Best Paid Focus Groups in New York City – 2023 Ranking

January 11, 2023

Focus groups are an excellent way to make some extra cash, especially in the hard times of Coronavirus and beyond.

Many focus groups are now conducted online, but some are still operating in-person, which is good news since in-person groups typically pay more due to the extra effort involved.

Focus groups can get a bad rap due to the many companies out there who claim ‘easy money online’ but offer you pennies for your hours.

My goal is to get you paid, not waste your time. So I sacrificed some hard-earned hours (and cat videos) to bring you the top focus groups in New York. I will help you find the top paying focus groups in NYC as well as some great online options.

Focus Groups in New York you can Participate in

Oh New York, New York – hub of culture and capital! Luckily for you, this also means no shortage of companies to mine for focus group opportunities.

Huge household names call New York their home:

PepsiCo
Colgate-Palmolive
Footlocker
JetBlue
Estee Lauder
Almost all Financial companies (Wall Street – duh!)

As you can see, the pickings for focus groups in NYC are as wide as your interests. But if you are looking for local group near you, check out this article.

Online focus groups that are worth checking out

The safest option in the midst of a pandemic. The pay may be lower, but the opportunities are much more frequent.

If you want a consistent stream of studies to qualify for, sign up for a few of these:

1. YouGov

is one of the largest, market research companies in the country. They have a steady flow of opportunities and payouts, from surveys to product tests. You fill out a survey upfront to register, so you won’t get spammed with random opportunities you won’t qualify for.

Qualification: Residents of the USA and be at least 14 to join.

2. SurveyJunkie

is based in California, but they offer online interviews that are even available through their mobile app! So you could be making money while you’re on the subway to work. That’s pretty cool.

Qualification: Residents of USA 16+ only.

3. Respondent Focus Groups

is a platform primarily for business professionals that can provide feedback for companies such as Allstate and eBay. Because they are looking for certain corporate demographics, some of the studies may be difficult to qualify for, but worth it, especially if you are the target market.

Qualification: Residents of USA, Canada, UK and Australia. Must be 18+.

4. Branded Surveys

is one of the most versatile, dynamic research companies out there. You can participate in video surveys or focus groups, and collect rewards via Amazon, Visa, or even PayPal!

Qualification: Residents of USA 14+

5. Toluna Influencers

also offer a wide range of opportunities and payout options – from cash to gift cards. You can claim your rewards as soon as your account his $10.

Qualification: Residents of USA must be 14+

Top 5 Companies Hiring for Focus Groups in New York

Ok, wait no more. Here’s my roundup the top paid NYC focus groups.

This was maybe the toughest list I’ve had to rank due to the sheer volume of great opportunities in the ‘capital of the world.’ If you want to see how I painstakingly highlighted these bunch, read this post.

1. Focus Pointe Global (recently rebranded as Schlesinger):

is our top choice for focus groups in New York. With an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, 3.5 stars on Yelp (they’re hard to please over there), and various forum recommendations, the internet cosigns that you’ll have a decent time.

The studies they offer seem widely healthcare centric, but they offer other options too. The average compensation is $70/hour – not too shabby. No cash, but they offer Visa gift cards, which is close enough.

They also have two locations central to New York City: Grand Central Station and Penn Station. Pretty darn convenient. Place your bets here first.

2. Advanced Focus:

is my runner-up chosen for many of the same reasons, but there can only be one #1.

They have a pretty reliable stream of studies per month that offer an average $80/hour in rewards but you may have to hold your breath to find out exactly how much a particular study pays.

Advanced Focus is a pretty popular name amongst the focus group folks, so they are fairly reputable. There are two locations for research studies in NYC: one near Madison Park and the other in Midtown Manhattan.

3. RRU Research:

is the highest compensating on this list at $200/hr, but they also only had 1 focus group in July, which was medicine-related. Thus, these opportunities may be a bit harder to come by.

However, they do have a wide range of opportunities from tele-web studies to ethnographies.

I read through some testimonials and see brands they work with: Verizon, Microsoft, and Conde Nast on their website to see they are legit. Sign up and consider yourself lucky if you qualify.

4. SIS Market Research:

is a small yet popular company located in the FlatIron district off of Broadway. They have an F rating on BBB, but 4 stars on Yelp, so likely they just need a reputation manager.

They also post an abundant amount of opportunities on Twitter, so if your new year resolution was (or is) #inboxzero, you can look there for your needs. Compensation seems to vary greatly, I’ve seen anywhere from $50-300.

5. Opinions LTD:

is a national company with many locations, typically (perhaps famously?) located in malls. They have a steady stream of focus groups, but details such as theme and payment are quite elusive.

Their user interface is also not the best, but at least they are convenient! You can take your pick of 3 shopping center locations in New York: Palisades Center, Staten Island Mall & Willowbrook Mall.

Other Great Focus Group Companies in New York

Reckner – 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 410, Harrison, NY 10528

Fieldwork NYC – 462 7th Ave 18th floor, New York, NY 10018

Probe Market Research – 708 3rd Ave #1600, New York, NY 10017

Blackbox Companies

Here are some companies I found, but couldn’t locate enough information on. Read more about what qualifies as a blackbox. If you can contact them or get invited to a study, I’d say give them a shot!

The Focus Room – 693 5th Ave #10, New York, NY 10022

Insight Loft – 270 North Ave UNIT 807, New Rochelle, NY 10801

Media Science – 270 North Ave UNIT 807, New Rochelle, NY 10801

Ebony Science – 79 Alexander Avenue, Suite 31-A, Bronx, NY 10454

Final thoughts

So there you have it! I researched each of these companies well, so I whole-heartedly believe this list is where you should start exploring focus groups in the New York City area.

Check these companies out and apply for the studies that are interesting to you. Remember, you won’t qualify for many, but don’t get discouraged! This is a normal process and a few will stick.

If you have participated in any of the groups I listed, or know one that I missed, let me know by commenting below! I would love to hear from you.

Till payday!

Stan

I am a father to a beautiful baby girl, a husband and a serial gigster 🙂 I live in Toronto, Canada. My claim to fame: I made thousands of dollars from focus groups and surveys over the last 15 years. Studied Marketing in Ryerson Univerity and worked in Marketing and Marketing Research for the last 14 years+ My mission is to educate others how to be successful with side hustles. You can contact my be email or on Facebook.