Would you like to earn money by participating in paid focus groups? This post explains everything you need to know about earning money with market research studies.
I first participated in a focus group during my sophomore year in college. It was for a new radio station. The two-hour segment required me to listen to music snippets and rate each song on a scale of 1 to 10. After the session, I received an envelope with $100 in cash—not bad for a couple of hours of easy listening.
Over the years, I’ve participated in many different focus groups, and I’ve earned cash or gift cards for my efforts.
Interestingly, I didn’t apply for these opportunities; they came along because I had used the product or entered a giveaway.
Make Money Participating in Paid Focus Groups
If you want to make some extra cash by participating in online focus groups, there are many places to apply. Best of all, these opportunities pay well, usually $50-$150 for an hour of your time. And often, you’ll get free products to sample, a nice little perk!
For shorter online and telephone surveys, expect to earn $5-$20 for 15-20 minutes.
Are you ready to cash in with paid focus group opportunities?
Here is a list of places to find consumer research companies.
1. Respondent
Launched in 2016, Respondent is a market research company that offers a wide range of focus group studies. Just create an account and browse the various projects that are going on. Some focus groups are in-person, while others are online.
A couple of open studies that were going on when I searched the platform were:
1) Homeowners who are planning a renovation – $135 for 40 minutes
2) Fitness app development – $60 for 60 minutes
According to their website, the average hourly pay is $75 per study, and payments are made via PayPal. You can also earn money by referring friends and family to the platform. If one of your referrals completes a study, you’ll earn $20!
Be sure to read our full Respondent review.
2. Sago
Sago, formerly Focus Group by Schlesinger, conducts market research studies through online surveys, phone interviews, in-person events, and product testing opportunities.
To participate, fill out the online application for your country. They accept participants who are at least 18 years old from the United States, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, and Spain, and they even have a few worldwide studies. Once you’ve created an account and answered some basic questions, they’ll match you to studies that meet the demographic criteria. For each study you participate in, you’ll earn points that can be traded in for gift cards and Visa debit cards. 100 points have a value of $1.00 in cash and rewards.
Just a heads up, you will be required to upload a photo of your government-issued ID when you create an account so they can verify your identity. Sago gets a B rating from the Better Business Bureau.
3. User Interviews
User Interviews recruits people from the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany, France, and the UK for paid focus groups, surveys, and website testing gigs. Studies take place online, over the phone, and in person, and the average payout is $60 per study.
You can browse studies directly on the site to see what’s available, but here is a sampling of the types of survey panels, time requirements, and payout amounts.
To learn more, read our full review of User Interviews.
4. Adler Weiner Research
Adler Weiner Research accepts focus group participants within driving distance from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Orange County. They have been in business since 1960 and conduct market research via focus groups, in-depth interviews, in-home visits, and shop-along visits. To apply, fill out their online questionnaire and wait for invites via email. Adler Weiner Research has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
5. Alibaba
Alibaba conducts different types of user studies, including surveys, interviews, and usability studies. Participants will receive monetary compensation of a check, coupon, or gift card for their participation.
6. Fieldwork
Fieldwork conducts nationwide paid focus groups and in-person studies in Seattle, San Francisco, Orange County, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Minneapolis, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Fort Lee, and New York City, but they also set up temporary locations for their clients as needed. They conduct general studies and healthcare studies and actively seek nurses, doctors, physician assistants, and other medical professionals.
To start, fill out the online application and wait for invites. Studies are most often conducted via the focus group format, but they also offer taste-testing opportunities, product trials, phone interviews, mock juror opportunities, and online studies. Compensation ranges from $50 to $100.
7. Find Focus Groups
Find Focus Groups is a website that is dedicated to paid focus group opportunities in the US. On their site, you can browse by location (city and state), see what topics are available, and how much each study pays. Find Focus Groups is not a market research firm but instead a focus group marketplace. According to their website, they vet all the opportunities listed on their site.
8. Google Usability
Google User Experience Research conducts consumer research on their own online products and services. Studies are conducted online and in-person, and for each study you complete, you’ll receive a small gift, such as a gift card from a major retailer or a Visa or MasterCard debit card.
9. Apex Focus Group
Apex Focus Groups conducts focus groups, clinical trials, and paid survey panels in the US. Studies are done both in-person and online, and participants must have a high school diploma. The average compensation is $35-$75 for a single session and $350-$750 for a multi-session study. Apex Focus Group has an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau.
10. Nelson Recruiting
Launched in 1980, Nelson Recruiting conducts paid focus groups, surveys, phone and web interviews, taste tests, new app testing, and mock juries in the US. First, fill out the online profile and wait for relevant opportunities. After completing the study, the hosting company will pay via cash, check, or Visa gift card.
