Paid Research Panels: Which Ones Are Real and What They Pay
Every panel below was checked live on 05 September 2026. Pay figures are either read from 34 live studies on this board or quoted from the panel's own site. Nothing here is estimated.
Paid research is the most accessible remote earning there is, and also where most of the scams live. The useful question is not "which pays most", it is "which of these actually exist, and what do they really pay". Here is what checking each one returns.
Panels that responded and are operating
| Panel | Type | What it pays |
|---|---|---|
| Terac | Paid research studies | $60/hr median across 12 with published rates |
| User Interviews | Remote research interviews | $15 to $30 per participant referral, published on their affiliate page |
| Respondent | Professional research interviews | Pays per study, referral pays $20 once a referee earns $75 |
| Branded Surveys | Consumer survey panel | Points redeemed for cash or gift cards |
| FocusGroup.com | Paid focus groups | Site advertises figures in the $65 to $75 range |
| Find Focus Groups | Focus group aggregator | Aggregates studies, advertises $100 to $150 on listings |
| Fieldwork | Market research facilities | Rate set per study by the recruiting facility |
| Adler Weiner Research | Focus groups and qualitative | Site advertises $25 to $300 depending on study |
| National Consumer Panel | Consumer purchase panel | Points based, long running panel run by NIQ |
| YouGov | Opinion panel | Points redeemed at thresholds, low per survey |
| Reckner Opinions | Consumer research panel | Rate set per study |
Panels that did not respond to checks
These either timed out or blocked automated requests when checked. That is not proof they are inactive, some simply block bots, but it does mean nothing about them could be verified.
- Pinecone Research: did not respond when checked
- Nichols Research: blocked automated checks (403)
- Great Blue Research: blocked automated checks (403)
- Inspired Opinions: did not respond when checked
- OneOpinion: did not respond when checked
What the study pay actually looks like
Of the 34 live research studies currently on this board, 12 publish a rate. The median is $60 an hour. Study pay is usually quoted per session rather than per hour, and sessions typically run 30 to 60 minutes, so a single study is often the equivalent of one to two hours of work.
Two things separate the panels that are worth your time from the ones that are not: whether they pay per completed study rather than in points, and whether they screen you out before or after you have spent 15 minutes on a qualifier. Professional panels like Respondent and User Interviews do the former. Consumer point panels do the latter.
How to avoid wasting time
- Never pay to join a panel. None of the panels above charge a fee.
- Complete your profile fully. Screening is automated and an incomplete profile fails it.
- Professional panels pay far more than consumer point panels for the same hour.
- Studies fill fast. The ones paying $100 or more are usually gone within days.