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  • Use your spare time
  • UK, US

Side hustle guide

Paid Research Studies

Fees and rates checked 26 Sep 2026 on the platforms' own websites

What you need
Free · a phone or computer
What it pays
At least £6 / $8 an hour per study
How you get paid
PayPal, once you have £6 / $6
Available in
UK, US

What You Do

Researchers at universities and companies need real people for their studies: short questionnaires, simple online tasks, reaction games or feedback on an idea. You sign up once, answer some profile questions, and get invited to studies that fit your profile. Most take anything from a few minutes to half an hour, and you do them from home.

What It Pays

  • Prolific sets a floor: every study must pay at least £6 / $8 an hour, and it recommends researchers pay £9 / $12.
  • Each study shows its reward and expected time before you start, so you can judge the hourly rate yourself.
  • You can cash out to PayPal once your approved balance reaches £6 / $6.

How to Start

  1. Sign up as a participant on Prolific’s website and verify your account.
  2. Answer your profile questions honestly. They decide which studies you’re shown.
  3. Keep the studies page open or turn on notifications: popular studies fill up within minutes.
  4. Read each study’s instructions and give it your full attention, as researchers can reject low-effort answers.
  5. Connect PayPal and cash out once you’ve built up £6 / $6 in approved rewards.

Good to Know

  • How many studies you get varies a lot, so treat this as a way to fill spare minutes rather than a steady wage.
  • Your first few cash-outs have a cool-off period. After your fourth, you can cash out once a day.
  • In the UK, this counts as trading income: the first £1,000 a year is covered by the trading allowance.

Where We Checked

Checked on 26 September 2026.

We check each platform’s fees and rules on its own website and show the date we last did. Platforms can change them at any time, so confirm on the platform before you sign up. General information only, not financial or tax advice.

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