If you’re thinking about becoming a gestational carrier, one question may pique your interest more than any other:
What is the compensation for a gestational surrogate?
Surrogate compensation can be a tricky subject, and you’ll find a lot of information online about this topic. Before we get into more detail, there’s one thing you should know: In this article, we’re focusing on gestational surrogacy — in which a woman is not related to the child she carries. If you’re interested in traditional surrogate compensation, check out this article instead.
To learn more about how you can be paid as a gestational surrogate, click here to contact a surrogacy professional today. But, this guide contains the basics of what you should know about gestational carrier pay in today’s surrogacy industry.
Do Gestational Surrogates Get Paid?
When a woman chooses to become a gestational carrier, she agrees to carry a child for an intended parent who can’t do so themselves. Maybe an intended parent couple was unsuccessful with previous infertility treatments, or maybe they’re a single intended father (or a pair of fathers) who need a special woman to help them bring a child into their lives.
Whatever their situation, the intended parents that you work with will have an embryo ready to transfer to your uterus. You will be unrelated to the child you carry, but you’ll still take on a lot of responsibility and potential risks when you start this journey. To help make up for this, surrogacy professionals have developed a system of gestational surrogacy pay.
In your surrogacy research, you may have come across some varying information on gestational surrogate compensation and its legality. But, rest assured: Gestational surrogate payment is legal in the vast majority of the United States. Except for a few states, the U.S. is friendly on the legality and accessibility of gestational carrier compensation.
Wondering whether your state allows for gestational surrogacy pay? Contact a surrogacy professional today to determine whether you can pursue a compensated, gestational surrogacy journey.
How Much Does a Gestational Carrier Make?
So, let’s assume that you live in a surrogacy-friendly state and are interested in starting this journey. How much money does a gestational surrogate make in your situation?
You may be surprised to find out that the rate of gestational surrogate pay isn’t based on state laws. It’s based on the surrogacy professionals that you choose to work with.
Every surrogacy agency and an attorney has its own standard rate for gestational carrier pay. They come up with this rate based on their overall surrogacy fees for intended parents, as well as the cost of living in the state(s) in which they operate. Many professionals also set their gestational carrier compensation as an average of what other professionals are offering.
What is this average? A first-time surrogate in most states can usually expect to be paid about $45,000 in gestational surrogacy compensation, although there are always agencies who will offer less or more. It’s up to you to find the compensation package that works best for your needs and preferences.
As you consider potential surrogacy professionals, we’d like to offer you a word of caution. In your research, you may come across agencies who claim to pay high gestational carrier pay. While it’s tempting to choose a surrogacy agency based on which can pay the most, you should take all of these offers with a grain of salt. Many agencies will offer misleading compensation rates to get you through the door of their agency. And, once you’re farther along in the process, they’ll inform you of the actual rate they offer — which is often much lower than what you originally thought. Look for an agency that is honest and transparent about their gestational carrier compensation rates. If their numbers seem too good to be true, they likely are.
Another important thing to know? If you are a prospective surrogate living in California, you will likely be eligible for much higher gestational carriers’ pay than surrogates in another state.
What Else Should I Know About Gestational Surrogate Pay?
There’s no denying that the compensation for gestational surrogates inspires a lot of women to research the surrogacy process. But, surrogate compensation should never be your motivating factor for this journey. You should only be considering surrogacy if you are intrinsically motivated by the desire to help someone else become a parent.
While surrogate compensation can be a great financial advantage, it’s not one that you should count on for daily expenses. Instead, surrogates use their compensation for long-term financial goals, such as putting a down payment on a house or saving for their child’s college. Compensation is paid out in installments during a pregnancy. If you are solely motivated by financial gains, this compensation will not be worth the risks and complications you open yourself up to as a gestational carrier.
Starting Your Gestational Carrier Journey
If you’re considering becoming a gestational carrier, the best thing to do is speak with a surrogacy professional as soon as possible. They can give you more information about how much you may get paid to be a gestational carrier and what requirements you have to meet before you get started.