirely from the comfort of your own home!

All you need is a computer and an internet connection. Simply sign up for an account and start taking surveys. Each online survey will earn points that can be redeemed for cash or gift cards.

Learn more about them in our Survey Junkie review !

The typical payout for a survey is around $1 – $3. However, some surveys can pay up to $10 or more.

• $5 sign-up bonus
• Surveys are easy to take
• Payout threshold is low
• PayPal is a cash-out option
• May not qualify for every survey
• Surveys can be boring to some people

Want to make money from your couch? Survey Junkie pays out over $40,000 daily to its members for taking paid online surveys. Get your share today!

3. Respondent

Respondent is a platform that connects businesses with research participants. Companies use Respondent to get high-quality feedback from consumers fast.

The platform is free to join, and you can start earning money by participating in online research studies as soon as you’re approved.

Studies are matched to your demographics and profile information. Respondent doesn’t choose who participates in the paid studies; the companies requesting the research choose who participates.

The typical payout per paid study is anywhere from $50 to over $200, with more comprehensive studies paying more.

• High-paying research studies
• Paid research is relevant to the participant’s demographics
• Research opportunities are available to people worldwide
• Slow customer service
• Interface is sometimes slow
• Chances of getting into research studies are lower

4. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion is a paid research study site that has been around for over 20 years connecting businesses with consumers.

Businesses and organizations rely on consumer feedback to improve their products and services, so your online surveys provide valuable info.

Surveys on various topics are available, and they also have a panel where you can participate in focus groups and product testing.

You can complete surveys on your own time and get a payout with PayPal cash or gift cards.

The average payout per survey is $2 – $5 for surveys that take only a few minutes.

They offer a few cents compensation if you don’t qualify for the survey, which other sites don’t offer.

• Different research topics are available
• Easy payouts
• Compensation for unqualified surveys
• More lower-paid surveys are offered than higher-paid surveys

5. User Interviews

User Interviews  is a website that allows you to sign up to participate in paid studies. These studies can take place through phone interviews, in-person, or streaming focus groups.

The interviews about products, services, and websites usually last between 30 minutes and an hour. Study participants are paid by cash, check, PayPal, or by gift cards like Amazon or Visa.

Want to see what some of the research study topics are? You can see some research studies and the price they will pay before you apply with User Interviews.

Payouts vary but start at around $15 per hour up to over $300 per hour

• Easy to sign up as a User Interviews participant
• Can see current research studies before signing up
• Open to participants in other countries, not just U.S. and Canada
• Studies may take more time to complete than surveys
• May need specialized skills or fit a specific demographic to complete the higher-paying research studies

Engage Studies  is a research company that conducts studies on behalf of various pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

They’re looking for people to participate in their studies through online discussions or in person.

Engage Studies conduct studies essential for advancing the knowledge and treatment of diseases.

Participating in their studies can help make a difference in the lives of people affected by these diseases.

Their homepage says you can make anywhere from $50 – $250 for studies that often take less than 30 minutes.

• Get paid via PayPal or check
• Different types of studies are available
• Studies only last around 30 minutes
• Can be hard to qualify for studies

7. PingPong

The PingPong program offers one-on-one video chats to help developers and participants work together on testing websites .

They’ve previously worked with organizations like BT, Skyscanner, Zapier, and Nestle. to get research on how their sites work.

You’ll need a computer or laptop with a camera and microphone. In the one-on-one sessions, you can share your computer screen and honestly discuss the websites you test.

They pay you automatically within 7 days of the interview via Transferwise to your bank account or your PayPal account.

You’ll earn rewards from €10 to €100 for each session.

• Get paid automatically within 7 days of the interview
• Can get paid via bank account or PayPal account
• Can work with some top brands
• Requires participating via video chat
• May not be for you if you don’t like web design

8. Recruit & Field

Recruit & Field   has been around since 1977, providing many opportunities for paid research studies, focus groups, and online surveys.

Some clients include GreyGoose, Microsoft, Apple, Uber, and more. They have studies for everyone and often have a high payout, especially if you’re a medical professional.

They are a company worth checking out if you’re looking for paid opportunities.

The typical payout is $50 – $300 per study.

• Studies are offered in different formats – online, by phone, or in person
• Offer higher payouts
• The website says there are over 300,000 participants, so there may be competition for getting studies

9. Apex Focus Group

Taking part in one of the focus groups with  Apex Focus Group  is a great way to voice your opinion and get compensated for your time. 

They connect people with paid focus groups, clinical research trials, and phone interviews. You can take part online or in person, and the company has opportunities across the country.

Sometimes, you may even get a sample of new products before they are released to the public!

Participants can get paid up to $750 a week.

• Can participate online or in-person
• Work with legit companies
• Provide samples of new products
• Pay is higher than most focus groups
• Has a low acceptance rate for focus groups
• Customer support can be slow to answer
• Sends out several emails a day

10. Northwestern University Department of Psychology

If you’re looking to get paid to participate in research studies, the  Northwestern University Department of Psychology  is a great place to start.

They regularly run psychological research studies on various human behavior topics such as linguistics research study, guided breathing and a smell test, mood and phone usage test, and more.

The online research studies may take anywhere from an hour to two hours over one to multiple days, so be sure to know the details of what you sign up for.

Depending on the study, the pay for the in-person research projects ranges anywhere from $7 – $700.

• Interesting tests are available
• In-person studies are available for people under 18 years of age
• Studies are usually available for U.S. residents only

11. Brand Institute

Brand Institute  is a Better Business Bureau-certified research company specializing in medical branding.

It’s been in business for over 20 years and has conducted surveys for major pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer and Merck.

Its mission is to assist its valued, worldwide clients in obtaining best-in-class strategy, name development, trademark screening, market/safety research, and visual identity services.

While Brand Institute is geared more toward medical professionals, they also welcome non-medical people such as business professionals, consumers, parents, etc., to participate in their research.

Brand Institute offers various surveys and online research, so there’s sure to be one that interests you.

And, you can be confident that your answers will be used to improve the quality of medical care.

Surveys pay anywhere from $2 – $5 and typically take 30 minutes. Medical professionals have access to medical surveys that pay more, usually around $30.

• Receive invitations to participate in surveys via email from the research team
• No minimum payouts
• Pay for the survey is shown in dollar amounts instead of point amounts
• Pay is low for non-medical surveys
• Most surveys are for a medical professional

12. MIT Behavioral Research Lab

Taking research studies at MIT’s Behavioral Research Lab (BRL) could be a great way to earn some extra money.

BRL conducts studies on various topics, ranging from consumer behavior to economic decision-making.

Participants are typically paid for their time and can sign up for multiple studies if they wish. BRL is an excellent opportunity for those who want to help shape the future of behavioral research.

You may be asked to complete questionnaires, play games, complete computer tasks, participate in group activities, and so on.

Online research and in-person studies are available. Lab studies will be conducted in Cambridge, Massachusetts, whereas online tests may be performed online from anywhere using a computer.

BRL offers a competitive pay scale and an opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading researchers. 

Participants are paid  between $15 – $25 an hour for lab research and $12 – $20 an hour for internet studies.

Participants receive payment in cash, gift cards, electronic gift certificates, or checks. The researcher determines this.

If the payment reaches $75+, researchers will only accept checks to reimburse participants because this is necessary for MIT tax filing.

• Pay is competitive hourly pay
• Offers both in-person and online research
• Sign up process is easy
• The researcher determines the method of payment
• Research is open to U.S. residents only
• Strict criteria for research studies

13. Mindswarms

Mindswarms is a unique survey site that collects responses in video format, which allows respondents to provide more detailed and personal responses than traditional written surveys.

