Paid research studies in the USA (2026): 704 open now, what they pay and where to join

How many studies are open to US residents

We collect paid studies from research platforms every hour and keep the countries each study accepts. On 27 September 2026 the catalog had 785 live studies, and 704 of them accepted people living in the United States. No other country comes close in our catalog: the next ones have only a few dozen studies each.

The pool moves fast. 271 of the studies open to US residents were published in the previous seven days, and many close within days once they have enough participants.

What they pay, by format

Format explains most of the difference in pay. Short tasks you do alone pay little per study but add up; live conversations with a researcher pay more because you give them a fixed hour and a real story.

Professionals earn more, but everyone can take part

About a third of the studies open to US residents look for professionals: people with a specific job, industry or software they use at work. Those have a median reward of $88 for 42 minutes. Studies for everyday consumers have a median of $30 for 30 minutes.

If you have a job title that companies sell to, such as IT, finance, healthcare, HR or small-business owner, put it in your profiles. Job information often decides whether a study’s requirements match you, though it never guarantees an invitation.

Where US residents can join

These are the main platforms that list studies for US residents. Pay rules differ, so it is worth knowing what each one promises in its own words.

• Respondent: remote interviews of 30–90 minutes pay about $40–150, in-person interviews and focus groups about $75–250+. A 5% fee is taken from each reward, minimum $1, and money arrives about 7–10 business days after the researcher confirms your attendance.
• User Interviews: the platform says the average study pays over $45; one-on-one interviews pay $20–300+, online focus groups $40–200+, in-person studies $40–1,000+.
• Prolific: short academic and product surveys with a minimum rate of $8 per hour; the platform recommends researchers pay $12 per hour or more.
• UserTesting: recorded tests and live conversations about websites and apps; the reward is shown before you start, and payments go to PayPal, usually 14 days after the test.

How to get selected

Most studies start with a screener: a short questionnaire that checks whether you fit the study’s requirements. Respondent says its screeners are unpaid, and you are paid only when you are invited and complete the study.

• fill in every profile field on every platform: job title, industry, devices, household, hobbies
• answer screeners honestly and keep your profile accurate; User Interviews says it can suspend people who give false information about themselves
• apply promptly: studies close once they have enough participants
• keep your calendar and camera ready for live sessions, and never miss a booked slot

How you get paid and taxes

Payments come from the platform or its payout provider, depending on the platform. The FTC warns that being asked to pay first, to buy something or to send money back is a sign of a scam.

The IRS says income from gig and online platform work must be reported even when you do not receive a Form 1099, so keep a simple record of what you were paid and when, and check your situation with a tax professional if in doubt.

How to spot a fake study

The FTC lists warning signs of job scams: you are asked to pay to get a job or a payout, to buy something, or to send part of a payment back. Apply through the platform’s own site, and never give your passwords or bank login to an unverified contact.

Which platform fits which goal

Each platform is built around a different kind of study. Knowing the difference saves you from waiting on the wrong one.

Remote or in-person

Almost everything is remote. Of the 636 studies open to US residents with a published reward, 597 were remote with a median reward of $40, and 39 were in person with a median of $250.

In-person studies pay about six times more per study because you travel, take a fixed slot and often sit with the research team. They are also local: you can only take the ones held near you. Remote studies are open to anyone in the country with a good connection.

What you need to start

The technical bar is low, but it is real. UserTesting, for example, asks for a computer with Windows 7 or later or Mac OS X 10.7 or later, or a phone with iOS 14 or Android 10 or later, an upload speed of at least 3.0 Mbps, and a working microphone.

• a laptop or desktop for screen-sharing tests, and a phone for mobile app tests
• a webcam and headphones for interviews and focus groups
• a quiet room you can use for an hour at a booked time
• a PayPal account and an email you check daily, because invitations expire

How LazyBounty fits in

We do not run studies and we do not pay rewards: the research platform handles your application and the payout. What we do is collect open studies from platforms every hour, keep the countries and requirements of each one, and match them to your profile: country, age, languages, devices and job.

So instead of checking several sites and filling in screeners you will fail, you see the studies you actually qualify for, newest and best-paid first. With 271 new studies for US residents in a single week, speed matters.

A realistic first week

Paid research is a side income, not a salary, and the first days go into setup. A sensible first week looks like this.

• day 1: create free profiles on two or three platforms and fill in every field, especially your job and industry
• day 2: turn on email notifications and check new studies twice a day
• days 2–5: apply to every screener you honestly fit; many will say no, which is normal
• first booking: prepare your room, camera and headphones the day before and join a few minutes early
• after the session: the researcher confirms attendance and the platform pays on its schedule, from a few days to about two weeks