It depends. A volunteer is someone who volunteers their time for “civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons” without the promise or expectation of compensation. However, a volunteer may be paid a stipend if any of the following criteria are met:  The stipend is less than $500 a year;  The stipend is less than 20% of what a typical employee would be paid for the same service; or  The volunteer is not offered the same benefits that paid employees would receive.  Volunteers may also be reimbursed for reasonable expenses while volunteering.