Most you've made in a year?

[dangermouse]

In 2011, I made just under $20k with four studies. Last year was also when I first started volunteering for studies.

[antecubital]

Most I ever made was 19K, least was about 8K. I've made enough to live comfortably (within my admittedly low standard of living) and pursue some of my interests to the point where they are now starting to pay off and bring in enough income that I don't have to sweat NOT getting a study. Now I'm facing a lower number of clinics to do studies at, whether because of closing (Bristol Myers, Astra-Zenceca, Wyeth, BASI/Algorithm, PPD-North Carolina) or medical issues on my part (there is one major clinic where I absolutely cannot go anymore because of some weird screening result--and it wasn't a positive urine drug screen--a place which for a while was my main bread-and-butter spot for studies).

I'm willing to travel, but not too far, because of the risk and expense involved.

I also make less money doing studies because I avoid ones that run longer than about 1.5 weeks per visit. Beyond that point, I can't stand being cooped up with people I might not like and whose loud, stupid conversations I might not want to have to listen to all day without any way of escaping it, watching crap TV shows all day and night that I don't like and can't get away from, and not having any private space to myself. (Basically, I'm not misanthropic, I just like to have my solitude--my cocoon to go into; it's my nature--and I can't really get that staying in a research unit.)

I also have an actual real life[/i] that I can't just disappear from for a month at a time.

On the other hand, one of the really enjoyable side benefits of doing studies has been the opportunity to travel around the country, riding buses and trains, staying in hostels, seeing new sights and visiting places I would have otherwise not gone to.

The main crunch, though, has been that of regular, good-paying research units closing down with no new ones popping up over the past number of years (with the exception of -New Haven, I suppose.)

Oh, and on a side note, I know someone who used to do studies at Covance-Madison and GFI-Evansville, before the latter became part of Covance. Well, he got busted at GFI--banned for life--for testing positive for nie, and when GFI became part of Covance, that ban carried over, and now he can't do any studies at any Covance unit anywhere. I often fear this might happen to other people if Covance s out, say, Celerion, or NOCCR, or some other clinic. I mean, what are the chances? (And of course I have to wonder if that kind of ban would become part of a subject's permanent record at one of these new subject verification registries. Test positive for drugs or tobacco at one research unit, get banned at all of them.)

[vark]

$17K, my first and best year. this year i'm on track for over $10K. had some bad years recently.
update: i'm on track for $14K this year from lab ratting, if my next study goers ok, 6K from other sources, and that'll still leave nov and dec.