Top brands from all fields such as tech, advertising, retail, healthcare, and other fields use Mindswarms as a market research firm.

A short introductory survey takes less than a minute to complete and has a few multiple-choice questions.

After you’ve submitted your introductory survey, a Mindswarm researcher will go through it within 24 hours to see if you’re suitable for the survey.

Once the researcher accepts the introductory survey, you can start recording video answers to the survey. Mindswarms surveys usually have one to seven questions.

There is a time limit to the video submissions, usually limited to 45 to 60 seconds long.

Respondents are paid based on the number of questions they receive in the study.

Pay for less than seven questions is typically $10. For studies with more than seven questions, the pay is up to $50.

• Video format for the surveys
• Available on iOS and Android apps
• Studies can pay as much as $50
• Acceptance rate for surveys on Mindswarms is lower

14. Fieldwork

Fieldwork  connects people with opportunities to participate in paid research studies, typically in person rather than online, but with some phone options available.

The paid focus groups are conducted in one of their locations.

Fieldwork has locations in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Jersey, New York City, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle.

You can select it if you live near one of the Fieldwork locations. You may join their national database for phone interviews if you don’t reside near any.

The groups last approximately 1 – 2 hours, and participants are paid $75 – $100 for their time and opinions.

• Easy to sign up
• Interesting topics are available
• Focus groups are moderated
• Must go to one of the Fieldwork locations to participate in a focus group

15. FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com  is a website that connects people who need engaged and enthusiastic participants for research studies with those looking to participate in a study.

Members of FocusGroup.com are people like you that want to share their opinions on various topics by participating in paid research studies.

The topics available include technology, food taste tests, healthcare, and product and device tests.

Research studies can be completed in one of three different ways:

• Over the telephone
• Online focus group using a computer from anywhere in the world
• In-person focus groups at one of the 16 Focus Group offices in the U.S.

Payment for each research study varies, but you can typically expect to earn $50 – $200 for your participation.

• Simple and free to join
• Several online focus groups and online research studies can also be found on their Facebook page
• Has higher-paying research studies
• Offers both in-person focus groups and online focus groups via phone and webcam
• May take 4 to 6 weeks to get paid
• Can be hard to qualify for in-person research studies

FAQs: Paid Research Studies

What pays better, in-person or online paid research studies.

In general, in-person paid research studies pay better than online research, so they’re the more profitable side hustle opportunity .

However, there are some notable exceptions to this rule, so it’s always best to research various options before choosing which study to participate in.

Also, remember that the amount you’re paid for a study may vary depending on your qualifications and the length and complexity of the study.

What is a focus group?

A focus group is a group of people who market research companies bring together to give their opinions on various topics.

These focus groups are generally used by businesses to get feedback on products, services, or marketing campaigns.

Focus groups generally look for engaged participants willing to share their opinions.

A representative of the market research company usually moderates paid focus group discussions.

The research can be conducted in person or in an online research group, typically lasting for one to two hours.

Are all focus group opportunities legit?

No, not all focus group opportunities are legit. There are several scams out there, so it’s essential to be careful when looking for paid focus groups and use actual companies to connect with research.

The best way to avoid these scams is only to join focus groups that are proven to be from a reputable market research company.

Generally, companies that request payment to participate in a focus group are not legitimate.

Do your online research and look for reviews of the focus groups and research companies you’re considering before joining to make sure you’re not getting scammed.

How much can I earn from paid focus groups?

Paid focus groups can be used as a part of your multiple streams of income . You can typically earn anywhere from $50 to $200 per session, depending on the focus group and the length of the session.

Some groups may also offer a small compensation for your time in transit. Generally, you’ll be paid in cash at the end of the focus group.

What are clinical trials?

Clinical trials are research studies that test new drugs, treatments, or therapies. They also can be used to compare existing treatments to see if one is better than the other.

Participants vary, including consumers, parents, kids/teens, students, physicians, and business professionals.

The payments can vary significantly, so it’s best to research each opportunity before deciding whether to participate in one as a way to get paid the same day .

Pharmaceutical companies or hospitals usually conduct paid clinical trials. These trials can last several weeks or months and may require multiple visits.

Are there other survey sites that offer paid market research?

Many other survey sites offer paid market research. Some popular online research studies include Pinecone Research , Ipsos iSay , and MySurvey .

Each of these sites has a different payout structure and different types of surveys available, so it’s worth signing up for a few of them to see which one works best for you.

Are there other ways to make money with my phone?

There are several side hustle apps to make money online with your phone. You can complete paid surveys, download and use apps, or get paid to play games.

Paid surveys are a great way to make money with your phone, as you can earn rewards simply for sharing your opinion.

Apps can also be a great source of income, as you can sell products or services through them.

Finally, playing games on your phone can also be a great way to make money. There are many ways to do this, such as entering competitions or earning rewards for high scores.

Final Thoughts

Paid market research is a great way to make money from the comfort of your own home.

You can easily make an extra $100 per month participating in online focus groups, studies, and surveys. You can also make money by playing games on your phone or downloading apps.

Remember that each site has different rules and regulations, so read the terms and conditions before signing up.

Also, ensure you know the payout structure and how you’ll be paid for your participation in online research studies.

Your time is really the only investment you need to put into this side hustle, so it’s a great low-cost money-maker to try out.

See what offerings there may be in your local town just by searching for research studies, or start small with Swagbucks surveys on your phone.

Related Articles You Might Like

55 Terrific Small Businesses To Start With $10K In 2024

How To Make An Extra $1000 A Month To Increase Your Income

25 Side Jobs To Increase Your Income In Your Free Time

33 Jobs That Pay $40 An Hour: Higher Pay = Better Living!

How To Start Dropshipping: 6 Steps For A Successful Business

Is Driving For Uber Worth It? Pros, Cons, & Pay For Uber Drivers

About Kelan Kline

Hi, I'm Kelan Kline! A personal finance expert, entrepreneur, and passionate money nerd. With my bachelor's degree in business and finance, my drive in life is to help others learn how to make money online, create passive streams of income, and reach financial freedom! I have been featured in online publications like Forbes, TIME, USA Today, Huffington Post, Business Insider, Marie Claire, CNBC, Acorns, The Penny Hoarder, Bankrate, Nerd Wallet, Yahoo Finance, MSN, GoBankingRates, Her Money, Thrive Global, The Simple Dollar, Money Crashers, Readers Digest, FinCon, Best Company, Rent Cafe, Romper, Intuit Turbo, Opp Loans, CreditCards.com, Debt.com, Discover, LifeLock, Quick Sprout, Money Geek and many more! Click here to read all of my posts.

Connect with us!

As featured on.

• Editorial Guidelines
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

• Latest news
• UCL in the media
• Services for media
• Student news
• Tell us your story

Get paid to participate in online research experiments

11 January 2021

Open to all UCL students, from any discipline, The Experimental Laboratory for Finance and Economics (ELFE) in the Department of Economics at UCL is looking for students to participate in experiments.

At the  moment, we are asking interested students to register via our website .  Registration only takes 5 minutes and, once registered, you will receive invitation emails with information about dates and times of upcoming experiments. After you receive an invitation email, you can decide whether or not you would like to sign up for that particular experiment.

Here are some things to  know  about all our experiments:

• You will never be deceived, lied to, or tricked.
• There no “right” or “wrong” answers, we are just interested in studying your choices. We do not assume any prior knowledge or specific skills from the participants.
• You will be paid in cash for participating. You are guaranteed to earn at least £5 for registering and completing the experiment. You will have the opportunity to earn much more money during the experiment. The extra amount you earn in the experiment depends on your choices, the choices of the other participants, and on chance. Since we have many different experiments, the amount you earn will also depend on the experiment being conducted that day.