11. MindSwarms
MindSwarms is a third-party platform where you share your opinion via video on your webcam, smartphone, or tablet. To join, fill out the online application, and answer questions via video for studies you’ve qualified to participate in. Participants earn $10-$50 for each survey they complete; payments are made via PayPal.
12. Nichols Research
Nichols Research conducts consumer research via focus groups, surveys, in-person and telephone interviews, product tests, online studies, and more. To apply, sign up online and wait for opportunities via email. Participants receive a gift or an honorarium for their time and participation. Nichols Research has an A+ rating with the BBB.
13. Probe Market Research
Probe Market Research offers a wide range of opportunities, like focus groups, online surveys, mystery shopping gigs, mock juries, product trials, and much more. Focus groups pay between $50-$400 per study. Probe Market Research has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
14. L&E Research
L&E Research has been conducting market research since 2011. They offer online, phone, and in-person studies in Austin, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Columbus, Denver, Minneapolis, New York City, Raleigh, San Francisco, St Louis, and Tampa. Many of their studies are for healthcare professionals, but they also have focus groups and opportunities for everyday consumers. The average pay varies with each study, but you’ll be paid in cash, check, or Visa gift card. L&E Research has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Some open studies with L&E Research right now include:
- Product testing for parents of babies – $65 for 35 minutes (in-person study)
- Online finance study – $250 for 45 minutes
- Pain management study – $75 for 30 minutes (phone interview)
15. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is an online platform that rewards users (from the US, Canada, and Australia) with points for participating in surveys, focus groups, product testing gigs, and web searches. You’ll earn points towards Amazon gift cards or cash via your PayPal account for each study or survey. With Survey Junkie, your account must reach a 500-point balance ($5.00) before you can request payment. Survey Junkie also has a mobile app so that you can participate in studies on the go. If you want to learn more, you can check out our review on Survey Junkie.
16. GLG Insights
GLG Insights is a market research firm that conducts studies in a wide variety of professional industries. Research is gathered using phone interviews, in-person research studies, and simple online surveys. With GLG Insights, you set up your profile and hourly rate for participation and wait for invites to studies that match your professional expertise. Once you complete a study, you’ll get paid via direct deposit.
17. Ipsos
Ipsos recruits individuals to take part in market research through paid online surveys. They accept users from all over the world, and it’s easy to get started. Sign up for a free account, verify your email address and phone number, and answer a few simple profile questions. You can start taking surveys immediately, or you can complete profile questions that will match you with more opportunities. For each survey you take, you’ll earn points that can be traded for digital gift cards to major retailers, cash via PayPal, or a Visa card. 500 points are equivalent to $5 in cash!
18. PingPong
PingPong conducts video research studies for a wide variety of companies. With PingPong, you can earn €10 to €100, sometimes more. However, you will need a computer or laptop with a webcam and mic and an internet speed of at least 20 Mbps. Payments are distributed by PayPal or Transferwise, and they accept participants worldwide.
19. Rare Patient Voice
Rare Patient Voice is a company that connects caregivers and patients to market research firms that are developing new products and services that help with various medical and health-related concerns. Rare Patient Voice conducts studies in the following formats: interviews, surveys, and online communities, and each study pays $120 per hour. Rare Patient Voice accepts users from the US, the UK, New Zealand, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Canada, and Australia, and they have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
20. Recruit + Field
Recruit + Field is a market research firm that conducts consumer, B2B, and healthcare studies. Studies are conducted via in-person focus groups, online surveys, phone surveys, and product testing gigs. For each study you participate in, you’ll earn compensation. Recruit + Field has been in business since 1977, and they accept participants from around the world.
Paid Focus Groups Wrap-up
Participating in paid focus groups can be an excellent way to extra cash in your spare time. You’ll need to answer some preliminary questions to determine your eligibility for the study, but once you’re accepted, it’s an easy and flexible way to earn money from home.
I suggest creating a separate email account just for these activities, as you’ll receive many emails from these companies. Another thing to consider is if you’re not comfortable sharing information like your age, gender, and household income, then this probably isn’t the right opportunity for you. Market research firms want to know these details along with behaviors, thoughts, and opinions.
While there are many legitimate paid focus groups to take advantage of, you do need to be aware of scams. Follow these simple scam prevention tips and research companies extensively before committing to an opportunity.
Have you ever participated in paid focus groups? We would love to hear about your experience!
Originally published September 3, 2015. Content updated March 2024.
