Companies and universities pay regular people to take part in research: one-on-one interviews, focus groups, diary studies, usability tests and academic experiments. You don't need special skills. Researchers want people who match a specific profile (a job, a product you use, a health condition, an age group) and are willing to give honest, thoughtful answers.
The catch is that you don't get every study you apply for. Each study has a short screener, and the researcher picks who to invite. Below are 8 legitimate platforms, what each one says it pays, how you get paid, and what their own help pages say about getting selected more often.
Quick comparison
- Respondent: best for professionals and B2B roles. Average $75 per study, most $50 to $250. Paid by Tremendous gift card or prepaid Visa.
- User Interviews: consumer and professional studies. Average study pays over $45. Paid by Tremendous gift card or prepaid card.
- Prolific: short academic studies. Minimum $8/£6 per hour. Paid in cash to PayPal.
- dscout: smartphone diary and video studies. Most missions $25 to $150. Paid to PayPal.
- UserTesting: website and app tests. $10 per standard test, $30 to $120 for live sessions. Paid to PayPal.
- CloudResearch Connect: academic surveys. Pay set per study and shown up front. Paid to PayPal, bank or Amazon gift card.
- Rare Patient Voice: patients and caregivers. Typically $120 per hour. Paid by check or electronic payment.
- Testable Minds: behavioral science studies. Minimum $12 per hour once verified. Paid to Revolut, PayPal or gift card.
1. Respondent
Respondent is the best-paying option on this list for most people with a professional background. It connects participants with companies running interviews, focus groups, surveys, diary studies and usability tests, and many studies target specific jobs: software engineers, nurses, IT buyers, small business owners, marketers and so on. Consumer studies run there too.
Pay: Incentives are set per study, not per hour. Respondent says the average payout is $75 and most sessions pay $50 to $250 depending on length and seniority. Surveys and short interviews usually pay $50 to $150, and senior B2B roles can pay $400 or more.
Payout: Payments go through Tremendous. You get an email after the study and choose a gift card, such as a Visa prepaid card or Amazon. Respondent's help center says incentives are paid in USD, usually arrive 7 to 10 business days after the researcher confirms you attended, and carry a 5% fulfillment fee (minimum $1), so a $60 incentive becomes $57. Note that Respondent no longer pays through PayPal.
Eligibility: You must be 18 or older. Respondent describes a panel of 4.3 million+ participants in 150+ countries, but many studies are limited to the US or a few countries. The company says most participants get 1 to 3 study invitations a month.
How screeners work: Each study has its own unpaid screener of roughly 2 to 20 questions. The researcher reviews the answers and invites the people who fit. You are paid only after you complete the actual session.
RespondentGet paid for interviews, focus groups and surveys that match your job and interests. Respondent says most sessions pay $50 to $250.Join Respondent
2. User Interviews
User Interviews is a large recruiting platform with a mix of consumer and professional studies. The company says over 5,000 studies launch each month and the average study pays over $45. Its listed ranges by study type include $20 to $300+ for one-on-one interviews, $40 to $200+ for online focus groups, $55 to $400+ for diary studies and $40 to $1,000+ for in-person sessions.
You build a profile, browse studies or get matching ones by email, and apply by answering a few screener questions. Once approved, you book a session time. Incentives are delivered through Tremendous, where you pick from options like a virtual Visa card or brand gift cards. User Interviews says you usually get paid within a few days of the session, and its help center notes that cash options like PayPal are not available for incentives sent automatically through the platform. It now recruits in many countries beyond the US.
3. Prolific
Prolific is the go-to platform for short academic and AI research studies done on your computer. Most studies are surveys or tasks that take a few minutes to an hour, and new ones are posted throughout the day.
Pay: Prolific enforces a minimum reward of $8 or £6 per hour and recommends researchers pay at least $12 or £9 per hour. Each study shows the reward and time estimate before you start.
Payout: Prolific pays in cash, never points or gift cards. You can cash out to PayPal once your balance reaches $6 or £6, with no fee.
Eligibility: You must be 18 or older and live in a supported country, which includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of Europe. New sign-ups join a waitlist, and Prolific invites people based on which demographics researchers currently need, so approval can take a while.
Read our full Prolific review for how the waitlist, cash-outs and account holds work.