We are currently running experiments online . However, we also plan to run experiments in our lab at UCL’s Drayton House if possible.

Here are some things to  know  about our online experiments :

• For each experiment you sign up for, you will be emailed a link which will take you to the experiment website. The website will contain instructions and ask you to make choices as part of the experiment.
• You will be paid via money transfer (paypal, transferwise, or direct UK bank transfer) within 24 hours of completing the experiment.

Here are some things to  know  about our experiments in the lab:

• Experiments typically involve sitting at a desk while making choices in  our  lab ( UCL, Department of Economics,  Drayton House, Room 128). If required, social distancing will be respected.
• You will be paid in cash on the day you participate in the experiment.

This is a great opportunity to help our research projects and to earn some money. To get more information or to register for invitation emails, please visit our website at  http://www.centreforfinance.org/orsee/public .

You must be a student either at UCL or at another university in order to participate in our experiments.

If you have any questions ,  please email us at  [email protected] .  

All the best,

The ELFE team : Professor Antonio Guarino Professor   Steffen Huck Professor   Philippe Jehiel Dr  Ryan Kendall Dr  Terri Kneeland

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Best Family Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2024 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

8 Famous Social Experiments

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

A social experiment is a type of research performed in psychology to investigate how people respond in certain social situations. 

In many of these experiments, the experimenters will include confederates who are people who act like regular participants but who are actually acting the part. Such experiments are often used to gain insight into social psychology phenomena.

Do people really stop to appreciate the beauty of the world? How can society encourage people to engage in healthy behaviors? Is there anything that can be done to bring peace to rival groups?

Social psychologists have been tackling questions like these for decades, and some of the results of their experiments just might surprise you.

Robbers Cave Social Experiment

Why do conflicts tend to occur between different groups? According to psychologist Muzafer Sherif, intergroup conflicts tend to arise from competition for resources, stereotypes, and prejudices. In a controversial experiment, the researchers placed 22 boys between the ages of 11 and 12 in two groups at a camp in the Robbers Cave Park in Oklahoma.

The boys were separated into two groups and spent the first week of the experiment bonding with their other group members. It wasn't until the second phase of the experiment that the children learned that there was another group, at which point the experimenters placed the two groups in direct competition with each other.

This led to considerable discord, as the boys clearly favored their own group members while they disparaged the members of the other group. In the final phase, the researchers staged tasks that required the two groups to work together. These shared tasks helped the boys get to know members of the other group and eventually led to a truce between the rivals.  

The 'Violinist in the Metro' Social Experiment

In 2007, acclaimed violinist Josh Bell posed as a street musician at a busy Washington, D.C. subway station. Bell had just sold out a concert with an average ticket price of $100 each.

He is one of the most renowned musicians in the world and was playing on a handcrafted violin worth more than $3.5 million. Yet most people scurried on their way without stopping to listen to the music. When children would occasionally stop to listen, their parents would grab them and quickly usher them on their way.

The experiment raised some interesting questions about how we not only value beauty but whether we truly stop to appreciate the remarkable works of beauty that are around us.

The Piano Stairs Social Experiment

How can you get people to change their daily behavior and make healthier choices? In one social experiment sponsored by Volkswagen as part of their Fun Theory initiative, making even the most mundane activities fun can inspire people to change their behavior.

In the experiment, a set of stairs was transformed into a giant working keyboard. Right next to the stairs was an escalator, so people were able to choose between taking the stairs or taking the escalator. The results revealed that 66% more people took the stairs instead of the escalator.  

Adding an element of fun can inspire people to change their behavior and choose the healthier alternative.

The Marshmallow Test Social Experiment

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, a psychologist named Walter Mischel led a series of experiments on delayed gratification. Mischel was interested in learning whether the ability to delay gratification might be a predictor of future life success.

In the experiments, children between the ages of 3 and 5 were placed in a room with a treat (often a marshmallow or cookie). Before leaving the room, the experimenter told each child that they would receive a second treat if the first treat was still on the table after 15 minutes.  

Follow-up studies conducted years later found that the children who were able to delay gratification did better in a variety of areas, including academically. Those who had been able to wait the 15 minutes for the second treat tended to have higher SAT scores and more academic success (according to parent surveys).  

The results suggest that this ability to wait for gratification is not only an essential skill for success but also something that forms early on and lasts throughout life.

The Smoky Room Social Experiment

If you saw someone in trouble, do you think you would try to help? Psychologists have found that the answer to this question is highly dependent on the number of other people present. We are much more likely to help when we are the only witness but much less likely to lend a hand when we are part of a crowd.

The phenomenon came to the public's attention after the gruesome murder of a young woman named Kitty Genovese. According to the classic tale, while multiple people may have witnessed her attack, no one called for help until it was much too late.

This behavior was identified as an example of the bystander effect , or the failure of people to take action when there are other people present. (In reality, several witnesses did immediately call 911, so the real Genovese case was not a perfect example of the bystander effect.)  

In one classic experiment, researchers had participants sit in a room to fill out questionnaires. Suddenly, the room began to fill with smoke. In some cases the participant was alone, in some there were three unsuspecting participants in the room, and in the final condition, there was one participant and two confederates.

In the situation involving the two confederates who were in on the experiment, these actors ignored the smoke and went on filling out their questionnaires. When the participants were alone, about three-quarters of the participants left the room calmly to report the smoke to the researchers.

In the condition with three real participants, only 38% reported the smoke. In the final condition where the two confederates ignored the smoke, a mere 10% of participants left to report the smoke.   The experiment is a great example of how much people rely on the responses of others to guide their actions.

When something is happening, but no one seems to be responding, people tend to take their cues from the group and assume that a response is not required.

Carlsberg Social Experiment

Have you ever felt like people have judged you unfairly based on your appearance? Or have you ever gotten the wrong first impression of someone based on how they looked? Unfortunately, people are all too quick to base their decisions on snap judgments made when they first meet people.

These impressions based on what's on the outside sometimes cause people to overlook the characteristics and qualities that lie on the inside. In one rather amusing social experiment, which actually started out as an advertisement , unsuspecting couples walked into a crowded movie theater.

All but two of the 150 seats were already full. The twist is that the 148 already-filled seats were taken by a bunch of rather rugged and scary-looking male bikers. What would you do in this situation? Would you take one of the available seats and enjoy the movie, or would you feel intimidated and leave?

In the informal experiment, not all of the couples ended up taking a seat, but those who eventually did were rewarded with cheers from the crowd and a round of free Carlsberg beers.

The exercise served as a great example of why people shouldn't always judge a book by its cover.

Halo Effect Social Experiment

In an experiment described in a paper published in 1920, psychologist Edward Thorndike asked commanding officers in the military to give ratings of various characteristics of their subordinates.

Thorndike was interested in learning how impressions of one quality, such as intelligence, bled over onto perceptions of other personal characteristics, such as leadership, loyalty, and professional skill.   Thorndike discovered that when people hold a good impression of one characteristic, those good feelings tend to affect perceptions of other qualities.

For example, thinking someone is attractive can create a halo effect that leads people also to believe that a person is kind, smart, and funny.   The opposite effect is also true. Negative feelings about one characteristic lead to negative impressions of an individual's other features.

When people have a good impression of one characteristic, those good feelings tend to affect perceptions of other qualities.

