Today, we will answer one of the most burning questions from survey-takers: “How much do online surveys pay you?”. While there’s no black-and-white response to this, there are patterns that could be helpful for those who want to take on surveys as an additional stream of income. And given that I have already come across some reliable GPT and paid survey sites in my years as a home-based freelancer, I think there is an answer to this question, after all. Several explanations, in fact.
It took me some time to write this, but some data from survey sites I trust proved to be handy. I also keep a spreadsheet of my earnings over, so I know which GPT sites are actually rewarding, and which ones need to be kept in the back burner for the time being (until they shape up, hopefully).
So to address this question that is genuinely quite important, I will start with this answer:
It depends.
…On the survey provider, that is. I already did several reviews about different kinds of survey and GPT sites offering various rewards for a variety of tasks. Based on experience, I get higher payouts on seven survey sites that pay cash. For instance, PineCone Research pays anywhere between $3 to $5 per completed survey – but getting your foot in the door requires a strictly-by-invitation-only process. Other survey sites in that list offer higher-than-usual minimum cash out, but the high points you earn per task make it a speedy and doable process.
On the other hand, if you prefer reliable gift cards and e-coupons, there are also several dependable survey sites that reward users with Amazon GCs. One good example here is Opinion Outpost. Once you earn around 50 points for completing surveys, you can start redeeming your $5 Amazon gift card right away. SwagBucks is also pretty generous with Amazon GCs – they reward their members with thousands of them every single day, so it’s safe to say that they have a high payout record. PrizeRebel also has a decent minimum redemption threshold at the equivalent of just $5, but there are so many gift cards to choose from their catalog that it feels like winning some kind of special raffle every time you want to redeem your earnings!
Calculate your earnings per hour
I made an infographic detailing how much do surveys pay per hour – using GrabPoints data as an example. You can do the same using a spreadsheet and important variables like hourly average earnings and the lowest and possible earnings per hour in a given period.
Using the graph, I was able to determine that top users can earn as much as $5.64 per hour on a GrabPoints survey. I was taken aback because I thought PineCone Research already offered some of the highest earnings in existence. Take note, however, that the amount indicated is the highest possible earning – which means there is also a lowest possible earning on GrabPoints. Upon closer inspection, it’s still quite a decent amount at $3.35. Now, this makes the site a keeper, for me.
…Or per month.
This method is also helpful in gauging if you’re sticking to a particular survey or GPT site for a given number of hours a month. I like establishing a routine when it comes to the many online rewards sites I juggle because it can get pretty confusing if I don’t. So even if it takes some time, I do this simple accounting on my own to see if I am really earning, or if I am wasting my time doing the same things over and over.
Using the same infographic on GrabPoints as an example, I was able to determine that working 40 hours a month on surveys can give me a possible average earning of $225.60! And even if I’m not lucky enough to come across the highest-paying survey providers during those 40 hours, I can still have the chance to earn $134.16, AKA the lowest-earning possible, based on data from actual users.
But that’s not the most fantastic part of it, yet. If I hustle the same way as some of GrabPoints’ top users, I can see myself earning the highest possible earning there, as indicated in the chart – a whopping $582.80 a month!
The verdict?
While there are no standard answers to “how much do surveys pay,” it does help to know which survey sites are actually reliable and worth your time and effort. I have come to consider survey sites as something that requires a decent ROI (return of investment). In most of these survey sites’ cases, time is my most valuable investment. So if I get disqualified or screened out a lot, I will consider my time lost and wasted, which won’t translate into substantial earnings for me in the long run. I won’t even spend another second on those sites that let me down a couple of times right off the bat.
My personal requirements that help me determine which sites pay “well” include having a dependable points system, a steady stream of surveys that won’t disqualify me all of a sudden, a referral system to help me earn a passive income, a rewards catalogue that I actually find useful (and exciting), and a speedy and easy-to-meet payout scheme that won’t let me wait too long for me to redeem my earnings.
It will require some time, patience, and effort to determine the sweet spot that will make it worth your while to stick to specific online rewards sites. Also, your financial needs will contribute significantly to the kind of tasks you are willing to take on since the points you will earn per task can vary depending on ease, demographics, the type of tools you have, and other factors. Try making your own chart using these critical variables, and assess for yourself just how much you are actually making by answering online surveys!
