Is Internet surfing one of your favorite hobbies?
Then, get paid to search!
Thanks to search engines like Google and Bing, researching various topics takes only a few seconds.
Moreover, 93 percent of web traffic goes through search engines, and 68 percent of web experiences begin with a search engine. (We sure have come a long way since encyclopedias.)
And on average, each person does an online search 3 to 4 times day.
You’re probably wondering what the job entails.
Well, depending on the company you join, you might rate search engines, earn extra cash from a special extension on your browser, or search for answers to questions.
Explore the leads I have below to find the gig right for you.
Table of Contents
19 Sites that Pay You to Search
These websites pay you to search the Web.
1. Wonder
- Pay Amount: $15 to $18 per hour
If you’re a master of web searches, apply for Wonder!
This company frequently hires web researchers to locate reliable sources, write briefs, and solve tough questions.
Though it’s not required, Wonder prefers applicants to possess academic research experience and a bachelor’s degree.
2. Qmee
- Pay Amount: $0.05 to $1 per search
This site offers paid surveys and other money-making tasks like its Qmee search engine.
After you install the search engine to your desktop browser, you’ll receive cash rewards as you visit your favorite sites or shop online. (You can also earn extra bucks by playing app games.)
Plus, you don’t need to convert points into cash since you can withdraw instantly through gift cards, Venmo, or PayPal.
Download Qmee from the Apple Store or Google Play.
3. Welocalize
- Pay Amount: Approx. $9 to $15 per hour
Welocalize often hires for its remote search and ad quality positions.
You can live in the United States, Mexico, Japan, Italy, and other listed countries and work on projects in languages like:
- English
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Korean
- Japanese
- Italian
- And more.
Projects in your preferred language come and go, so it’s good to check for openings often.
4. Microsoft Rewards
- Pay Amount: $0.001 per search
Like Microsoft products?
Make some side money with your account by signing up for Microsoft Rewards!
This program pays you in points when you use Edge or Bing. (Up to 20 points per day.)
You also earn points by playing games and shopping at Microsoft Store.
Exchange your points for items like sweepstakes entries and gift cards.
5. Appen (Search Evaluator)
- Pay Amount: $14 to $16 per hour
With Appen, you can make money improving search results while working on a flexible, part-time schedule.
You’ll examine videos, images, and other content to determine if they’re relevant to a certain subject.
To qualify, you need to possess fluency in English and have extensive experience in web pages, social media, and other Internet components.
6. Honeygain
- Pay Amount: $18 to $184 per month
If you want to make passive spare change while surfing the Net, join Honeygain.
Once you download it to your preferred device, Honeygain collects data from your Internet connection, which aids businesses in obtaining information on processes like price comparison and web statistics.
You profit from this traffic and can receive your earnings via crypto or PayPal.
Get Honeygain for Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS.
7. Zoombucks
- Pay Amount: Approx. $5 per month
Make bucks with Zoombucks!
This site pays you in points to visit websites, watch videos, and take surveys.
You even receive cash-back rewards when you purchase qualified products.
When you’re ready to cash out, redeem your points for PayPal cash or gift cards.
8. instaGC
- Pay Amount: Approx. $5 per month
You can make money searching the Web, watching videos, answering surveys, and shopping online when you create an instaGC account.
Use the points you earn towards its collection of 320+ gift cards.
9. Swagbucks
- Pay Amount: $0.03 to $0.39 per search
Swagbucks is a popular GPT site because it offers paid tasks like surveys, video games, online shopping, and of course, Web searching.
It gives you points you can trade for gift cards or PayPal.
Get $10 just for signing up for a Swagbucks account.
Download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
10. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel
- Pay Amount: Up to $60 per year
With Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel, you receive rewards for engaging in everyday Web surfing.
Create an account, connect your tablet, desktop, and/or smartphone, and earn points to redeem for PayPal or gift cards!
Nielsen also automatically enters you in its monthly sweepstakes for a chance to win $10,000.
Download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
11. InboxDollars
- Pay Amount: $0.05 to $0.25 per search
Get cash back for shopping online with InboxDollars.
The site also pays you to play games, read emails, take surveys, and shop for groceries.
You even have a chance to win more money through its contests.
InboxDollars starts you off with $5 as a thank you.
Download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
12. TopCashback
- Pay Amount: $400+ per year
TopCashback lets you browse 4,400+ stores and get cash-back rewards from car rentals, hotel bookings, airport parking, and more.
Transfer your earnings to gift cards, PayPal, or your bank account.
Download the TopCashback from the Apple Store or Google Play.
13. Fancy Hands
- Pay Amount: $3 to $7+ per task
If you’re skilled with online research, phone calls, and other duties, apply for a virtual assistant position with Fancy Hands.
Fancy Hands employs people to carry out tasks on behalf of clients.
You might do work like data entry, scheduling appointments, and tracking down the price of an item.
