How Much Do Surrogates Get Paid? – A Breakdown Of All the Money Paid to Gestational Carriers
If you’re interested in becoming a surrogate, you are probably curious about how much you could be paid for this service. I’ll do my best to answer that question for you, but I have to say that there are several factors that go into surrogacy compensation packages. So how much do surrogates get paid? The simple answer is: It can vary quite a bit.
What are some of the factors surrogacy agencies consider when designing their compensation packages? Here are just a few:
- Where the surrogate lives
- Whether the surrogate is a first-time or experienced surrogate
- The surrogate’s existing health insurance coverage
- The surrogate’s current employment status (because of lost wages that need to be factored in)
Most surrogacy agencies also design their benefits packages as a combination of base compensation, financial bonuses, and surrogacy expenses.
What is a Typical Base Surrogate Compensation?
It’s helpful to make a distinction between base compensation and other forms of payment like financial bonuses or surrogacy expenses. The base pay a surrogate receives can be spent however the surrogate wants, whether that involves paying off student loans, paying a down payment on a car or house, putting it away in a savings or investment account, or simply using it to cover expenses from her everyday life.
In 2025, typical base compensation for first-time surrogates is between $45,000–$60,000. Second-time surrogates can earn more, around $50,000–$80,000 as base compensation.
If you’re interested in becoming a surrogate in California, it’s worth mentioning surrogates are generally paid more in California—up to $70,000 for a first-time journey—because the laws are very surrogacy-friendly and protect all parties involved.
I also think it’s important to mention that some surrogacy agencies will include base compensation, financial bonuses, and surrogacy expenses all together, which can inflate the number they’re claiming as the total compensation for surrogates—sometimes this will be upwards of $100,000. But remember: if they’re covering expenses like insurance premiums and medical procedures, this is not the same as money paid directly to you. Make sure you carefully review the compensation package for any surrogacy agency so you understand exactly what you can expect to earn.
What Are Some of the Commonly Covered Surrogacy Expenses?
Besides your base surrogate compensation, as a surrogate, you can also expect the intended parents to cover your surrogacy and pregnancy costs, which can include:
- Medical expenses
- Legal expenses
- Travel expenses
- Lost wages
- Childcare expenses
We’ll take a closer look at some of the categories of expenses in the next section.
What’s Typically Included in a Surrogate’s Benefits Package?
The exact details of a surrogate’s compensation package will vary depending on the agency, but here are some of the benefits that tend to be included:
Base Compensation
These surrogate compensation payments typically start after heartbeat confirmation and may be paid out on different schedules according to the surrogacy agency.
Payments for meeting important milestones during the journey: Surrogacy agencies often offer payments when surrogates meet specific milestones such as matching with parents, completing medical screening, signing the contract, starting IVF medication, and completing embryo transfer.
Monthly Spending Allowance for Surrogates
Surrogacy agencies will often offer a monthly spending allowance to cover mileage to attend appointments, prenatal vitamins, and other miscellaneous expenses related to pregnancy and surrogacy. In some cases, they may ask for receipts and reimburse surrogates accordingly, and in other cases they will pay a flat fee and leave it up to the surrogate’s discretion to decide what to spend it on.
Surrogacy-Friendly Health Insurance
If the surrogate’s health insurance policy excludes coverage for a surrogacy pregnancy, then the parents will cover the cost of a new policy for the surrogate.
Travel to the Fertility Clinic for Medical Screening and Embryo Transfer
This may also include flights, hotel, per diem food allowance, and a transportation allowance. For embryo transfer, surrogates are also often allowed to bring a companion who has all their travel paid as well.
Lost Wages for the Surrogate
This can include time a surrogate and her partner need to take off from work for appointments, travel, labor, and delivery.
Maternity Leave
Surrogate postpartum maternity leave generally covers six weeks for vaginal delivery and eight weeks for delivery by C-section.
Paid Housekeeping
Surrogates will often receive a stipend to cover housekeeping expenses in the third trimester or postpartum, though some agencies also include this for a more extended period if a doctor has ordered the surrogate to be on bed rest.
Maternity Clothing Allowance
Many agencies offer surrogates a one-time maternity clothing allowance (often between $500–$1,000, paid after the first trimester).
Maternity Wellness Services
This can include services such as a doula, prenatal massage, acupuncture, gym membership, etc.
Childcare Allowance
This covers care of the surrogate’s children when she’s away from home to attend appointments, during labor and delivery, etc. Again, this can vary as some surrogacy agencies offer reimbursement for specific expenses and others pay a flat fee that the surrogate can use at her discretion to cover different expenses.