False Consensus Social Experiment

During the late 1970s, researcher Lee Ross and his colleagues performed some eye-opening experiments.   In one experiment, the researchers had participants choose a way to respond to an imagined conflict and then estimate how many people would also select the same resolution.

They found that no matter which option the respondents chose, they tended to believe that the vast majority of other people would also choose the same option. In another study, the experimenters asked students on campus to walk around carrying a large advertisement that read "Eat at Joe's."

The researchers then asked the students to estimate how many other people would agree to wear the advertisement. They found that those who agreed to carry the sign believed that the majority of people would also agree to carry the sign. Those who refused felt that the majority of people would refuse as well.

The results of these experiments demonstrate what is known in psychology as the false consensus effect .

No matter what our beliefs, options, or behaviors, we tend to believe that the majority of other people also agree with us and act the same way we do.

A Word From Verywell

Social psychology is a rich and varied field that offers fascinating insights into how people behave in groups and how behavior is influenced by social pressures. Exploring some of these classic social psychology experiments can provide a glimpse at some of the fascinating research that has emerged from this field of study.

Frequently Asked Questions

An example of a social experiment might be one that investigates the halo effect, a phenomenon in which people make global evaluations of other people based on single traits. An experimenter might have participants interact with people who are either average looking or very beautiful, and then ask the respondents to rate the individual on unrelated qualities such as intelligence, skill, and kindness. The purpose of this social experiment would be to seek if more attractive people are also seen as being smarter, more capable, and nicer.

The Milgram obedience experiment is one of the most famous social experiments ever performed. In the experiment, researchers instructed participants to deliver what they believed was a painful or even dangerous electrical shock to another person. In reality, the person pretending to be shocked was an actor and the electrical shocks were simply pretend. Milgram's results suggested that as many as 65% of participants would deliver a dangerous electrical shock because they were ordered to do so by an authority figure.

A social experiment is defined by its purpose and methods. Such experiments are designed to study human behavior in a social context. They often involved placing participants in a controlled situation in order to observe how they respond to certain situation or events. 

A few ideas for simple social experiments might involve:

• Stand in a crowd and stare at a random spot on the ground to see if other people will stop to also look
• Copy someone's body language and see how they respond
• Stand next to someone in an elevator even if there is plenty of space to stand elsewhere
• Smile at people in public and see how many smile back
• Give random strangers a small prize and see how they respond

Sherif M. Superordinate goals in the reduction of intergroup conflict . American Journal of Sociology . 1958;63(4):349-356. doi:10.1086/222258

Peeters M, Megens C, van den Hoven E, Hummels C, Brombacher A. Social Stairs: Taking the Piano Staircase towards long-term behavioral change . In: Berkovsky S, Freyne J, eds. Lecture Notes in Computer Science . Vol 7822. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg; 2013. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-37157-8_21

Mischel W, Ebbeson EB, Zeiss A. Cognitive and attentional mechanisms in delay of gratification . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1972;21(2):204–218. doi:10.1037/h0032198

Mischel W, Shoda Y, Peake PK. Predicting adolescent cognitive and self-regulatory competencies from preschool delay of gratification: Identifying diagnostic conditions . Developmental Psychology. 1990;26(6):978-986. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.26.6.978

Benderly, BL. Psychology's tall tales . gradPSYCH Magazine . 2012;9:20.

Latane B, Darley JM. Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1968;10(3):215-221. doi:10.1037/h0026570

Thorndike EL. A constant error in psychological ratings . Journal of Applied Psychology. 1920;4(1):25-29. doi:10.1037/h0071663

Talamas SN, Mayor KI, Perrett DI.  Blinded by beauty: Attractiveness bias and accurate perceptions of academic performance.   PLoS One . 2016;11(2):e0148284. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148284

Ross, L, Greene, D, & House, P. The "false consensus effect": An egocentric bias in social perception and attribution processes . Journal of Experimental Social Psychology . 1977;13(3):279-301. doi:10.1016/0022-1031(77)90049-X

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Get the Reddit app

Ask away! Disclaimer: This is an anonymous forum so answers may not be correct

can a person get paid money for joining social experiment? are there any social experiments going on?

i just want to try out a social experiment in general, but i think it would a huge bonus if you got paid at the end of the social experiment.

Social Security 2024: Maximum Amount of Money You Can Get Each Month

Learn how you can lock in the maximum amount of Social Security benefits for your retirement.

It's important to understand how much your monthly Social Security benefits add up to. 

Whether you retire early or hold on past your normal retirement age , you'll want to maximize the amount of money you receive with your Social Security benefits.

While the 2024 cost of living increase boosted benefits  by 3.2% , there's still a cap on how much you're eligible to receive per month, depending on when you begin to receive benefits and how long you worked. 

We'll tell you the maximum amount you can get from Social Security each month when you retire, and how much you need to make to get there. For more, here's the Social Security payment schedule and what to know about how you can lose your Social Security benefits .

What's the maximum amount of Social Security I can receive each month?

The maximum amount of Social Security benefits you can receive each month is based in part on when you decide to start receiving benefits. (Know that you can retire from work and delay receiving benefits till later.) For 2024, here's how the age you start receiving retirement benefits factors in.

Age 62: $2,710 monthly.

Age 65 to 67 (your full retirement benefits age): $3,822 monthly.

Age 70: $4,873 monthly.

Your full retirement benefits age depends on your date of birth. For instance, if you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67.

How much money do I have to make over my lifetime to get the maximum benefit amount?

Along with the age you start receiving benefits, the Social Security Administration looks at your highest 35 years of earnings to determine your benefit.

For example, in 2024, if you want to receive the maximum Social Security amount when you retire, you'll need to make at least $168,800  annually, an $8,400 increase from last year. 

The maximum taxable amount changes every year, so it'll likely be different when you retire. For instance, in 2003 (20 years ago), the taxable maximum was $87,000 and in 2022 it was $147,000. Know that income above that annual cap isn't taxed and doesn't count toward your total earnings. 

Will my Social Security maximum change when there's a COLA increase?

If there's a cost of living adjustment  (or COLA, for short), you can expect to receive a monthly increase on your checks. In 2023, we saw a record increase of 8.7%, and for 2024, it increased by 3.2% due to inflation .

For more, here's  why you may want to pause Social Security benefits now to get more money later.

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Social Security Matters

Social security pays benefits to children after the death of a parent.

June 20, 2024 • By Kathleen Romig, Office of the Commissioner

Last Updated: June 20, 2024

In fact, 98 out of 100 children in this country could get Social Security if a working parent dies. In some cases, the child’s surviving parent is eligible for benefits as well.

The death of a parent can have negative financial, health, and educational effects on children, according to research by David Weaver of the University of South Carolina published in Population Review in 2019.  When tragedy happens, we can help.

Social Security benefits are very valuable for surviving children and their families. They come from all walks of life and all races and ethnicities, income levels, geographic locations, and more.

We estimate that Social Security Survivors Insurance is equivalent to a life insurance policy with a face value of $930,000 for a young worker with average earnings who leaves behind a spouse and two children.

Survivors benefits may be payable to an adult child of a deceased worker, if they have a disability that began before age 22, they are not able to work, and meet all eligibility requirements.

If a child in your life has lost a parent, it’s important for the child’s family to reach out to us as soon as possible. The date you contact us to file an application can affect when the child’s benefits begin.

You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. We can usually schedule an appointment in 30-60 days. We will let you know what information you need to apply. We provide free interpreter services by phone or in person in your local Social Security office.

To learn more, visit our Survivors Benefits and Parents and Guardians webpages.

Please share this information with your friends and family who may need it – and post it on social media.

