Surrogate Pay [A Complete Guide]

You’re trying to become a surrogate because you want to make a person’s or couple’s dream of having a child who is biologically theirs come true. However, you might be wondering, “Can you get paid for being a surrogate mother?”

Yes! You will receive surrogate compensation. You can get more free information about how this compensation works today by contacting us here.

• Even if your motivation to become a gestational carrier is altruistic, this isn’t an unreasonable question. After all, being a surrogate means dedicating a lot of your time and energy to attending meetings, doctor appointments and altering your life to accommodate your pregnancy.
• How much you will get paid to be a surrogate will depend on your own unique set of circumstances, as well as those of the intended parents. The intended parents will be able to lay out a budget when they begin their side of the surrogacy process.
• As you move through your surrogacy process, your surrogacy attorney will sit down with you and the intended parents to help you draw up a contract that will lay out a payment plant that you and the intended parents are comfortable with to ensure that you are fairly compensated for the sacrifices you are making.

While surrogate pay shouldn’t be the focal point of your choice to become a gestational carrier, we understand that it’s still an important factor. To learn more about surrogate pay, contact a surrogacy professional today or continue reading below.

What Do Surrogates Get Paid in Base Compensation?

As a surrogate, you will receive base pay. You can think of this base compensation as your “surrogate salary” or “surrogate income” — it’s your payment for being a surrogate to do with what you please. Your base pay will depend on the surrogacy agency you work with and the budget of the intended parents. 

• Average surrogacy pay first-time surrogates is typically a base pay of $30,000–$40,000.
• Once your pregnancy has been confirmed, you will receive this money in monthly payments.
• How you spend your surrogacy compensation is entirely up to you. Many surrogates use this money to meet a financial goal, such as putting money toward a house or paying off student loans or other debt. Other surrogates put this money toward taking care of their family.

Do Surrogates Get Paid a Monthly Allowance?                       

Yes. In addition to the base compensation you will be getting paid as a surrogate, you will also receive a monthly allowance paid by the intended parents to go toward surrogacy-related expenses. After all, you’re committing yourself physically, mentally and emotionally to give them a child of their own. Because of this, the intended parents are more than happy to cover your pregnancy- and surrogacy-related expenses.

• As a gestational carrier, you will never spend a dime on the surrogacy process.
• The intended parents will cover everything from the screening costs to the doctor’s appointments and fertility treatments.
• This monthly allowance will also go toward your pregnancy-related expenses once your pregnancy has been confirmed.

The amount you will receive in your monthly allowance will be determined early on in the process with your surrogacy attorney and the intended parents. The typical expenses your surrogacy pay will go towards are:

• Doctor’s appointments
• Groceries
• Medical bills
• Pregnancy expenses
• Fertility drugs
• And more

Your monthly allowance will also encompass any loss of income for you and your spouse throughout the surrogacy process due to attending meetings and surrogacy- and pregnancy-related doctor’s appointments.  While there are many health insurance plans that cover surrogacy, there may be some minor expenses that aren’t covered. Any surrogacy medical expenses not covered by insurance will be taken care of by the intended parents.

Can Surrogates Get Paid More if They Have Experience?

Yes. Your surrogacy pay will depend mainly on where you live and the professional you work with, but your experience as a gestational carrier will also be a factor in how much you will be compensated.

• Women who have been surrogates before will typically be paid more because they have proven they are capable of being a successful gestational carrier.
• If you’ve been a surrogate before, your surrogacy professional can help determine how much you will be compensated after factoring in your previous experience.
• They will also be able to help you work out your base compensation and help you find intended parents whose budget aligns with your financial needs.

Should I Become a Surrogate Mother for Money?

While there is no denying that the pay is a great perk of being a gestational carrier, it should never be the main driving factor in your decision to carry a child for someone else. This should be a choice that comes from an altruistic desire to help a person or couple have a child — not something you do because you’re wondering how to be a surrogate for money.

“When I started the process I always thought, well, I could probably do it without compensation. Like, I just really want to do this.  However, I think it’s important now that I’ve gone through it to say it was very valuable. The compensation made it feel like I was valued in that sense,” said Codi, a surrogate mother.

The people who turn to surrogacy are usually couples who have struggled with infertility, single people who don’t want to wait to be parents and LGBTQ couples who want to have a child. In respect to their yearning to have a child of their own, your motivation to help them should extend beyond wanting to be paid. Surrogacy is also a huge commitment. You will dedicate up to a year or more of your time to the surrogacy process.

It will require a lot of you physically, emotionally and mentally. If you’re just trying to become a surrogate because of financial gain, you will likely not feel fulfilled throughout the process, and you may find that the compensation was not enough to make the experience worthwhile for you. So, if you’re thinking, “I want to be a surrogate mother for money,” and that is your primary motivation, you are likely not going to be a good candidate for surrogacy.

How to Become a Paid Surrogate

If you’re interested in becoming a surrogate and getting paid for surrogacy you are making a wonderful and selfless choice. The surrogacy process can seem like a lot at first but your surrogacy professional will be there to guide you through it. To become a surrogate, there are five steps:

1. Complete the screening process. Before you can receive payment for being a surrogate, you will need to complete a screening process to ensure you are emotionally, mentally and physically prepared to be a surrogate. This will include:

• Providing medical records of any previous pregnancies
• State and federal background checks
• Completing a medical history
• Psychological testing
• Physical exam

2. Match with intended parents. Your surrogacy professional will sit down with you and help you create a surrogate mother profile where you can go into detail about yourself and your surrogacy goals. Then you will be able to find intended parents whose preferences align with yours. Your surrogacy professional will arrange a conference call between you and the intended parents where you will be able to get to know each other.

3. Create a legal contract. You and the intended parents will have your own attorneys who will ensure your rights are protected and that you are abiding by your state’s surrogacy laws. They will be able to draw up a contract that goes into detail about the responsibilities, expectations and surrogacy compensation. Once the contract is finalized you’ll be able to move onto the medical process.

4. Embryo transfer. Once the contract is finalized, your surrogacy professional will be able to refer you to a reputable fertility clinic. Here you will be able to begin taking fertility drugs to ensure that you are ready for the embryo transfer.  Once a pregnancy has been confirmed and the baby’s heartbeat has been heard, you will be able to begin receiving surrogate pay in monthly installments.

5. Receiving compensation. You will receive surrogate mother compensation in two forms: base pay and a monthly allowance. Your base pay will be yours to spend however you want. The surrogate mother pay scale will vary depending on the agency you work with so you will want to reach out to your agency to learn more about their typical surrogate compensation.

The monthly allowance will go towards covering your surrogacy expenses. The average surrogate pay for your monthly allowance will depend on your personal needs and unique circumstances. While you deserve to be fairly compensated for your surrogacy services, the financial aspect should only be a fringe benefit. To get more information on surrogate compensation, reach out to a surrogacy professional today.