Why compensate participants in experience research studies?
Compensating people who participate in your research is the norm across industry and government. Compensation:
- Recognizes the time, effort, expertise, and lived experiences that participants contribute to our learning
- Diversifies your participant pool. This ensures you get more accurate perspectives on your products and services
- Supports equity in service design
- Produces higher quality research
- Sets clear expectations that participating in research won’t affect the constituent’s relationship with the agency. This includes services or applications they may already be using.
- Improves how efficiently you do research. Compensation makes it more likely you’ll get responses from the people whose experiences you need to learn from. It also reduces no-shows.
This page provides general guidelines you can use to plan compensation for your research studies. Check with your organization's general counsel if you have questions we don't answer here.
Compensation benchmarks
Compensation for a standard usability study ranges from $60-$100 per hour for moderated studies. Studies that need highly specialized participants (e.g. doctors) may require much higher rates, up to $250 per hour.
Recommended compensation for interviews and moderated session
We recommend these tiers for participants you recruit organically or through a panel:
- 10–30 minutes: $50
- 31–60 minutes: $100
- 61–90 minutes: $125
- In-person intercept (under 10 mins): $20
These recommendations are typical for industry and government. You can see similar rates in recommendations by the Neilsen Norman Group and by Code for America.
Note: Tools like Maze set their own compensation rates. Participants recruited through the Maze panel receive compensation directly through Maze. However, we compensate participants recruited through other channels, even if the sessions themselves are hosted on Maze.
Recommended compensation for surveys
Note: A survey gathers data. A screening survey helps you identify the right participants for your study. Do not collect data from screening surveys.
Adjust your compensation based on how long you estimate it will take to fill out a survey.
- Under 5 minutes: No compensation
- 5–15 minutes: $10
- 16–20 minutes: $15–$20
- High-volume distribution surveys: Use a raffle or cut off compensation after a set number of responses
Special considerations where you might increase compensation
Some studies have constraints that you can overcome by adjusting compensation. As you read this, keep in mind the hidden cost of a long recruitment period. Research teams might cost thousands of dollars a week in pay. If it costs you a few hundred dollars to shorten a study, you may save money.
In general, increase compensation when you need to incentivize people to participate. Also, cover costs that make it possible for people to participate who otherwise wouldn't. For example:
- Increase compensation if participants have to engage in emotionally or physically demanding activities or conversations.
- Cover or reimburse travel costs. This might help you target people from a specific region.
- Cover translation or interpretation services
- Offer more if you need to recruit quickly because your timeline is tight
- Offer more if you need to speak with people who are harder to reach (e.g. people with specialized skills or members of underrepresented communities)
Compensating helpers
In some situations, people can only participate in your study with support from helpers. Helpers include family members, friends, or community sponsors. They might translate, read aloud, or manage accessibility tools. You should compensate these helpers, too.
Only compensate one helper per participant. Helpers must not be government employees or have conflicts of interest. Researchers should verbally confirm and document that someone is taking on a helper role.
Eligibility for compensation
- Avoid compensating participants who might have a conflict of interest in participating
- Don't compensate government employees
Track participation in your studies. If your organization pays a participant more than $599 in a year, you'll need to file an IRS 1099 form. Treat gift cards as cash when you're calculating total compensation.
When you compensate someone, clearly state that compensation is a thank-you gift, not a wage or employment arrangement.
Conflicts of interest law
Check with your agency's general counsel if you have questions about the conflicts of interest law, or about if you have questions about compensation in research. The State Ethics Commission also offers a guide to the conflict of interest law.
Logistics and operating guidance
Use a tracker (name, date, activity, amount) to monitor total compensation. For example, you might use a spreadsheet that's set up like this:
| Participant name | Research activity | Date | Amount paid | Lead researcher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Q. Participant | 30-minute interview | 2025-02-01 | $50 | M. Fernandes |
When you compensate someone, clearly state that compensation is a thank-you gift, not a wage or employment arrangement.
Use digital gift cards when possible. Be consistent about the form and amount of compensation across your recruitment and consent materials. This includes being clear about who counts as a helper and how they'll participate. Provide clear roles for how helpers participate.
You may be able to use a vendor to distribute gift cards. This may help you compensate people faster.
For large-scale studies, use raffles or close surveys after a set number of responses. Explain how and when compensation applies. Update your recruitment materials immediately after your compensation funds are gone.