Did you find this Information helpful?

Tags: Children , equity , Social Security benefits , survivors benefits

About the Author

Kathleen romig, office of the commissioner, related articles, social security survivors benefits explained, understanding social security survivors benefits, survivor benefits: four tips widows need to know, five things parents and guardians can learn on our website.

June 25, 2024 12:09PM

What is the CFR portion that dictates the benefit (funds) for a minor child their property?

June 24, 2024 10:37AM

What about the retro payments and monthly payment increase adjustment on survivor benefits? Benefits were reduced 4 1/2 years ago for two people and given to two additional people that weren’t supposed to receive benefits and after a hearing (waiting almost a full year for the decision) with a fully favorable decision that determined those other two people shouldn’t be receiving those benefits we continue to have to call about when our retro payment and monthly adjustment will be made. The decision was received March 20, 2024 from my court hearing that was May 3, 2023! We get different answers every time we call and have never received any letters in the time that was stated in the decision letter or from the employees that were spoken to. Why does it take so long for social security to pay back money to someone that is supposed to receive it when it was an error on your end? This is causing an extreme financial hardship for both the families that should have been getting these benefits for their children’s father all along. Extremely disappointed and frustrated with this government agency. It has pushed us to the point of now getting an attorney involved after I was told by a previous attorney that I shouldn’t need one, reaching out to the news, congressman and senators offices when all we are looking for is a payment that should have never been taken from us to begin with. We have been dealing with this since March of 2020.

June 24, 2024 6:05PM

We’re sorry to hear about your situation, Tara. The processing time for release of back pay varies. For your security, we don’t have access to your private information in this venue. We encourage you to continue to work with your local  Social Security office . You can ask to speak with a supervisor during your next call or visit. We hope this is resolved soon.

June 23, 2024 9:34PM

Both my son and daughter inlaw overdosed im my granddaughters legal guardian and she only draws 480 a month my sister lives in Indiana and she draws over nine hundred same thing happened parents overdosed ❓

June 24, 2024 5:14PM

We’re sorry for your loss, Mary. The amount of your granddaughter’s survivors benefit is based on the earnings of her parents. The more they worked and paid into Social Security, the greater the survivors benefits. For more information, read our Survivors publication.

We may be able to pay benefits to your granddaughter on your work record because both her parents are deceased. To learn more about the support that’s available when you’re raising a grandchild, visit our Parents and Guardians webpage. If you have specific questions about your granddaughter’s benefits, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. We hope this helps.

June 24, 2024 5:22PM

We’re sorry to hear of your situation, Tara. The processing time for release of back pay varies. For your security, we don’t have access to your private information in this venue. We encourage you to continue to work with your local Social Security office . You can ask to speak with a supervisor during your next call or visit. We hope this is resolved soon.

June 22, 2024 12:53PM

My son passed away a year ago in two days. Benefits were applied for my grandson right away, but still no word. Everything has been submitted, including DNA. This is in LA. It seems very unfair and creates hardships that this takes so long.

June 23, 2024 8:30AM

It usually takes 5 months for payments to begin with S.S., however, when they do begin, they will include the accumulated retroactive payments as well. At least it used to be that way. It’s worth checking out!

Take care and God in Heaven bless you in every way!

June 24, 2024 4:53PM

We’re sorry for your loss, Sharon. We encourage you to contact your local Social Security office regarding the status of your grandson’s application. You can ask to speak with a supervisor during your next call or visit. Or you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We hope this is resolved soon.

June 21, 2024 8:42PM

My son was born premature 4//30/2022 and his father passed away 6/5/22 and never got to meet each other, Furthermore I applied but my son didn’t qualify because my sons father was receiving social security disability and parents who received ssd and pass away leaving newborns or children under 21 do not receive survival benefits not even through work earned points he was missing 1 or 2 points and my son was denied. Los Angele Ca

June 24, 2024 1:46PM

My two granddaughters lost their Father last October , are they eligible?? They are 13 and 11.

June 25, 2024 8:36AM

We’re sorry for your loss, Desiree . You should contact us right away to determine whether your granddaughters might be eligible for survivors benefits. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. If their father had as little as 1 ½ years of work in the 3 years right before his death, his survivors may be able to get benefits. For more information, read our Benefits For Children factsheet and visit our Survivors Planner . We hope this helps.

June 24, 2024 4:33PM

We’re sorry for your loss, Ruby. If your son’s father was receiving disability payments through our Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, no survivors benefits are payable to your son. If your son’s father had as little as 1 ½ years of work in the three years right before his death, his survivors may be able to get benefits. For more information, read our Benefits For Children factsheet and visit our Survivors Planner . If you have additional questions, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. We hope this helps.

June 20, 2024 6:08PM

“You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.” Dear SSA, Thank you for all this important information. I would like to experience along with the above quote the “time zone”. For a best time for me to call. Thank you all for your work here at SSA.

Stay Curious,

About Creativity (online name)

June 22, 2024 12:06PM

My mom passed away at the age of 77. I am 61 right now. My mom and Dad both worked and made good money. Can I get my mom or Dad’s or both of their social security

June 24, 2024 4:47PM

Hi, Susan. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. We can pay benefits to adults on their deceased parents’ earnings record if you have a disability that began before you were age 22 and the disability prevented you from doing substantia work. For more information, visit our Disability Planner . We hope this helps.

June 20, 2024 5:47PM

Would like to see the math to back up the statement,”Social Security Survivors Insurance is equivalent to a life insurance policy with a face value of $930,000 for a young worker with average earnings who leaves behind a spouse and two children.” Thank you.

June 20, 2024 5:36PM

I think the system needs a change, working members should be able to designate a beneficiary to receive whatever working capitol has been paid into the fund if the person dies prior to filing for SS benefits at retirement age. Think about all of the unmarried and childless workers that died from COVID. Or the 70 yo man who passed, that worked for 55 years and has never taken a payment. SSA got to just keep all of that capitol paid into the system by the person that passed, when the other NOK could have really used those funds. People should be allowed to pass benefits paid into the system as part of an estate.

June 21, 2024 1:23PM

So social security will already be broke if that was done! Social Security is for retirement source of funds, not as life insurance. If you want family members to get money when you pass away buy life insurance.

June 20, 2024 3:39PM

Your story says children receive benefits in till 18 or 19 if in school. Benefits were cut off for my daughter right before she turned 16 yrs old. Something change??

June 24, 2024 4:44PM

Thanks for reading our blog and for your question, Linda. For your daughter’s security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. If you were your daughter’s representative payee, you should have received a notice about any changes in her benefits. If you have questions, you can call your local Social Security office or 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We hope this helps.

June 20, 2024 3:31PM

Is a DNA test required of the child?

June 21, 2024 8:00AM

BEAUTIFULY presented and very well stated . . You have an solid factual point here. Why is this system so dependent upon leveraging life’s for profitable gain when in all of this made up reality is virtually irrelevant to a point of actual non existence? Why y’allt steady keep tryna make life so much more difficult and stressful than it already is ? I have heard and seen to many stories real life events where actual people citizens of this country dedicate over two decades if not more of there lives to this system just to be spat in the face and and held by there feet dangling wonder how…..? …..why?

UNIVERSAL SHITF IS UPON US ALL . WILL NOT SWAY FOR ANY WHICH WAY . BUT WILL ALIGN WTH STARS TRUE NORTH. THE RIGHT OF WAY …

June 25, 2024 10:05AM

Hi, Alexia. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. If your child may be eligible for survivors benefits, contact us right away at 1-800-772-1213 to schedule an appointment. If the father is not shown on the child’s birth certificate, we’ll tell you what other types of evidence we can use to prove the parent-child relationship. For more information, visit Apply for Social Security benefits . We hope this helps.  