The company will pay you every other Tuesday, and you can work your own hours.
14. Capital One Shopping
- Pay Amount: Varies
With Capital One Shopping, you can browse and take advantage of deals from hundreds of retailers.
Cash rewards become available within 30 to 90 days after your purchase, and you can redeem them for e-gift cards.
15. Survey Junkie (SJ Pulse)
- Pay Amount: Varies
Besides surveys, Survey Junkie offers a neat program that allows you to earn money passively: SJ Pulse.
SJ Pulse pays you when you install its software on your favorite mobile device and tracks the following activities:
- Websites you frequently visit
- Topics you look for on a search engine
- Items you shop for
- Ads you view
- Apps you frequently use
Download it for Windows, Mac, and/or Android. (iOS availability pending)
16. PCH (Publishers Clearing House) Search & Win
- Pay Amount: Depends on prize/money
Though you can’t depend on PCH Search & Win as a regular source of income, there’s no harm in throwing your hat in the ring.
How does it work?
Once you register your account, you search for anything like information on a new restaurant you would like to try out or weekly weather reports every day.
The first search you conduct each day enters you into the PCH Millions sweepstakes.
Other prizes you could win include gift cards, electronics, and cash.
17. Teemwork.ai (Search Engine Evaluator)
- Pay Amount: Varies; Depends on country
Teemwork.ai hires people from Canada, the U.S., the Philippines, and other listed countries as search engine evaluators.
It’s an independent contractor position that offers free training and a flexible part-time schedule.
You have to be at least 18 years old, own a Windows computer and possess extensive knowledge of the Internet to qualify.
18. Rakuten
- Pay Amount: Varies
Get cash-back rewards when you shop at Rakuten’s 3,500+ participating retailers.
Just install its extension to your Chrome browser or download the app, and search for deals on electronics, restaurants, and other products/services.
Rakuten gives you $10 when you spend at least $25.
Download its app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
19. TELUS International (Personalized Internet Ads Assessor)
- Pay Amount: Varies; Depends on country
TELUS International provides Personalized Internet Ads Assessor positions for freelancers in various parts of the globe.
The job involves evaluating online ads for quality and cultural reverence.
To be eligible for this position, you need to live in the listed country for at least three years, be an active social media and Gmail user, and have a barcode scanner for your smartphone.
Other Ways to Make Money Searching the Internet
If you are looking for more ways to turn searching the web for money, you could use the options below. While these places don’t necessarily “pay you for searching” directly, you could sort of use them to search for money making opportunities.
20. Craiglist
Its jobs and gigs sections typically contain postings about various jobs including those related to Internet research.
21. Upwork
A bastion for freelance gigs.
Use it to search for Web search opportunities or advertise your own services.
22. Indeed
This job board lets you find plenty of Internet research jobs remotely or locally.
23. Fiverr
Sell your services for $5 and up to $10,000.
24. FlexJobs
It charges a membership fee, but it’s worth it because all its listings are prescreened to guard against scams.
25. Your Own Website
You could start your own Web research or virtual assistant business.
Getting Paid to Search FAQ
Read these frequently asked questions about profiting from Web searches.
Why do businesses pay people to search the Internet?
Companies typically pay people to conduct Internet searches for these reasons: market research, search engine cleanup, and locating accurate answers to questions.
With the market research method, businesses pay consumers to surf the Web in order to collect data on their habits and preferences. (The information businesses gather helps them create better services or products.)
Search engines, while useful, aren’t flawless. (As a result, companies hire search engine evaluators to assess images, text, and video and rate them accordingly to improve search results.)
When it comes to finding answers to questions, some companies (such as Wonder) prefer researchers to be fluent in the Boolean method, which uses terms like “not,” “or,” and “and” to broaden or narrow results.
How much can I make from searching online?
What you make from online searches depends on the company you work for.
For instance, sites like Microsoft Rewards and Swagbucks pay pennies per search, which makes it appropriate for a small side hustle.
But if you work for a company like Wonder, you could make a full-time income since it pays $15 to $18 per hour.
Can I get paid to research on Google?
No, and yes.
No, because Google doesn’t offer a program that gives monetary rewards to search engine users.
However, you kind of make money using Google if you’re a search engine evaluator or an Internet research specialist for another business.
Are there other ways I can earn money searching the Web that are not mentioned in this article?
I can think of one, and it’s called skip tracing.
Skip tracing involves locating people who are difficult to find.
A skip tracer uses the Internet and other tools to search for missing individuals.
The position requires excellent communication skills and creative problem-solving abilities.
Hope that answers your question.
Turn Your Web Searches into Cash!
Internet search engines make it so easy to find results on topics like commercial/residential locations, recipes, and weather forecasts.
What makes it even better is that many businesses pay others to conduct Web searches since most people do it every day.
Take advantage of your Internet surfing habits and get paid to search!
