First-Time vs. Experienced Surrogate Compensation [How your Experience Affects Surrogacy Pay]

If this is your second or third time being a gestational carrier, you will be making more than a first-time surrogate because you have proven you can have a safe and healthy surrogate pregnancy. So, how drastically does prior surrogacy experience affect your surrogate compensation?  

The answer to this question will depend on the surrogacy agency you work with. To get the most accurate information, you should contact a surrogacy professional who can answer the questions you have about first-time surrogate compensation and repeat surrogate compensation.
 

How Much Do First-Time Surrogates Make? 

When it comes to calculating how much you will be paid for being a first-time surrogate, you will want to determine your base pay. On average, most surrogacy agencies offer a base pay of $30,000–$40,000 for their first-time surrogates.  

When figuring out how much an agency will provide you for first-time surrogate compensation, be on the lookout for offers that sound too good to be true because they most likely are. Many surrogacy agencies will use search results to advertise base pay rates of $60,000–$80,000. What they aren’t telling you is that these figures are a combination of the base pay and reimbursements for surrogacy and pregnancy expenses. This means that not all $80,000 will be your own money to spend however you want.  Some surrogacy agencies tout these high numbers to get prospective surrogates in the door before they can read the fine print. 

When determining how much you will make as a first-time gestational carrier, you should make sure you are doing thorough research and understand how an agency’s listed base pay is calculated, as well as what expenses it does and doesn’t include. 

How Much Does An Experienced Surrogate Get Paid? 

If you’re in the process of becoming a surrogate, you’ve likely done a lot of research into surrogate compensation.  Even if you’re not motivated to be a surrogate by the financial gain, it is still an important part of the process. You might even be surprised to learn that you can earn more in experienced surrogate compensation.

If this is your second time being a gestational carrier, you might be surprised to learn that second-time surrogate compensation is usually higher than the first time you went on this journey, often by around $5,000 per previous pregnancy. If you already have prior experience being a surrogate, you have demonstrated that you can safely and successfully carry a pregnancy to term. 

Repeat surrogate compensation is higher because you already know what to expect from the process and know what it takes to be a successful surrogate. Because of this knowledge and experience, there is less of a risk associated with you, which means you will be in high demand for intended parents. So, if you’ve been down this road before, you will be paid accordingly.  

How much more you will be paid in terms of experienced surrogate compensation will depend on your surrogacy professional. Some surrogacy agencies will pay an additional $5,000 for every surrogacy journey, or they may have a higher base pay that applies to all experienced surrogates. 

Does Experienced Surrogate Compensation Rise with the Number of Pregnancies? 

Because being a gestational carrier is such a rewarding experience, many women want to do it a second and third time, or more! This leads many experienced surrogates to wonder if the base pay will continue to increase each time they are a surrogate.  

The answer to this depends on the policy of your surrogacy professional. While you will be paid more your second and possibly third time, many agencies have a cap on the surrogate pay. There’s also a limit on how many times you can give birth and still be a surrogate, your own pregnancies included. The average limit is typically five vaginal birth and four C-sections. This is because the more times you are pregnant, the higher the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. 

Surrogacy agencies also don’t want to encourage women to make a career out of surrogacy. While it is useful for meeting certain financial goals, it is not sustainable in the long term as a primary source of income. 

So, while experienced surrogacy compensation can be complicated, your surrogacy professional will be able to help answer any questions you have along the way. If you are a repeat surrogate and have questions about how your experience will affect your repeat surrogacy compensation, your surrogacy professional will be able to walk you through a breakdown of the payments you will be receiving.  

No matter what, you can be sure that you will be financially supported throughout your surrogacy journey by the intended parents. To get the support and answers you need, contact a surrogacy professional now.