4. dscout
dscout runs research through a smartphone app. Studies are called missions, and many ask you to record short videos or photos about your daily life or how you use a product, sometimes over several days. There are also live interviews and quick usability tests.
dscout says most payouts range from $25 to $150, with some paying more or less, and it advertises an average of about $1 per minute. Shorter Express missions pay less. You apply to each mission with a screener that often includes a short video answer. Rewards are paid to PayPal after the study team approves your entries, and dscout messages you with the reward date. Most missions are in the US and UK.
5. UserTesting
UserTesting pays you to try websites and apps while speaking your thoughts out loud. To join, you complete a short practice test and basic demographic questions. After that, you answer screener questions to qualify for individual tests. You need a microphone and a device that meets the minimum specs.
UserTesting says reward amounts vary by test type, length and demand, and your dashboard shows the payment before you accept. Its help center lists $10 for a standard 15 to 20 minute unmoderated test, and $30 to $120 for live conversation sessions of 30 to 120 minutes. PayPal is the only payout method, and payments are usually sent 14 days after a test.
6. CloudResearch Connect
CloudResearch Connect is a survey platform used mostly by academic researchers. Studies are typically short surveys that list the pay and estimated time up front, and the platform requires researchers to meet a minimum hourly rate.
Connect is open to adults 18+ in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. Sign-up includes ID verification and a short survey, and CloudResearch says reviews can take up to 30 days. Once approved, you can withdraw to PayPal (from $5), bank transfer (from $25) or an Amazon gift card (no minimum).
7. Rare Patient Voice
Rare Patient Voice connects patients and family caregivers with paid research from healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. Despite the name, it accepts all diseases and conditions, not only rare ones, so list every diagnosis when you sign up.
Rare Patient Voice says it typically pays at the rate of $120 per hour for studies you qualify for and complete. Studies include online surveys, phone interviews and some in-person interviews. Payment is sent once the study is complete, by printed check or electronic payment, and some small studies pay with a gift card. It recruits in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. Invitations come irregularly: you might not hear anything for months, then get two in one week.
8. Testable Minds
Testable Minds is a participant pool for behavioral science studies from universities. Each study shows the estimated time and pay before you start.
Testable Minds says participants who verify their identity (a government ID and a face match) earn at least $12 per hour on every study, versus $8 per hour for unverified accounts. You can withdraw once your balance reaches $1, with no fees, through Revolut, PayPal or a gift card. One important limit: individual earnings are capped at $600 per year, so treat this as a small extra rather than a main income source.
How to get selected for more studies
Screeners decide almost everything, so it pays to get them right. Here is what the platforms' own help pages recommend:
- Complete and update your profile. Respondent says researchers pick invitees based on role, tools, industry, company size, region, time zone, languages and availability. Use full job titles, list the tools you actually use, add a front-facing profile photo and finish any verification steps. Prolific says keeping your About You answers complete and current is the best way to match more studies.
- Be honest and consistent. Respondent warns that exaggerated or false screener answers can get you removed, and that mismatches between your profile, your screener answers and your LinkedIn are red flags for researchers. User Interviews says falsified answers can get you flagged or suspended and advises against using AI tools to write screener answers.
- Respond quickly. User Interviews notes that recruiters often contact several qualified people and fill seats in the order they hear back, so a same-day reply can be the difference. Turn on email or app notifications; Prolific also offers a browser extension that alerts you to new studies.
- Write real answers to open-ended questions. dscout says reviewers look for authenticity, attention to detail and clear video, and that structured, thoughtful answers beat one-word replies.
- Apply to studies that fit you. Both dscout and User Interviews recommend applying only where you're a genuine match. Respondent adds that accepting invitations and showing up to sessions increases your chances of being selected again.
- Never pay to participate. Legitimate research platforms are free to join. Screeners are unpaid, but the study itself should always pay you.
Paid research studies won't replace a paycheck, but they can add a steady trickle of extra income, especially if your job or background is in demand. Respondent and User Interviews offer the highest per-study incentives, while Prolific, CloudResearch Connect and Testable Minds are good for filling spare minutes with short studies. If you'd rather answer quick surveys, see our guide to the best survey sites or our Pinecone Research review. And keep an eye on our newest research related listings, as we're always adding new opportunities.