Leave a Comment

Please review our Comment Policy before leaving a comment. For your safety, please do not post Personally Identifiable Information (such as your Social Security Number, address, phone number, email address, bank account number, or birthdate) on our blog.

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Enter Your Name *

Enter Your Email Address to Comment *

How to become an influencer and start making money

• Social-media influencer is a highly sought-after job these days, especially among Gen Zers.
• The first step to becoming an influencer is posting consistently on apps like Instagram and TikTok.
• Creators also say media kits, membership groups, and talent managers have helped grow their brands.

Social media has created many new ways to make money, and over the past few years, it has led millions of people around the world to become influencers.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat have opened up doors for individuals who want to switch careers, become full-time creators, or supplement the income from their 9-to-5 jobs.

The most important step to getting started as an influencer is to pick a platform or two and begin posting consistently. While some creators eventually land on a specific content niche, such as fitness, beauty, fashion, or education, others post about many topics.

Creator Ayomi Samaraweera gained hundreds of followers a few weeks after uploading her first TikTok when one of her videos about resigning and applying for new jobs went viral.

"It was a lot of trial and error in the beginning," Samaraweera previously told Business Insider. "I wasn't really thinking about a niche or how my content could be unique. I just posted what I felt like at the moment."

Read more about how Samaraweera became a full-time content creator and got her first brand deal with 2,000 followers

A steady posting cadence has even helped some creators successfully launch companies, like Nadya Okamoto, who founded the period-care brand August in 2021. She first grew her TikTok following rapidly by posting 100 times a day about menstrual hygiene and her experience in reproductive healthcare.

"To me, the TikTok algorithm is like a lottery," she previously told BI. "The more lottery tickets you put in, the more chances you have of winning or, in this case, going viral."

Read more about how 2 Gen-Z entrepreneurs leveraged TikTok to launch and grow a period-care startup

Here's exactly how to become an influencer and start making money:

How many followers you need to be an influencer

Most brands take an influencer's audience size into account when considering them for a paid collaboration. As a result, influencers are categorized based on their follower count.

Nano influencers have only a few thousand followers, under 10,000, but can still partner with many different brands. California-based creator Stacy Kim had only around 4,200 followers on Instagram but landed more than 40 paid partnerships in over a year and a half with companies like Samsung and Clinique.

"My engagement on posts is really high, and I heard that most brands care more about that than the number of followers you have," she previously told BI.

Read more about how the nano influencer pitches sponsorship deals

The next category, micro influencers, are classified as social-media users with between 10,000 to 100,000 followers. For many brands, this is the preferred tier of creators to work with because they have a highly engaged audience but charge a lot less than celebrities or very well-known social-media personalities.

Maesha Shonar, a micro influencer with 24,000 followers on Instagram, previously told BI she had such a highly engaged audience. To stand out to brands, she created a pitch proposal, which outlined two sponsorship options the brand could choose from — each with specific timelines, deliverables, and rates — and case studies of her recent collaborations.

Read more about how the micro influencer gets brand deals

Influencers who have more than 100,000 followers are the next tier, followed by mega-influencers who have multiple millions.

Fashion influencer Nate White has 1.8 million followers on TikTok and earned six figures in 2022 by collaborating with companies like Verizon and Amazon Prime.

"The money's changed my life," he previously told BI. "I've been able to move out from the hood where I'm from ... the kids in that neighborhood looked up to me and I miss that, but I did this for me."

Read more about how much the TikToker earns with 1.8 million followers

Meanwhile, YouTube star MrBeast, who has over 280 million subscribers, brought in $223 million in revenue in 2023 through various businesses, including his YouTube channels, sponsorships, and chocolate and snack brand Feastables.

Read more about YouTube star MrBeasts' business empire, which he expects to generate $700 million in 2024

How influencers get paid

After amassing an engaged audience, influencers can start making money directly through their respective app's monetization programs, by creating sponsored content for brands, or through affiliate marketing, among other revenue streams.

Pay can range from a few thousand dollars for an Instagram sponsorship to six figures a year for a full-time creator, such as photographer and videographer Tej Patel , who made $100,000 in 2022 through his photo and video work, sponsorships, and the TikTok Creator Fund , which has since been discontinued.

Brand deals are one of the most popular ways to earn money as an influencer since companies are always looking for talent to help promote their products or services. Some brands have earned a reputation for rolling out more inclusive campaigns by paying creators fairly and allowing more creative control.

Take a look at new data on influencer brand deals in 2024

Platforms also pay creators based on their video views and engagement.

In 2023, some creators earned tens of millions of dollars through TikTok's Creativity Program beta, now dubbed Creator Rewards , which pays influencers for TikToks over 60 seconds.

Read more about how TikTokers can score huge paydays for longer videos

On Snapchat, creators have had success making money from its ad-revenue program . In 2023, Gen-Z creator couple AJ and Grey made $84,000 and $21,000, respectively, from the program. The initiative allows creators with at least 50,000 subscribers on the platform to make money through the ads their followers are shown in between Snap stories.

Related stories

Affiliate marketing is another popular way to make money after becoming an influencer. This revenue stream allows creators to link to products or services they use, and if a follower buys it through their customized link, they earn a commission.

In 12 months, influencer Janesha Moore made $100,000 just from affiliate links on platforms like Amazon, in addition to partnering with lifestyle and beauty brands. She also highlighted how it's easier for BIPOC creators like her to earn money through affiliate marketing than brand partnerships, where there is often a pay disparity .

"Affiliate marketing is such a powerful tool because everyone has the same percentage they make, so it's really just a matter of the strategies you put into place to make the money work for you," she said.

Read more about how Moore got started with affiliate marketing and made over $100,000 in a year

Learn more about how influencers make money on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms and how many followers you need to get paid:

• How to start making money on TikTok from user-generated content, according to creators
• How much money TikTokers make, according to top creators
• How much TikTok pays for views, according to creators
• How many followers you need on Instagram to get paid
• How much money YouTubers make and can earn, according to creators
• How much YouTube pays per view and what you can expect to earn for every 1,000 views
• How much YouTubers make for 1 million subscribers
• How to make money on Snapchat, according to creators
• Snapchat creators are going on posting blitzes with hundreds of stories as they race to cash in on its new revenue program

How to contact brands and get paid for sponsorships

Email is how influencers usually first contact brands about working together. Most influencers who reach out to companies attach a media kit to display the value they would bring to a potential partnership. The document highlights information such as engagement analytics, audience makeups, and previous brand deals.

Read more about how to create a media kit and see examples from influencers

Creator Paulina Perez landed more than 20 paid partnerships in a year with global companies like Skims, Olay, and Sephora, all thanks to the media kit she created. She previously told BI that she's been fortunate to collaborate with so many brands because of her unique niche as a Hispanic creator who also posts videos in Spanish, and many of them have turned into long-term relationships.

"I still work with a lot of the companies that first took a chance on me," she said. "I just charge them more now because my engagement is higher and my audience has grown."

Check out the full 2-page media kit Perez she uses to land brand deals

Many creators also use Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn to direct message influencer marketers at brands who are looking for potential talent. Samaraweera, the creator who scored her first brand deal with 2,000 followers, Instagram DMed software company Fishbowl to land her first paid sponsorship.

"Timing is everything, so keep a lookout for brands who start engaging with your content because it's more than likely they're looking to work with you," she said.

