The first question many people ask when they start looking in to how to get paid taking surveys is 'how much?' This is a legitimate question! The answer depends on a lot of different factors, not the least of which is how determined you are about finding surveys to take!

Don't expect to become filthy rich right off the bat. You may see ads that promise thousands in the first few weeks, but this is highly unrealistic. However, if you show patience and dependability you can definitely make a steady trickle of extra money that can keep increasing as you learn the ropes.

Some surveys are only available for people who fit a certain demographic - in other words, the companies are looking for feedback from people of a certain gender, age or ethnicity. Others are pretty much open to all. Still others need a cross section of participants for an equal representation.

Once you decide you want to get paid taking surveys, you will need to make sure you have all the tools you need. An internet connection is a given, and you will want a separate email address for all of your survey stuff. It's a good idea to keep a list of survey sites you sign up with, as well as one for the surveys you complete so you can make sure you get credit for them.

The first week or so of survey taking may seem dull - the survey site will be figuring out the demographic you fit into for surveys to take. They will probably ask you to fill out some profiles to help them pre-qualify you. This is normal - and a lot of times they will reward you for completing the profiles by offering to pay you extra for your first few surveys.

The amount you get paid taking surveys will start off at anywhere from $1 - $5 per survey. You may receive bonuses for filling out profiles, which can be added to subsequent survey payments. After a while you will start seeing the dollar amount per survey begin to rise.

For the longer, more important surveys, you can make $20, $25 or even more. The amount goes up from there if you are willing to get paid taking surveys over the phone or in person. Once you have a reputation for being a professional survey taker, you will get offers for even more surveys to take.

The amount of money you are paid taking surveys may vary from day to day and even week to week. Once you become established, however, you should see a fairly steady monthly income that you can grow as you find even more surveys to take. It just takes determination and patience!