Do you get paid for work exchange?

No — work exchange is not paid work. You trade roughly 15–25 hours a week for accommodation and usually food. That is the whole deal, and it is exactly why the visa question matters: most travellers do work exchange on a tourist visa, which does not permit paid employment.

What you get instead is often undervalued. A free bed in a city where hostels cost €35 a night, home-cooked meals, and a local network can easily be worth €1,000+ a month — without a work permit.

The best hosts are specific before you arrive: exact hours per week, days off, what meals are included, and whether you get your own room. If a host is vague about hours, that is your answer.

If you want actual pay abroad, look at seasonal jobs instead — resorts, surf camps and summer camps pay a wage on top of housing. Work exchange is for stretching a trip; seasonal work is for funding one.