Best Online Paid Focus Groups
Branded Surveys
$0.50 – $5 on average per survey with bonus points ($1 sign up bonus)
Average survey length is 10-20 minutes and minimum payout is $5
Collect rewards in PayPal, Direct Deposit or gift cards (100+ brands)
Swagbucks
$0.50 to $1.50 per survey – earn up to $100 each month using Swagbucks
18 unique ways to earn money and free gift cards, plus $5 sign up bonus
Redeem e-gift cards from $1 or withdraw $5 minimum payment from PayPal
Survey Junkie
$0.50 – $3 per survey + extra ways to earn up to $100 with focus groups
Each survey time varies, but on average it takes 15 minutes to complete
Redeem rewards using PayPal, e-giftcards or bank transfer when earned at least $5
28 Focus Groups For Money
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie Summary
- $0.50-$3 average earnings per survey
- Get 2-3 extra points if you screened out of survey
- Additional ways to earn up to $150
- Install Survey Junkie extension for bonus
Survey Junkie is one of the most popular online market research companies that will reward you for sharing your opinion. The company uses your feedback to help businesses improve their products and services. While Survey Junkie is mainly a survey website, there are also occasional high-paying survey opportunities.
| Earning Opportunity | Job Scope | Earning Opportunity |
|---|---|---|
| Product Testing | Test a product and share your opinion | Up to $50 per product |
| Focus Groups | Participate in an in-person study | Up to $150 per hour |
| Phone Surveys | Answer research questions over the phone | Up to $100 per survey |
Nonetheless, these other opportunities tend to be rarer. Thus, keep an eye out for them to maximize your earnings on the platform.
PrizeRebel
PrizeRebel Summary
- Up to $1 on average earnings per survey
- Earn as much as a few hundred each month
- Rewards are sent in 24 hours
- Up to 30% for referred user earnings
PrizeRebel is a popular market research platform that specializes in surveys that pay cash instantly. In general, each survey on the platform takes between 5 to 20 minutes to complete. You can earn up to $1 per survey, enabling you to make some extra income in your free time.
In addition, the platform also occasionally has focus group opportunities that you can join to earn some extra cash. Nonetheless, these opportunities tend to be rare, so you can increase your chances of getting such opportunities if you are an active user on the platform.
Once you earn at least $5 from surveys, you can withdraw your earnings via PayPal. Alternatively, you can exchange your earnings for a gift card starting from just $5.
American Consumer Opinion
American Consumer Opinion Summary
- Easy to understand point system
- Longer surveys can pay up to $50, but most of them pay $0.50 to $2.50 on average
- Product reviews pay up to $200
- Low minimum payout threshold of $10
American Consumer Opinion is a popular market research platform in the US. The platform has over 7 million members. You can earn money by sharing your opinions about various products and services. The company uses the market research data it gathers to help businesses improve their products and services.
Although the platform mainly focuses on paid online surveys, there are also focus group opportunities that you can participate in to earn money. These opportunities can pay up to $75 each.
In addition, you can also withdraw your earnings starting from just $10 via either PayPal or check.
Ipsos iSay
Ipsos iSay Summary
- You can earn as much as $50 each month
- Earn $1 for each friend you invite
- Low minimum cash out threshold of $5
- Instant cash out for e-gift cards
Ipsos iSay is one of the largest survey websites in the world. You can participate in many paid opportunities to earn some extra income in your free time for sharing your opinions.
In general, you can earn between $0.40 to $1.50 per survey, with focus groups paying you up to $100 per hour.
The platform also has many withdrawal options, including:
- PayPal
- Gift card
- Merchandise
- Donations
- Virtual Visas
Maru SpringBoard America
Maru SpringBoard America is a leading market research community in the US, allowing members to participate in paid surveys.
The platform offers many money-earning opportunities, including:
- Online focus groups
- Online surveys
- Mobile surveys
- Teen surveys
The company partners with organizations in various fields, including household brands, non-profit organizations, government bodies, and media. On average, users can earn between $0.50 and $5 per survey, and most receive four survey opportunities per month.