Life Insurance Policy
Surrogacy agencies will typically cover life insurance for the surrogate.
What Are Other Forms of Compensation that Surrogates Might Receive?
In addition to the types of compensation I mentioned above, surrogates might also be eligible to receive compensation for the following:
IVF Mock Cycle Fee
Fertility specialists may recommend having the surrogate undergo a mock cycle to simulate the process without actually transferring the embryos. In these cases, the surrogate will receive compensation.
IVF Canceled Cycle Fee
In some cases, IVF will be canceled due to poor responses (not enough mature follicles). If this happens, the surrogate will generally be compensated.
Invasive Procedure Fee
If the doctor orders an invasive procedure to be performed on the surrogate (most commonly amniocentesis, which involves extracting amniotic fluid from the sac around the uterus), this is another case when agencies typically compensate surrogates.
Twins and Triplets Multiples
In the case where the surrogate is carrying twins or triplets, the surrogate earns more money (often around $5,000–$10,000) per baby she’s carrying.
Pregnancy Termination or Reduction of Multiples Fee
If the intended parents or doctor decide to terminate the pregnancy or reduce the number of multiples, the surrogate will likely be compensated for this.
Doctor-Ordered Bed Rest
In the case where the doctor orders the surrogate to be on bed rest, the agency may offer compensation to cover lost wages, housekeeping, and childcare.
C-Section Fee
Due to the invasive nature of the procedure and longer recovery time associated with C-sections, surrogates will generally receive additional compensation for C-sections.
Loss of Reproductive Organs
In the event where the pregnancy or birth leads to the full or partial loss of a surrogate’s reproductive organs, she will typically receive additional compensation.
Breastfeeding and/or Pumping Fee
The surrogate and intended parents can decide on an arrangement that works best for everyone. In cases where the surrogate breastfeeds or pumps and sends her milk to the intended parents, the surrogate will be compensated for her time and any related expenses.
How and When can Surrogates Expect to Receive Payment?
Again, the payment terms and timelines can vary depending on the specific surrogacy agency you’re working with. Many agencies divided the payments into three general categories: pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and post-partum.
One-off payments for completing milestones like completing the medical screening or signing the contract with the agency will often be made at the time or soon after.
Payments made throughout the pregnancy will often be paid out on a monthly basis, though some surrogacy agencies may pay a larger lump sum once the pregnancy is confirmed with a heartbeat. Generally payments are paid out by an escrow company and deposited into the surrogate’s bank account, but it’s best to check with your surrogate agency so you know exactly what to expect.
As a surrogate, you will also receive non-monetary benefits, such as medical coverage, social work support, legal counsel, life insurance, and more, which ensure you are protected and have a smooth journey. Your intended parents will cover your medical bills and purchase a life insurance plan for you. All these benefits are paid for in addition to your surrogate compensation, meaning it does not come out of your payments.
Many surrogacy agencies also offer gifts for surrogates, which could include things like meal delivery, gift packages or pregnancy support items.
Can Surrogates Negotiate Their Own Compensation Rates?
Yes, surrogates can often negotiate their own compensation rates, but this largely depends on the surrogacy agency, the state laws, and the specific arrangements with the intended parents. In independent surrogacy arrangements, where no agency is involved, surrogates and intended parents can directly negotiate compensation that reflects the surrogate’s preferences and circumstances.
However, when working with an agency, the compensation is often pre-determined within a standard range, though surrogates may have some flexibility to request additional compensation for their own specific circumstances or desired income, which should be outlined in the contract.
It’s important for surrogates to carefully review the terms of any agreement and ask all questions that need additional clarification before they fully agree to move forward.
What About Taxes for Surrogacy Income?
It’s worth noting that most surrogacy agencies will not send you a 1099-MISC form for your surrogate compensation, which means it will be up to the surrogate to report the income when filling taxes. If you’re unsure about what the tax implications will be in your specific situation, it’s best to speak with a tax professional.
Final Thoughts for a Smooth Surrogacy Experience
Before you decide to sign on with any surrogacy agency, it’s a good idea to compare at least a few of the options that are out there. Many agencies include surrogacy calculators so you can enter a few basic facts about yourself and get an idea of how much you’d be likely to make as a surrogate.
Even if you’re set on one specific agency, learning how other agencies structure their surrogate compensation plans may help you uncover certain stipends or expenses you hadn’t considered.
And if you’re ever unsure about the details of an agency’s compensation package, don’t hesitate to ask questions and get more information. Most surrogacy agencies welcome and expect questions from potential surrogates.
After all, you want to begin your surrogacy journey feeling empowered and with complete peace of mind!
Learn More