For most people, paid surveys are worth it only as spare-time money. Independent tests of the big survey sites have measured roughly $1 to $4 an hour, so they suit time you would not otherwise use, not a second job. Stick to sites with a record of paying, like those in our reviews, and check what each one pays before you put in hours.
What Surveys Actually Pay
Survey sites rarely publish an hourly rate, so the best evidence comes from people who time themselves. In five-hour tests by DollarBreak, Swagbucks came to about $1.49 an hour, InboxDollars $1.16, PaidViewpoint $3.05 and AttaPoll $3.83, the last including offers. Real Reviews Lab averaged about $1.23 an hour over 60 hours on Survey Junkie.
Per survey, the amounts are small. Branded Surveys and InboxDollars both say most surveys pay $0.50 to $5, and most of the Qmee surveys DollarBreak saw paid about $1 or less.
Prolific is the exception. Researchers must pay at least $8 / £6 an hour, and Prolific recommends $12 / £9. The catch is getting in: new sign-ups join a waitlist, and studies without prescreening are first come, first served.
What That Means per Month
At $1 to $4 an hour, 30 minutes a day (about 15 hours a month) works out to roughly $15 to $60, and an hour a day to roughly $30 to $120. That is our arithmetic from the tests above, not a promise. Some sites say much the same: Branded Surveys puts typical earnings at $5 to $100 a month, and Survey Junkie says you won't get rich taking surveys.
Pros and Cons of Paid Surveys
Pros:
- Flexible: take surveys whenever you have a few minutes, on a phone or a computer.
- Free to join: legitimate survey sites never charge you.
- Low cash-out minimums: many sites we review let you cash out at $5 or less, and Qmee has no minimum for PayPal or Venmo. See our low minimum payout ranking.
- More than surveys: InboxDollars and Swagbucks also pay for cashback shopping, grocery receipts and games.
Cons:
- Low hourly pay: $1 to $4 an hour in most independent tests.
- Screen-outs: you often answer qualifying questions before learning you do not fit. DollarBreak's testers qualified for 13 of 31 surveys on Toluna and 25 of 74 on Prime Opinion. InboxDollars, Qmee and AttaPoll pay nothing for a screen-out, while PaidViewpoint and Prolific pay for your time.
- Personal data: you share demographic details, and many sites can ask for photo ID before a cash out.
- Scams: fake sites promise big money for little work. Read our guide on how to avoid survey scams.
How to Get the Most From Your Time
- Complete your profile surveys: sites use them to decide which surveys to send you.
- Join three to five sites, so there is usually something to take. Good starting points are Ipsos iSay and Prime Opinion, our two highest-rated sites.
- Prefer sites that pay for screen-outs: see our list of sites that pay when you are screened out.
- Check the reward before you start: most sites show what a survey pays up front, so skip the ones that are not worth the time.
- Add better-paid work alongside: user testing and research interviews pay more per task. UserTesting pays $10 for a standard 15 to 20 minute test, and Respondent says remote interviews pay about $40 to $150.
- Track your hourly rate on each site and drop the ones at the bottom.
Is It Worth It? The Bottom Line
Yes, if you want pocket money from spare minutes and you stick to sites that reliably pay. No, if you need real income: at these rates, an hour of surveys earns less than most paid work. If you have been laid off, our guide to the best survey sites during layoffs covers which ones pay fastest.
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