Respondent
Respondent Summary
- Earn up to $700 per hour for your opinion
- Get between $20 to $50 for each referral
- Get paid even if the study is cancelled
- Get paid via PayPal, usually within 5 days
Respondent is a platform that offers the highest-paying focus group opportunities. You can stand to earn up to $700 per hour by sharing your opinions about various market research topics. The platform caters primarily to professionals in various industries, and your earnings will vary depending on your professional qualifications.
| Profession | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| Software developers | $200 per hour |
| Marketers | $150 per hour |
| Executives | $700 per hour |
| Enterprise software users | $150 per hour |
| Business owners | $500 per hour |
| Sales and support | $100 per hour |
When you sign up on the platform, the algorithm will match with focus groups suitable for you. You can also earn a $50 referral for every friend you invite to Respondent.
User Interviews
User Interviews Summary
- 4 types of studies you can join to earn
- Over 2k new studies launched each month
- Get a $30 bonus when you refer a friend
- Earn up to $100 per hour for your opinion
User Interviews features focus group opportunities from world-class companies, such as Adobe, Spotify, and Pinterest.
The platform features four main types of focus group opportunities:
- Focus groups
- 1-on-1 interviews
- Multiday studies
- Unmoderated tasks
To start earning money for participating in focus groups, simply create your account and find projects relevant to your interests. In general, you can make up to $100 per hour for y our participation in a focus group opportunity.
You can withdraw your earnings either via direct deposit or gift card.
Mindswarms
Mindswarms is a popular survey platform that you can join to earn some extra cash in your free time. One of the unique features of the platform is that it conducts its surveys in a video format. Thus, you will need to record yourself answering survey questions using your smartphone or webcam.
You can earn around $10 for every survey question you answer. Each survey question usually takes just 10 minutes to complete, and you can earn up to $50 per survey.
You can withdraw your earnings via PayPal, making the platform a convenient way to earn a side income.
Brand Institute
Brand Institute is a market research company that primarily caters to the healthcare and medical industry. If you work in these industries and want to participate in focus groups for money, you can join the platform as a focus group participant.
On average, you can earn up to $30 per medical survey, and you will need specialized knowledge to start answering them. You can receive your earnings via PayPal or check once you complete each survey.
In general, most of the surveys are online, although some might be in-person.
Engage
Engage is a platform that specializes in consumer and healthcare market research. If you are looking to participate in focus groups for money, Engage is one of the best platforms to do so.
You will need to provide some basic information about yourself when signing up for an account on the website. If you are a healthcare or medical professional, it can increase your chances of receiving focus group opportunities.
Focus Group
Focus Group Summary
- Many ways to earn money
- Make money online
- Earn $1 to $10 per survey
- Work from home or on the go
Focus Group is a market research company by Schlesinger Group that offers focus group opportunities. Businesses offer these opportunities to get feedback on their products and services.
You can participate in paid focus group opportunities on this platform online, over the phone, or in person at one of the informal focus group venues across the US. Each of these opportunities pays up to $250 per hour, enabling you to earn some extra cash in your free time.
You can cash out your earnings on the platform via a digital gift card.
Survey Squad
Survey Squad is a platform that provides a large number of paid focus groups and surveys both online and on-site. The platform offers a wide range of research studies that pay up to $250 per study.
Once you join the platform, you will also receive study invites via email. You can then participate in these opportunities to earn extra cash in your free time.
You can withdraw your earnings via check.
Probe Market Research
Probe Market Research is a reliable and legit company in the medical and healthcare market research industries. The platform thus offers paid focus group opportunities that you can participate in to earn a side income.
However, note that you will need to work in a healthcare or medical role to qualify for many of the opportunities on the platform.
You can also expect to earn up to $400 per focus group.
