<p>Say you go to a big research university that has a lot of science labs...some labs are willing to pay for your hours, some aren't, some are only willing to pay for lab chores, etc. Does anyone know if "most" labs are willing to pay for your hours? Is there an apt way to ask if it does?</p>
<p>If I'd asked for pay, I'd have been laughed out the door. No one at my university (NYU) paid undergraduates.</p>
<p>Your mileage may vary, though. Ask other undergrads if they get paid.</p>
<p>Sometimes volunteering instead of working for pay is better, even when given th e choice. If you volunteer, you will probably be doing real research, whereas if you work for pay (and I'm not talking about a research program stipend or something) you could potentially end up cleaning test tubes and stuff (jobs that the lab can legitimately pay you for). In any case, research positions are hard to get so don't ask for pay and jeopardize your position if it doesn't seem appropriate</p>
<p>I would ask for pay if you are eligible for work study. This minimizes the actual cost PIs have to shell out for students (I think by half, but I may be wrong)</p>
<p>I don't think that most labs would offer pay for your work. This is especially if you don't have any lab experience already. Start by getting some volunteer lab experience under your belt. Then you can build a competitive resume to try to get paying positions.</p>