> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.dscout.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.dscout.com/media-surveys/what-are-media-surveys-in-dscout/how-much-should-a-media-survey-pay.md).

# How much should a media survey pay?

{% hint style="info" %}
**A note on niche recruits:** The following guidance does not apply when recruiting from our Partner Panels. Partner Panels offer access to niche, B2B recruits whose expertise is hard to source. Their schedules are tight, and the compensation you offer should reflect that. Expect to pay somewhere between $150 and $600 for just 15 to 30 minutes with a C-suite exec, clinician, etc.
{% endhint %}

When choosing an incentive for media surveys, the overall length of the mission is important, but so is the number of open-ended questions participants will have to answer. 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                 |

## Incentive ranges by recruitment approach

How you recruit for your mission determines how much you’re able to offer as an incentive. This is for a few reasons, including the risk associated with each type approach. For example, recruiting from screeners or via share link assumes you’ve done some pre-screening to ensure your participants have insights you’re willing to pay a little more to hear.

Use the table below to understand your options for each recruitment approach:

| Recruitment approach                     | Available incentive range                                                                                                            |
| ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Auto-recruit from the Dscout Scout Panel | $2–25                                                                                                                                |
| Auto-recruit from Partner Panels         | $5–25                                                                                                                                |
| Add from screeners                       | $1–100                                                                                                                               |
| Invite via share link                    | <ul><li>Paid via Dscout: $2–25</li><li>Not paid via Dscout: No enforced range as you are responsible for managing payments</li></ul> |
| Invite from Partner Panels               | No enforced range as payment happens outside of Dscout                                                                               |


---

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