by Moe Zilla

Created on: July 11, 2010

I've participated in focus groups for nearly ten years, so I know it's possible to earn hundreds of dollars by just volunteering an opinion! The highest-paying single focus group that I've ever seen was for $300, but it was for a two-day session with a team of expensive lawyers. (They'd wanted to test out their case on people who'd resemble the jury that they'd later be facing.) Usually the focus groups can be very interesting - but to earn the highest amount in one session, you have to be prepared to make a substantial time commitment. The best way to earn big money through focus groups is to participate in several throughout the month.

The more common focus groups involve a one or two-hour session and pay between $75 and $100 dollars. For example, I've participated in three different focus groups which involved local radio stations that wanted to test out the songs for their play lists.  In one case, they filled an enormous conference room at a hotel, and then had over 300 people listen to seven-second clips from the songs they were considering. For two hours, they played clip after clip, working their way through hundreds of different songs.  They probably got some valuable feedback from the participants - but what we all got was $100!

What was unusual about that experience is they simply wanted the participants to sit quietly and listen to the music, while marking off their reactions on a long sheet of paper. It's more common to be interviewed as a group by a moderator who wants your opinion - and in one case, the interview was watched by other researchers who are standing behind two-way mirror. I've done the "group interview" format for focus groups about healthy breakfast bars, and about a local TV news team. But both these focus groups had something in common: they both earned me $75 for less than two hours of work!

The key to getting regular bookings with focus groups is to get yourself entered into the database of the research firm. Then they'll call you for groups with a very specific criteria - and those are generally more likely to pay more, because it's harder to find qualifying participants. Some researchers prefer to use people who haven't already participated in a focus group for the previous six months, but there are other studies which don't have that restriction. And while some topics may be more interesting than others, just remember that you're getting paid well.

If someone wants to pay me $50 an hour, I'll volunteer my opinion on just about anything!

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