There are a lot of factors at play when designing research, and one of the most important questions you may ask yourself is: How much should I pay participants?
In general, incentives should:
- Be fair for the effort you’re asking of participants.
- Motivate participants to be thoughtful and timely in their responses.
Use this article to help determine what makes the most sense incentive-wise for your specific research.
Incentive tips and considerations
Incentives should be part of the research conversation from the very beginning. The last thing you want to do is build out your mission and then realize you don’t have the budget to entice participants. To help, here are some questions to consider:
- What am I asking participants to do? High-effort missions should offer higher rewards. But if your mission is mostly multiple-choice questions or other behavioral commentary, you might keep it on the lower end.
- Who am I recruiting? If you need participants with very specific experience, it’ll be easier to recruit by offering a higher incentive.
- When do I need the data? If you’re on a tight turnaround, you can encourage timely completion with higher incentives (especially in diary studies).
- How much would I expect to be paid for this mission? Take an objective look at your mission and consider what it would take to get you to participate.
With these questions in mind, you’ll be well on your way to determining an incentive that is both fair and motivating for your participants.
Baseline recommendations by mission type
The sections below offer general starting points for determining incentives based on the kind of mission you’re running. Usability tests, media surveys, diary studies, and live interviews all require a different level of commitment from participants, so refer to the section relevant to you for guidance.
Keep in mind that these incentives are only baselines—use your best judgment to adjust them as needed.
Usability tests
Most usability tests offer an incentive between $10 and $50. Use these specific guidelines to determine the right incentive for your mission:
| Question type | Baseline incentive |
|---|---|
| Every task question | $8 |
| Every 3 talk-out-loud or open-ended questions | $5 |
| Every 10 closed-ended questions | $5 |
Media surveys
Most media surveys offer an incentive between $5 and $20. Use these specific guidelines to determine the right incentive for your mission:
| Question type | Baseline incentive |
|---|---|
| Every 3 video questions | $5 |
| Every 3 open-ended questions | $5 |
| Every 3 photo questions | $3 |
| Every 10 closed-ended questions | $5 |
Diary studies
Diary studies can sometimes span several days or even weeks, depending on what you’re researching. However, we don’t recommend basing incentives on the length of the mission alone. Instead, it’s a good idea to pay on a per-activity and per-entry basis.
Most diary studies offer an incentive between $50 and $200. Use these specific guidelines to determine the right incentive for your mission:
| Mission component | Baseline incentive |
|---|---|
| Every activity | $10 |
| Every additional entry (in a multi-entry activity) | $5 |
So, let’s say your mission has three activities, but the third activity requires two entries. The math for that would look like this:
- Activity 1: $10
- Activity 2: $10
- Activity 3: $15 ($10 for the activity and an additional $5 for the second entry)
- Base mission incentive: $35
Live interviews
Participating in live interviews involves the extra effort required to schedule a session and sit down for a one-on-one conversation. So, it’s a good idea to offer a slightly higher incentive for these missions. Consider the intended length of your sessions and go from there:
| Session length | Baseline incentive |
|---|---|
| 30 minutes | $50 |
| 60 minutes | $75-100 |