The incentive payment is what you offer to your research participants in exchange for their time. The success of your project relies on recruiting the best candidates. Who you select to participate directly relates to the incentive payment you choose to offer, so it’s important to set the right incentive from the get-go!
Use the Respondent Research Incentive Calculator as a guide to determine the appropriate incentive for your research study. The calculator provides a suggested incentive based on project and target audience requirements, in a few easy clicks. Read our blog on calculating incentives to understand how it works.
Setting the right incentive payment means:
More respondents take your screener.
You have more respondents to choose from to participate!
Your projected target audience will fill more quickly.
Encourages people to show up to your research interview on time.
Factors to consider when deciding your incentive.
Industry Professionals
Industry professions are subject matter experts and will provide you with more granular information, the data that will help drive your research project to success. This specialized expertise correlates directly to your topic or subject; therefore, the incentive should closely match the Participant's hourly rate at their current job. Take their role* into consideration and consider paying at least twice as much as their hourly rate to incentive them to participate.
*Keep in mind that you may be targeting English-speaking and Non-English speaking International Participants that will provide you with different information and data based on their experience, geography, cultural behaviors and purchases, and business practices. Allow room in your research budget to adjust your incentive to pay for their time, perspective, and expertise.
UNITED STATES:
Business Professionals | Example | Remote | In-Person |
Junior | Entry Level | $100 | $250 |
Manager | Oversees a Team | $200 | $500 |
Director | Oversees Multiple Depts. | $300 | $800 |
VP | Oversees many Business Verticals | $400 | $1,000 |
C-Level | CXS, President, Owners | $600 | $1,500 |
Medical Professionals | Example | Remote | In-Person |
Non-doctoral | Nurse, medical asst., tech. | $250 | $500 |
Doctoral | Physician, therapist, dentist | $500 | $1,000 |
Specialized | Surgeon, endocrinologist, oncologist | $1,000 | $2,000 |
Technology | Remote | In-Person |
Security Admin / Software Engineer | $100 | $200 |
UX Designer / Web Developer / Systems Admin | $125 | $250 |
Data Analyst / IT Consultant / Software Developer | $150 | $300 |
Cyber Security Analyst | $175 | $350 |
General Population
General Population studies are projects that include a select group of individuals at large. You're casting a wide net; collecting important information from consumers, gathering data about a feature specific to your product or brand, and asking many personal questions about certain behaviors, and why people make certain purchases. You want anecdotal answers based on your Participant's everyday experiences.
We recommend thinking about the General Population in two categories:
Broad Audience: a high incidence rate of people who purchase goods or services online
Niche Audience: a low incidence rate of people who purchase specific goods or services online.
UNITED STATES:
Target Audience | Example | Remote | In-Person |
Broad Audience | Purchases goods online | $90 | $140 |
Niche Audience | Purchases specific goods online | $120 | $200 |
Incentive Payment, Key Takeaways
The United States vs. International
While Respondent has a marketplace presence in over 175 countries, a majority of our members are in the United States. When recruiting internationally, it's imperative to maximize response rates in smaller pools by setting an enticing incentive.
C-Suite, Executives, and Business Owners:
Remember how we said to keep in mind how much people make? This is especially important for executives and C-suite-level research Participants. They will not participate in studies that are not worth their time.
Also, take into consideration the Participants' likely availability. For example, small business owners often work longer hours than other employees -- They are more likely to take time out of their busy schedules for projects with higher incentives.