It took me some time to write this, but some data from survey sites I trust proved to be handy. I also keep a spreadsheet of my earnings over, so I know which GPT sites are actually rewarding, and which ones need to be kept in the back burner for the time being (until they shape up, hopefully).
So to address this question that is genuinely quite important, I will start with this answer:
It depends.
…On the survey provider, that is. I already did several reviews about different kinds of survey and GPT sites offering various rewards for a variety of tasks. Based on experience, I get higher payouts on seven survey sites that pay cash. For instance, PineCone Research pays anywhere between $3 to $5 per completed survey – but getting your foot in the door requires a strictly-by-invitation-only process. Other survey sites in that list offer higher-than-usual minimum cash out, but the high points you earn per task make it a speedy and doable process.
On the other hand, if you prefer reliable gift cards and e-coupons, there are also several dependable survey sites that reward users with Amazon GCs. One good example here is Opinion Outpost. Once you earn around 50 points for completing surveys, you can start redeeming your $5 Amazon gift card right away. SwagBucks is also pretty generous with Amazon GCs – they reward their members with thousands of them every single day, so it’s safe to say that they have a high payout record. PrizeRebel also has a decent minimum redemption threshold at the equivalent of just $5, but there are so many gift cards to choose from their catalog that it feels like winning some kind of special raffle every time you want to redeem your earnings!
Calculate your earnings per hour
I made an infographic detailing how much do surveys pay per hour – using GrabPoints data as an example. You can do the same using a spreadsheet and important variables like hourly average earnings and the lowest and possible earnings per hour in a given period.
Using the graph, I was able to determine that top users can earn as much as $5.64 per hour on a GrabPoints survey. I was taken aback because I thought PineCone Research already offered some of the highest earnings in existence. Take note, however, that the amount indicated is the highest possible earning – which means there is also a lowest possible earning on GrabPoints. Upon closer inspection, it’s still quite a decent amount at $3.35. Now, this makes the site a keeper, for me.
…Or per month.
This method is also helpful in gauging if you’re sticking to a particular survey or GPT site for a given number of hours a month. I like establishing a routine when it comes to the many online rewards sites I juggle because it can get pretty confusing if I don’t. So even if it takes some time, I do this simple accounting on my own to see if I am really earning, or if I am wasting my time doing the same things over and over.
Using the same infographic on GrabPoints as an example, I was able to determine that working 40 hours a month on surveys can give me a possible average earning of $225.60! And even if I’m not lucky enough to come across the highest-paying survey providers during those 40 hours, I can still have the chance to earn $134.16, AKA the lowest-earning possible, based on data from actual users.
But that’s not the most fantastic part of it, yet. If I hustle the same way as some of GrabPoints’ top users, I can see myself earning the highest possible earning there, as indicated in the chart – a whopping $582.80 a month!
The verdict?
While there are no standard answers to “how much do surveys pay,” it does help to know which survey sites are actually reliable and worth your time and effort. I have come to consider survey sites as something that requires a decent ROI (return of investment). In most of these survey sites’ cases, time is my most valuable investment. So if I get disqualified or screened out a lot, I will consider my time lost and wasted, which won’t translate into substantial earnings for me in the long run. I won’t even spend another second on those sites that let me down a couple of times right off the bat.
My personal requirements that help me determine which sites pay “well” include having a dependable points system, a steady stream of surveys that won’t disqualify me all of a sudden, a referral system to help me earn a passive income, a rewards catalogue that I actually find useful (and exciting), and a speedy and easy-to-meet payout scheme that won’t let me wait too long for me to redeem my earnings.
It will require some time, patience, and effort to determine the sweet spot that will make it worth your while to stick to specific online rewards sites. Also, your financial needs will contribute significantly to the kind of tasks you are willing to take on since the points you will earn per task can vary depending on ease, demographics, the type of tools you have, and other factors. Try making your own chart using these critical variables, and assess for yourself just how much you are actually making by answering online surveys!
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