Disclosure: some links on this page are referral links. If you join Respondent through our link and earn $75 in studies, Respondent pays the site owner a $50 bonus. It never lowers what you earn. Pay figures are published averages or ranges from each company and vary by person. Full disclosure.
Already donating twice a week, deferred, or just want more income? These are the legit options that actually pay, with real numbers.
Last verified: October 12, 2026
| Option | Typical Pay | Time | Who Qualifies | When You Get Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid research (Respondent) | About $75 per study (avg) | 30–60 min per study | 18+, verified identity | ~48 hrs after session |
| User Interviews | Set per study, shown before you apply | 15–60 min | 18+ | Within a few days |
| Prolific surveys | $8+/hour minimum | 5–30 min | 18+ | PayPal at cashout |
| dscout missions | $25–$150 per mission | Days-long diary tasks | 18+, smartphone | After mission |
| UserTesting | $10–$120 per test (reported) | 5–60 min | 18+, mic | After review |
| Sperm donation | $100–$150 per approved donation | Weekly visits, 6–12 mo | Men 18–39, strict screening | Per approved sample |
| Egg donation | $8,000–$15,000+ per cycle | 2–3 months per cycle | Women ~21–33 | At retrieval |
| Surrogacy | $45,000–$75,000+ total | ~12–18 months | Women 21–40 with a prior birth | Monthly + milestones |
| Clinical trials (Phase 1) | $3,000–$15,000 per residential study | 3–14 day stays | Healthy adults, varies | After study |
| Plasma (for comparison) | Up to $800 first month | ~1–2 hrs, 2x/week | Healthy adults 18+, 110 lb+ | Same day (prepaid card) |
Sources: Respondent (average payout, payment timing), User Interviews, Prolific and dscout help centers, NIH-published research on healthy-volunteer earnings, and our own egg donor and sperm donor pay research. Ranges, not guarantees.
Companies pay real people to answer questions, test apps and websites, or sit in on a video interview. There are no needles, no health screening, and you can do it from your phone between plasma visits. This is the easiest money to add on top of plasma.
Respondent connects you with paid interviews, surveys, and focus groups, both remote and in person. Pay is set by the researcher and shown upfront. It skews higher than survey apps because many studies want specific jobs, products, or life situations. Fill out your profile completely, including your job title and the tools you use at work. That is what gets you matched to the higher-paying studies.
How to start: sign up, verify your identity, complete your profile, then apply to studies that fit you. Each one has a short screener. Expect to apply to several before you are selected.
Join Respondent (free) →Respondent uses referral links, not codes. Joining through this link does not change your pay.
Similar to Respondent: you apply to studies by answering a few screener questions, and if a researcher picks you, you complete the session and get paid within a few days. Worth joining alongside Respondent to see more studies. userinterviews.com
Mostly university research. Studies are short and steady, which makes it good for filling 10-minute gaps, but per-study pay is lower than interview platforms. prolific.com
dscout runs multi-day "missions" where you record short videos about products you use. UserTesting pays you to think out loud while you use a website or app. Both are legit, and both have more competition for each spot. dscout.com · usertesting.com
Sperm banks pay per approved sample, and regular donors commonly earn $1,000–$1,500+ a month. Screening is strict: most banks want men about 18–39 with good health history, and only a small share of applicants are accepted. Donations are weekly and usually require a 6–12 month commitment.
See what sperm banks near you pay →
Egg donation is the highest-paying donation by far. First-time donors commonly receive $8,000–$15,000, and repeat donors often earn more. You will go through medical and psychological screening, take hormone injections for about two weeks, and have a short outpatient retrieval. Most programs accept women about 21–33.
See egg donor pay by state and get matched →
Gestational surrogates are typically paid $45,000–$75,000+ in base compensation plus expenses, spread over about 12–18 months. It is a major commitment and requires a prior healthy pregnancy, but it is the largest legitimate payout on this list.
Phase 1 trials test new drugs on healthy volunteers, often with an overnight stay of 3–14 days at a research unit. Residential studies commonly pay $3,000–$15,000. NIH-published research found frequent healthy volunteers earn roughly $4,000 a year. Search legitimate studies on ClinicalTrials.gov. Most trials require you to pause plasma donation, so check before you enroll.
Not for whole blood, in most of the US. FDA rules require whole blood from paid donors to be labeled as a paid donation, so blood banks like the American Red Cross use unpaid volunteers. The paid version is plasma donation, where centers advertise up to $800 in your first month. If someone offers cash for whole blood, it is almost always a plasma center.
⚡ Verified October 2026 · CSL Plasma referral code · tap to copy
If you already donate plasma, the easiest upgrade is adding paid research. It has no health requirements, pays within days, and fits around donation days. If you qualify medically, egg or sperm donation can earn more in a month or two than plasma does in a year.
Start with Respondent (free) →