2020 Research
2020 Research is a Schlesinger Group company that features paid focus group opportunities that you can participate in to earn money. You can earn money just by sharing your opinion about various products and services that you use.
The platform offers both in-person and virtual focus group opportunities. Thus, depending on your personal preferences, you can find studies that suit your needs.
PingPong
PingPong is a relatively new company in the online market research field specializing in user experience testing for websites and apps. Despite being relatively new, the platform has built a strong reputation as a reliable platform to find focus group opportunities.
To start participating in focus groups on PingPong, you will need to pass an online interview first. You can expect to earn between $23 to $118 per hour as a focus group participant on the platform.
Note that the platform is based in Europe but open to participants worldwide. You can withdraw your earnings via PayPal or Wise.
Recruit and Field
Recruit & Field offers focus group studies at locations across the US. You can expect to earn between $100 to $275 per study.
The company accepts participants of all ages and genders for their studies, including professionals like doctors, nurses, technicians, etc.
After participating in a study, you have an option to withdraw your earnings via PayPal or digital gift cards from popular retailers.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork is a platform that enables you to participate in paid focus groups in over ten states within the United States. In addition to focus groups, you can also participate in other money-earning opportunities on the platform to boose your earnings.
Some of the other money-earning opportunities include:
- Taste tests
- Product trials
- In-home interviews
- Shop-along interviews
- Phone interviews
- Online surveys
The platform rewards participants with Visa gift cards for their time and effort. However, not all of the opportunities offered by the company are not available in all 50 states. Thus, be sure to check whether there are any opportunities in your area.
WatchLab
WatchLab is a compact that values real consumers’ opinions. It focuses on gathering market research data from people who use certain products and services. WatchLab offers both in-person and online focus group opportunities, enabling you to make money from the comfort of your own home.
If you participate in in-person or in-home studies, you will get paid in cash immediately after the session. On the other hand, if you participate in an online study, you will receive a check to your address.
WatchLab is one of the best platforms to join focus groups for money. You can also earn between $50 to $200 per focus group.
Survey Feeds
Survey Feeds is a platform that offers in-person and online paid focus group opportunities. However, these opportunities tend to be less common, and you will need to keep an eye out for them.
It would also be a good idea for you to browse the platform’s Facebook posts for updates on the latest opportunities.
Apex Focus Group
Apex Focus Group is one of the leading focus group platforms that you can join to earn some extra cash. On average, you can make between $100 to $400 for every focus group you join.
Thus, the platform offers some of the highest-paying paid focus group opportunities. In general, most of the opportunities on this platform are face-to-face opportunities.
Experience Dynamics
Experience Dynamics is a platform that focuses on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) testing. The company pays focus group participants to use various software and digital platforms before providing feedback on how these can be improved.
You can join the platform from anywhere around the world and participate in market research studies that pay between $50 to $150 each.
Some of the other earning opportunities that the platform offers include:
- Online surveys
- Online focus groups
- Phone interviews
- Field studies – 1-2 hour interviews at your home or work
- Diary studies – you record your opinion over 1-2 weeks
GLG Insights
GLG Insights is a platform that provides market research services to major companies around the world. The company works with over a million professionals in different industries.
As a focus group participant, you can set your rate depending on your profile. The company will then match you to focus groups that require participants that suit your profile.
SIS International
SIS International is a company that helps businesses learn more about consumer opinions. The company works with many major brands, and there is thus a wide range of paid focus group studies you can participate in.
In addition, the platform also enables you to participate in focus groups online via Zoom or over the phone. Thus, you can join these opportunities from the comfort of your own home.
Moreover, you can also earn up to $250 per hour, making the platform a great choice for earning some extra cash in your free time.
FindFocusGroups.com
FindFocusGroups.com is an aggregator service that helps you find focus group opportunities near you within the US or online.
As the platform aggregates a great range of focus groups hosted by different companies, the rewards that you can earn from each opportunity will differ. Some companies will pay you cash, while others will send their products as compensation for sharing your opinion.
