Mechanical Turk: Earn Money Doing Random Online Tasks

What is a Mechanical Turk?

According to Wikipedia, "the Amazon Mechanical Turk is a crowdsourcing Internet marketplace that enables individuals or businesses to co-ordinate the use of human intelligence to perform tasks that computers are currently unable to do."

What does that mean? You get to do tedious task that computers can't do in exchange for money. It's not as boring as it sounds. A while back, I saw a fun listing to label inappropriate scenes in a movie (real Hollywood movies). By the way, mturk calls its listings "hits" - I know, odd name, but I can assure you, these hits, these jobs, are legit and legal.

How Much Does it Pay? 

Example: Mturk Payout

I've seen hits for up to $100 and some as low as 25 cents - it really depends on the job. 25 cent jobs are commonly quick study surveys, higher paying ones are usually transcribing audio, labeling movie scenes or more intensive surveys.

Most high paying hits require a qualification test. For example, for a language translation hit, you need to take an unpaid language literacy test. Once you receive qualification by passing the test, you open more hit opportunities.

What do you actually do?

You are introduced to a wide range of activities. Here's some hits examples I've seen.

• Research Surveys - most hits are surveys
• Transcribing Audio - convert audio to text
• Video Tagging - watch a movie, mark the scenes with drug, language and sex
• Usability Tests - test websites so they can see how you interact
• Text Editing - check text for errors
• Voice Recordings - read words and record it
• Write Copy - write marketing copy, write reviews (I've always suspected that some reviews online are paid)

Sometimes you find odd ones that ask you to make facial expressions on your webcam while they record it...creepy?

How Much I Made

After around 10 low paying surveys, I made $10.50. Of course, you can probably make more. Some hits payed out immediately, some took a day to pay. I didn't try the higher paying hits because they required 30 minutes or more, and I didn't have the patience for it.

The reason I signed up for mturk is because I had this crazy Cinderella story idea of how someone can use the money they earned on mturk and use the easy extra income on risky, but high paying investments, like penny stocks. That idea is in pause right now. Stocks made me sleepy. You have to sift through so many penny stocks, do very close research since penny stocks are very high risk. During the day, you have to be alert, know that right time, the right second, to buy and sell. I can talk about stocks later. I've only played the virtual market, I'm too chicken to do the real thing...anyway, got off topic.

Is it Worth It? 

It's free to join, it's free to look at hits, it's free to do the hits and you earn guaranteed money as long as you finish the hits. Yes, I think it's worth checking out. Become an MTurk ►

On the Constant Hunt for Cash

Looking for Money?

Who isn't always looking for money? Money can't buy happiness, but it sure helps!

I Personally Tried All These Sites

This blog will be compilation of personally tested ways of making money online. I'm cheap, really cheap, and I will not post anything where you have to invest a single penny in order to make money. All these ways will only ask for your time investment. Give Netflix a rest for a couple of hours and make a few dollars instead!

Beware Of Scams

By the way, if you come by any website that ask you to make any monetary investment in order to make money, that should raise a red flag! The whole point is to make money, not to give any away! Unless you feel charitable, then feel free to donate to me.

Don't Quit Your Day Jobs

These tips are literally, just "extra cash." For example, you can make an extra 20 bucks for filling out a survey study or get a free video game for completing ad offers - things like that.

Coming Soon

Later on, I might blog about scholarship hunting and doing freelance design jobs. This, on the other hand, can potentially rack in larger amounts of cash. I bought my first house in cash with extra scholarship and freelance money. I also managed to get free trips abroad via scholarships. The scholarships paid for my school, dorm, airfare and I even had extra for pocket money.

Why Am I Doing This? 

Why am I taking my precious time writing this blog and spilling my money secrets instead of using this time to make more money? This is actually an experiment. I want to know if people can make money by writing blogs. The topic was between this, make-up, or an electronic review blog. This topic seems the most exciting to write about (money is always exciting!) If I earn more that a dollar from the google ads, I'll write a post about this blogging experience also.

Start Making Money ►