> 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 study 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 study:

| Question type                                                | Baseline incentive |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------ |
| Every 3 video questions                                      | $5                 |
| Every 3 open-ended questions (including card sort questions) | $5                 |
| Every 3 photo questions                                      | $3                 |
| Every 10 closed-ended questions                              | $5                 |

## Incentive ranges by recruitment approach

How you recruit for your study 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                    | $2–25 if paid via Dscout; otherwise no enforced range  |
| Invite from Partner Panels               | No enforced range as payment happens outside of Dscout |


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://help.dscout.com/media-surveys/what-are-media-surveys-in-dscout/how-much-should-a-media-survey-pay.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.