See the email and DM templates influencers have used to reach out to brands

How influencers find jobs and get advice from other creators

Workplace communication platform Slack has surged in popularity in the past few years, so much so that those in the industry have started using the app to vent about their frustrations, land job opportunities, and connect with other creators, brands, and talent managers in the industry, with one labeling it a "gold mine" for opportunities.

"I had an influencer who really wanted to work with a certain brand, and I just asked in the channel and immediately got the contact info for the person in charge," talent manager Lissette Calveiro previously told BI.

Read more about how influencers use Slack to get brand deals

Many creators have also launched their own apps to help influencers get paid fairly by brands, like Christen Nino de Guzman's Clara for Creators and Samaraweera's Canopy for Creators. These apps, which are free to join for users, help creators compare rates and negotiate higher compensation. Nino de Guzman said she launched the app to help show others how easy it was to become an influencer and make money from social media.

"It used to be a typical kind of person, usually a middle-to-high class woman blogger who had access to video equipment and was traveling, but now anyone can be a creator," she said.

How to get a manager or publicist as an influencer

Once an influencer becomes more popular online and amasses a large following, they can choose to hire a talent manager and publicist to grow their brands even more. Talent managers can help creators with anything from starting a new company to negotiating higher rates for campaigns to generating content ideas.

Some talent management firms, like UTA or CAA, focus on representing the most well-known social media stars like Alix Earle. Others, like Kensington Grey and Society18, focus on creators from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds .

Explore BI's database of talent management firms and agencies that work with influencers

Talent managers previously told BI that they often get hired after a creator explodes online or goes viral and the creator feels overwhelmed with the incoming messages and offers to collaborate.

"Reinforcing that there's a reason this happened to them, it's all positive and they're safe and everything's good — that's probably the most time-consuming part of that first couple months of when someone blows up," said Danielle Pistotnik, a talent manager at Select Management Group.

Meanwhile, some influencers choose to hire publicists to help with their image, landing TV appearances or written features in prominent publications, and getting them on the list for exclusive industry events.

Read more about the top PR pros and publicists in the creator economy

Watch: Ulta Beauty's CMO says the brand's most effective influencers are its store associates

• Main content

GOBankingRates works with many financial advertisers to showcase their products and services to our audiences. These brands compensate us to advertise their products in ads across our site. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site. We are not a comparison-tool and these offers do not represent all available deposit, investment, loan or credit products.

Can I Draw Social Security at 62 and Still Work Full Time?

Commitment to Our Readers

GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology .

20 Years Helping You Live Richer

Reviewed by Experts

Trusted by Millions of Readers

All financial plans are important, but Social Security benefits play a profound role in preventing elderly poverty and are paid out at an important stage in a worker’s life. With that in mind, it pays to know when you can start receiving your monthly payments and how continuing to work while collecting Social Security will impact your benefits.

As the Social Security Administration (SSA) points out, it is perfectly fine to work full time and collect Social Security when you turn the eligible-to-collect age of 62. Whether you should, in normal circumstances, is another issue entirely.

With a few exceptions, almost every financial guru will tell you to wait as long as you can to start collecting your Social Security payments. If you choose to draw on your Social Security before you reach your full retirement age (66 or 67 years old, depending on if you were born before or after 1960) and if you earn more than the designated SSA income limits, your benefits will be reduced.

The SSA deducts $1 for every $2 you earn over the $22,320 limit.

Using the SSA’s example in its “How Work Affects Your Benefits” publication , if your monthly Social Security payment at 62 years is $600 ($7,200/year) and you intend to make $24,920 for the year, you will get payments withheld for the $2,600 you earn over the $22,320 limit.

However, you will get the money back once you reach full retirement age. At that point, your benefit can be recalculated and your monthly benefit will increase based on the additional earnings.

You can keep track of your benefits by using the SSA’s online platform, mySocialSecurity .

More From GOBankingRates

• I Retired in My 50s: Here's My Monthly Budget
• 50 Safest and Most Affordable US Cities To Live In
• 6 Things to Try This Week if You're Behind on Your Savings Goals
• 4 Reasons Retired Women Need More Money Than Men -- And What To Do About it

Share This Article:

Related Content

Social Security

6 Cities Where Social Security Goes the Farthest for Retirees

June 22, 2024

This Social Security Spousal Rule Is Officially Finished in 2024 -- But These 3 Strategies Remain

Social Security: How Long You Can Live Outside the US Without Losing Benefits

June 21, 2024

Here's What the Average Social Security Payment Will Be in 15 Years

41 States That Won't Tax Social Security Benefits in 2024

Social Security Do-Overs: There Are 2 Ways To Reset Your Benefits

June 20, 2024

5 Best Florida Cities To Retire on $2,600 a Month

June 19, 2024

10 States That Tax Social Security Benefits in 2024

8 States To Move to If You Don't Want To Pay Taxes on Social Security

June 18, 2024

How Far a Retired Couple's Social Security Check Goes in Every State

June 17, 2024

Social Security 2025: A Breakdown of How Payments Could Be Affected Under Biden vs. Trump

June 14, 2024

I'm a Wealthy Retiree: 6 Reasons Taking Social Security at Age 70 Was Right for Me

Here's What It's Really Like To Be a Social Security Recipient in 2024

June 13, 2024

Can Your Crypto Investments Impact Social Security Payments? 3 Things To Consider

5 Things To Sell If You Live Only on Social Security

How Much Money You'll Need To Supplement Your Social Security in Every State

• Is Social Security Income Taxable?
• Social Security vs. Retirement Age Increase

Best Retirement For 2024

• Best Retirement Age
• Best Retirement Plans
• Best IRA Accounts
• Best Roth IRA Accounts
• Retirement Plans

Make your money work for you

Get the latest news on investing, money, and more with our free newsletter.

By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Unsubscribe at any time.

You're Subscribed!

Check your inbox for more details.

BEFORE YOU GO

See today's best banking offers.

Sending you timely financial stories that you can bank on.

Sign up for our daily newsletter for the latest financial news and trending topics.

For our full Privacy Policy, click here .

You're reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool's Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

How Much Do You Get a Month for Social Security? Here's a Breakdown of Average Retired-Worker Benefits From Ages 62 Through 99

• The Social Security Administration relies on four factors when calculating your monthly check.
• Your claiming age can dramatically swing the Social Security retired-worker payout pendulum.
• There are a number of simple ways to maximize what you'll receive from Social Security.
• Motley Fool Issues Rare “All In” Buy Alert

Although retired-worker Social Security checks are relatively modest, they can vary significantly by age.

For more than eight decades, Social Security has laid down a financial foundation for aging workers who could no longer provide for themselves. Based on an analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the program lifted 22.7 million people above the federal poverty line in 2022, including 16.5 million adults aged 65 and over.

Yet, the interesting thing about America's top retirement program is that the average monthly payout tends to be fairly modest.

What you get each month from Social Security depends largely on variables unique to you. Let's briefly walk through the factors responsible for determining your monthly Social Security check and take a comprehensive look at the average monthly Social Security benefit by age.

Image source: Getty Images.

How is your Social Security benefit calculated?

Although Social Security can be somewhat complex and confusing, the four variables relied on by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to calculate your monthly benefit are easy to understand. These four "ingredients" are your:

• Work history
• Earnings history
• Full retirement age
• Claiming age

The initial two components go hand-in-hand. The SSA accounts for your 35 highest-earning, inflation-adjusted years when calculating your monthly check. If you earn more (we're talking about wages and salary but not investment income) throughout your lifetime, there's a good chance you'll receive a beefier Social Security payout during retirement.

