Is it possible to make money from online surveys? That is what we are going to explore in this article. But just so I don’t leave you hanging I’ll tell you right up front that this is one of the legitimate ways to make money online. The catch? You ain’t gonna make much.

I have done extensive research into this topic and I have found exactly zero people who are making enough money to live on. Unless you live in Zimbabwe, or some other third world country, the money you make from completing online surveys probably won’t amount to much more than a couple hundred bucks a month. And to make that much you’ll have to work at it practically all day long. Nevertheless maybe some of you still find this appealing. Let’s look at the ins and outs of the survey gig.

Now, first we have to ask why would someone want to pay you for your opinions? Obviously, these are marketers who are looking for an angle in order to sell something to people of your type. They are indeed willing to part with a bit of cash in order to gain this information.

The biggest single payout for one survey that I have heard of is $50. This is what a woman who does this type of work all day every day reported. She is signed up with a ton of these online survey companies. That is how you have to do it. You have to sign up with at least a dozen or so different marketing companies. Only then will you have a shot at taking an online survey for money. I am not trying to knock this form of income. In fact, it is probably not a bad deal for stay at home moms who enjoy answering questions about themselves. If you enjoy something, then it’s not work is it?

Anyway, it is a lot more typical to get paid, say, $1 to $5 per survey completed. They could take anywhere from two to thirty minutes. I suppose if you were in good with like 40 or 50 companies then you could maybe manage to take online surveys for money. However, a lot of the time they will pay you with Amazon gift certificates or other non-cash goods. This is good if it’s what you’re into. You can probably actually get more “value” for your work this way.

This is a legitimate way of making money online

Despite the low initial pay, you can’t deny that it’s possible to make money from online surveys. The fact is that people are doing it. They’re not retiring on that money but they can buy little gifts and trinkets for their loved ones. Some money is better than no money; that’s what I always say. You can pay your electrical bill for your husband and do stuff like that. You can buy your kid a new Pokemon doll.

This industry is so real that ABC News has even done a nice write-up on it. You know they wouldn’t want to be caught dead endorsing something that was a scam. Folks, this is no scam. That’s not to say that there aren’t fake companies out there. Some of them are really just trying to get your personal information so they can spam the hell out of you. That’s why you have to use your brain and figure out what’s what in the online survey industry. If you don’t do this not only won’t you be making money, but someone else will be taking your money.

This brings me to the last point about things to look out for in the make money with online surveys field: there are a ton of offers out there offering to give you a “secret” list of the best marketing companies if you’ll only pay them upfront. Do not buy into this bull. All it is is a labyrinth of nothing. You will never make money this way. It’ll probably take you years to make back your $50 from any list they do or don’t supply you with. So… beware.

If you choose to try taking online surveys for money I tip my hat to you. It will probably be more work than you imagine it to be, but there is a slim chance that you might actually become some sort of a player in this online industry. In that case you could snuggle up to some marketing assistants and get the cake jobs. There is an idea!

The fact is that there are tons of great ways to make a living online, but this is far from the top of the list. Is it better than an envelope stuffing scam? It sure is. But you’d make more money by working at your local McDonald’s one day a week. I don’t know if McDonald’s lets its employees have free Big Macs. If they do, I’d suggest trying that first. That’s my analysis but you’re welcome to prove me wrong. Let me know if you disagree.