Yes, you can earn some good extra income for taking surveys however, the reality is, you'll probably never get to the stage where you can retire to a tropical setting somewhere and live free from money worries again.

Realistically, online survey jobs will give you the chance to earn extra money to help pay the mortgage or car payment every month so if you are thinking of taking the plunge, then don't expect the bank balance to explode.

Survey Pitfalls

Those earning high incomes have been involved in the industry for a good length of time and more than likely, have had to weather a number of pitfalls along the way. What pitfalls you ask?

Well, the industry's reputation has been a little tarnished in recent years due to the efforts of some unscrupulous operators and if you want some proof, then just spend a little time in some of the forums dedicated to it and read some of the horror stories.

Don't be put off though because there are some great companies offering real money for very little work. Market research is extremely important to major industries and rather than fork out millions of dollars on expensive and sometimes mis-guided research, many prefer to survey their potential customers and that's you, for their opinions on their products.

They're prepared to offer incentives in the form of cash and goods and that's the good news for you.

How Much Can You Earn?

As we mentioned earlier, you won't make a fortune completing online survey jobs but the more experience you gain and the more jobs you are prepared to complete will add to your bottom line.

Payments can range from as little as $3 to over $200 however, the latter is pretty rare. The trick is gaining experience and recognizing who to trust as a legitimate source for surveys. Again, by frequenting forums you'll get a good idea of which companies are credible and which should be avoided.

Focus group surveys can be very rewarding. Although these are hard to come by, when they do, the pay-off can offset the need to do a number of the smaller paying jobs.

If you have the time and commitment to devote several hours a day to online survey jobs the reward can be worth the effort. Remember though, don't expect those rewards to happen instantly because it will take a little time for you to "get your feet wet" as you learn the ropes and understand the industry.