The caveat is that the SSA will also penalize retirees who haven't worked for at least 35 years. For every year less than 35 worked, the SSA averages $0 into your calculation.

Your full retirement age is the point where you become eligible to receive 100% of your monthly retired-worker benefit. Since it's determined by your birth year , it's the one factor you have no control over. Most of today's workforce (i.e., people born in or after 1960) has a full retirement age of 67.

The fourth variable used to calculate your monthly Social Security check is your claiming age. Deciding when to begin collecting benefits can, arguably, swing the payout pendulum more than any other factor.

Although retired workers become eligible to take their benefits as early as age 62, Social Security offers a monetary incentive to encourage patience . For every year a worker waits to collect their payout, beginning at age 62 and continuing through age 69, their check can grow by as much as 8%, as shown in the table below.

Data source: Social Security Administration.

How much do you get a month for Social Security?

With a better understanding of how your unique variables can affect your Social Security benefit, let's dig into the meat-and-potatoes of what you want to know: How much do you get a month for Social Security?

Based on the SSA's monthly snapshot, the average benefit for the 51 million retired workers in May was $1,916.63, which works out to $23,000 on an annualized basis.

But we can take things one step further and break down average annual retired-worker checks by age.

Every year, the SSA's Office of the Actuary publishes the average monthly Social Security benefit from ages 62 through 99-plus. Just keep in mind that the following table is based on the age of each recipient in December 2023 and may have nothing to do with the age at which they claimed benefits. For example, a retired worker receiving benefits at age 66 may have begun collecting their payout anywhere from ages 62 through 66.

Data source: Social Security Administration Office of the Actuary, as of December 2023. Table by author.

This table demonstrates the importance of patience if you want to meaningfully increase your monthly Social Security benefit. Whereas the earliest filers took home less than $1,300 in December 2023, recipients age 70 received a benefit that was, on average, 57% higher .

Depending on their birth year, claimants age 70 can expect their monthly Social Security payout to be between 24% and 32% higher than they would have received at full retirement age. Meanwhile, age 62 recipients are looking at a permanent monthly reduction ranging from 25% to 30%, depending on the year they're born.

You might also note that monthly benefits tend to taper off and flatten out after age 83. This dynamic has to do with women, on average, living longer than men .

This late-age decline in average Social Security checks is the result of more women than men staying at home to raise their children and thus missing out on earned income in the labor force. According to an analysis from Pew Research Center, between 4% and 9% of fathers were stay-at-home parents between 1989 and 2021. By comparison, 23% to 29% of mothers over the same timeline were stay-at-home parents.

Three of the easiest ways to boost your Social Security benefit

While Social Security was never designed to make retirees rich, there are a few strategies that future retirees can use to beef up their eventual payout.

The first is, very simply, to exercise patience. As I pointed out earlier, for every year a retired worker waits to collect their payout, beginning at age 62 and continuing until age 70, their monthly check can grow by as much as 8%. Waiting a few years can meaningfully boost what you'll receive monthly from Social Security.

To add to this point, an extensive study from online financial planning company United Income, which extrapolated the claiming decisions of 20,000 retired workers, found that age 70 would have maximized lifetime benefits for 57% of claimants .

A second smart move future retirees can consider is leaning on SSA-521 , officially known as "Request for Withdrawal of Application." SSA-521 would allow those whose financial situations have changed or who regret their early filing decision to undo their claim. If approved by the SSA, your payout would, once again, begin accruing at up to 8% annually until you collect your benefit.

However, this Social Security do-over clause has some limitations . For one, you'll need to pay back every cent you and your family have received from Social Security based on your earnings history. Additionally, this request can only be made up to 12 months after filing for your initial claim.

The third way to maximize your lifetime income from Social Security is to be mindful of the unique variables that matter to you . While it'd be great if there were a perfect blueprint that would tell us precisely when to collect benefits, this isn't possible without knowing our "departure date" ahead of time.

To maximize what you'll receive from America's top retirement program, you'll need to fully understand your financial needs, how taxation and marital status can impact your decision, and wrap your hands around how your personal health could affect your ability to collect a Social Security check long term. These unique variables might make an earlier or middle-ground claim a smarter decision for you with regard to maximizing lifetime Social Security income.

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

Related Articles

Premium Investing Services

Invest better with The Motley Fool. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from The Motley Fool's premium services.

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Tax cuts, teacher raises and a few social issues in South Carolina budget compromise

South Carolina Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, left, House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, center, and Senate Finance Committee staffer Quentin Hawkins, right, talk after a conference committee reached a budget deal, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

South Carolina Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, left, and House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, right, talk to reporters after a conference committee reached a budget deal, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

State Rep. Phillip Lowe, R-Florence, left, state Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-West Columbia, center, and state Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, D- Charleston, right, talk before a conference committee reached a budget deal, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

South Carolina House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, left, and Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, right, vote as the conference committee reached a budget deal, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

• Copy Link copied

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A budget compromise reached by a small group of lawmakers Friday means South Carolina will accelerate a planned income tax cut , raise the salaries of all teachers and state employees and send more money to adult and juvenile prisons.

A conference committee agreed to the more than $13 billion spending plan for next budget year, sending it on to the House and Senate to approve at a special session Wednesday.

And as always, there are social issues that weren’t taken up in the regular session that will be included as one-year special items in the budget.

Lawmakers want to ban public school students from using cellphones during class time, require students to use the bathrooms and locker rooms of the sex assigned at birth and require libraries to provide detailed plans on how they will keep inappropriate material out of the hands of children or lose state funding. The details will be up to state agencies to figure out.

“I think this is a budget we can all be proud of,” said Democratic state Sen. Nikki Setzler of West Columbia, who worked on his last budget as he retires from the Senate after 48 years.

Tax cuts took center stage in the spending portion of the budget for fiscal year 2024-2025.

Instead of a House-suggested one-time $500 million in a property-tax rebate, the Senate plan chooses to spend $100 million to knock the income tax rate most people pay in the state from 6.4% to 6.2% The state is in the middle of a five-year effort to cut its top income tax rate from 7% to 6%, and this cuts the time to four years.

The $500 million comes from an account meant to provide property tax relief. Sales tax goes into the fund, and a boom in spending during and after the COVID-19 pandemic has left the account flush with cash. The budget calls for spending the remaining money on bridges and roads as well as sewer and water projects.

A one-year property tax cut appeared to be hard to implement and might anger homeowners when their bill went back up, Republican House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister said Friday.

The House and Senate split the difference in how much of a raise to give state employees. Workers making under $50,000 a year will get a $1,125 yearly increase while those making more than that will get a 2.25% raise. The Senate had proposed a higher raise.

The budget puts $200 million toward raising teacher pay . Every teacher would get a raise, and the minimum salary for a starting teacher would be increased to $47,000 a year — a nearly 70% increase from a decade ago. The budget also would allow teachers to get a yearly raise for each of their first 28 years instead of their first 23.

The budget proposal includes $175 million to finish work on the new school for veterinary medicine at Clemson University and $100 million for a new medical school at the University of South Carolina.

Lawmakers want to spend $29 million to upgrade the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice prisons and $28 million on technologies to make cellphones inoperable for inmates who have the contraband technology behind bars.

The new budget year starts July 1, leaving a tight timetable to get the spending plan passed through the General Assembly and the up to five days the governor gets to review it and issue vetoes.

The lawmakers on the conference committee said the weeks of negotiations are needed to go over the budget thoroughly and make sure people with different perspectives and ideas are all heard.

“If you go in there ‘it’s my way or the highway’ you may have to hit the highway for a while,” Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler said.