Plaza Research
Plaza Research is a research company specializing in on-site focus groups. The opportunities on the platform are available in 14 states across the US. In addition, you can earn up to $200 per research study. As such, it is a great platform for you to make side cash in your free time.
Along with focus groups, Plaza Research also offers other money-earning opportunities, including:
- One-on-one interviews
- Telephone and online surveys
- Usability testing
- Classroom style groups or mock juries
In addition, when you participate in a research study with Plaza Research, you will get paid instantly on the spot. Thus, the platform offers a great way for you to make money fast.
Google Usability
Google Usability is a market research program that will offer you rewards for sharing your opinion about the company’s products and services. You can earn up to $75 per hour by sharing your opinion.
Here are some steps that you can take to start earning rewards on Google Usability:
- First, sign up and complete a questionnaire so that Google can match you to relevant projects.
- Then Google will invite you to available studies taking place in the Google office, a research van, your home, or online.
- Once you complete a study, you will then receive your rewards.
However, one of the downsides of Google Usability is that you cannot receive your earnings in cash. Nonetheless, you can still get a gift card or credit to donate to charity.
Field Voices
Field Voices is a market research company that enables you to participate in paid focus groups for money. You can usually do these in your free time, so it is easy to supplement your primary income.
As a focus group participant, you can earn up to $300 per hour.
FocusGroups.org
FocusGroups.org is a popular market research company that offers paid focus group opportunities. You can earn between $50 to $200 for every focus group that you participate in.
The company also offers in-person survey opportunities in most states across the US. Thus, you can browse the available opportunities on the platform to find one that works for you.
What is a Focus Group for Money?
A focus group is a form of market research where a group of people is invited to sit down and answer various questions about the products and services they use. Companies can then use the information they gather from focus groups to improve their products and services.
Essentially, a focus group functions just like a survey except that it tends to be on a larger scale. Focus groups are generally led by moderators, who ask focus group participants questions that are relevant to their research topic. The questions usually require participants to share their experiences or opinion about certain topics.
Traditionally, focus groups happen in-person at round tables. Nonetheless, many modern focus groups can be conducted online over Zoom or on the phone.
How Much Do You Get Paid in Focus Groups?
How much you can earn with paid focus groups varies from research to research. In general, most focus groups pay between $100 to $200. Some focus groups can pay up to $700, although these tend to be more specialized and require you to be part of a certain demographic group.
Are Focus Group Jobs Legitimate?
While there are many focus group platforms out there that are legit, there are also some scam focus group opportunities out there.
Here are some tips that can help you identify whether a survey site is legit:
- Check the BBB – a legitimate survey company should be easy to find on the Better Business Bureau. BBB is a website that helps you identify legit companies. If the company has been accredited by BBB, it means they meet accreditation standards and are safe to deal with.
- Check if the company is affiliated with CASRO – The Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) is the leading market research organization. If the focus group platform you are considering is affiliated with CASRO, it is likely a legit platform.
- Do a quick Google search – if the market research company leading the focus group is legit, they will have an internet presence. You can also check out reviews from other users of the market research company to see if any users have flagged major issues with the platform.
How Do I Join a Focus Group and Get Paid?
To earn money by participating in focus groups, you can start by signing up for an account on a market research platform. This will enable you to browse the different focus group opportunities available for you to participate.
Before you participate in any focus group, it can be a good idea to check how much the opportunity will pay you. This way, you can spend your time participating in focus groups that pay the most, enabling you to maximize the amount of money you earn from focus groups.
What Are The Best Focus Group Websites?
Depending on your personal preferences, the best focus group website may differ. Many of these websites also have focus group opportunities from different companies. You can join multiple focus group websites at the same time to find the most suitable focus group opportunities that cater to your preferences.
Here are some of the best focus group websites you can join to earn money:
- Survey Junkie
- PrizeRebel
- i-Say
- American Consumer Opinion
- Respondent
- User Interviews
