Many aspects of the surrogacy journey, like how much do surrogates get paid, depend on where you live and the personal circumstances of everyone involved in the surrogacy journey.
This includes:
- You (the surrogate)
- The intended parents
- The surrogacy professional
As a surrogate, you will always receive an estimate of your surrogate mother compensation from your surrogate specialist before you start this life-changing journey. But, in general, you can expect to receive base compensation that’s around $45,000 — $50,000.
If you want to learn more about starting the surrogacy journey, you can reach out to a surrogacy specialist for additional information about surrogate compensation, and more. But, in the meantime, continue reading to learn more about how surrogacy compensation works.
Why Do Women Receive Payment for Being a Surrogate Mother?
As you likely know, surrogacy is a complicated and involved process. As a surrogate, you will be giving a great deal of your time, energy, and body to help another person become a parent. While there is a certain amount of altruism in every surrogacy journey, it’s normal to wonder how much do surrogates get paid.
The Importance of Surrogate Mother Earnings
In states that allow for compensated surrogacy, many surrogacy professionals advise that a woman get paid to be a surrogate mother for many reasons. Without adequate pay for surrogacy, a woman could feel emotionally and physically taken advantage of, putting her and the intended parents in a difficult position.
Why Fair Base Pay for a Surrogate Pregnancy Matters
Proper surrogate compensation ensures that:
- Surrogates feel appreciated for their services
- Surrogates maintain a positive relationship with the intended parents – even when unforeseen challenges emerge
Your surrogacy professional and your surrogacy attorney will work with you and the intended parents to establish a surrogate mother pay that you are both comfortable with.
Why Surrogacy is More Than Compensation
Many women generously and selflessly choose to help others build their families, and surrogate mother compensation is an added benefit. When you start the surrogate process, your surrogacy specialist will ask about your motivations for becoming a surrogate to ensure you are the right fit for their program.
Base Compensation for Surrogacy
When people ask, “How much do surrogate mothers make?” they usually refer to a surrogate’s base compensation — a lump sum paid throughout their pregnancy for their services.
Surrogate mothers can use their base pay for surrogate pregnancy to:
- Pay off student loans
- Place a down payment on a house
- Fulfill any other financial goals
- Or anything else
While surrogate mother compensation will vary based on the state where you live and your surrogacy professional, the average compensation for surrogate mothers is around $45,000.
Typically, there are three aspects of base surrogate mother compensation:
1. Your Own Experience
Surrogates fall into two groups:
- First-time surrogates
- Experienced surrogates
Women who have proven their ability to carry a healthy surrogate pregnancy to term can receive more base pay for surrogate pregnancy than those who have never been surrogates before.
Your surrogacy professional will give you more details about how your experience as a surrogate will ultimately impact your surrogate compensation.
2. The Intended Parents’ Budget
Intended parents will often choose a surrogacy program or surrogate based on how well their budget fits into the finances of that path. Sometimes, intended parents will:
- Have a smaller budget for surrogate mother compensation
- Work with a friend or family member who is comfortable with less compensation
To make sure you receive the amount of surrogate compensation that you deserve, make sure to work with a good surrogacy agency. Ask any agency you might work with what their minimum base pay is, that way you can confidently plan for what you will receive.
3. The Policies of the Surrogacy Agency You Work With
If you choose to work with a surrogacy agency, your surrogacy specialist will likely have a set schedule and estimate for surrogate mother compensation. This can be influenced by:
- The agency’s set compensation for first-time and experienced surrogates
- The surrogacy laws in the states the agency operates in
- The agency’s fee schedule for intended parents
- Whether or not the intended parents live in the U.S.
- Whether or not your insurance covers parts of your pregnancy
- The possibility of carrying multiples
While looking for a surrogate agency, you should consider the agency’s compensation transparency. Some agencies may tell you much higher numbers for surrogacy compensation. These large numbers often includes the general compensation every surrogate gets for pregnancy-related expenses – not the amount of money you get as payment.
Surrogacy- and Pregnancy-Related Expenses
In addition to the payment for being a surrogate mother you receive, all of your surrogacy- and pregnancy-related expenses will be covered by your intended parents. This is to ensure that your surrogacy journey is as financially easy as possible because you are giving your time and energy to be a surrogate for them.
Your surrogacy professional and surrogacy attorney will create a fee schedule to ensure that all of your necessary pregnancy expenses are covered. They’ll also consider any possible complications or repeat procedures, drafting out any potential additional compensation.
The finances for your pregnancy- and surrogacy-related expenses will typically be delivered monthly and will likely include coverage for expenses like:
- Maternity clothes
- Medical expenses not covered by your or the intended parents’ insurance
- Medications and vitamins
- Travel for the embryo transfer and local doctor’s appointments
- Childcare and housekeeping
- Lost wages for you or your spouse due to bed rest or medical leave
- Telephone calls with intended parents
- And more
Your surrogacy professional and attorney will discuss your lifestyle with you to make sure all aspects of your surrogacy are addressed in the financial portion of your legal surrogacy contract.
How Much do Surrogates get Paid?
If you’re asking, “How much do surrogates make?” the best thing to do is contact an appropriate surrogacy professional.
Every program’s fee schedule will be different, so consider reaching out to these professionals to compare the possibilities for surrogate mother compensation to find one that meets your needs:
- American Surrogacy
- Circle Surrogacy
- Reproductive Possibilities
- West Coast Surrogacy
- Simple Surrogacy
If you’re considering surrogacy, speak to a surrogacy professional to learn more about the surrogacy process and decide if it’s the right path for you.