What is the usual amount of compensation expected to be paid to a Gestational Carrier?
Compensation is a huge part of surrogacy, although most women don’t just do it for the compensation. Most women do it to give the gift of life. Your base compensation can depend on so many variables, from where you live or depending on if your insurance covers pregnancy. Compensation also changes if you have been a surrogate before and if you carry more than one baby. Compensation usually goes up by $5,000 for a repeat gestational carrier but this can change with every agency and surrogate. Also, with multiples, the average is about $5,000 to $7,000 for each additional baby. Our agency’s base pay for a first time surrogate is $40,000.
Some agencies will give you the option to reduce your compensation by $5,000 to help the intended parents pay for the health insurance if your current health insurance does not cover a surrogacy pregnancy. This will allow in some cases to help match with intended parents a bit faster. This is not a requirement for you to do but the option is there.
Most agencies will send out a benefit package to explain every dollar of the compensation and when you will receive each part of the compensation. This is not a legal contract but it’s a first step in seeing what the agency compensation is.
Most states and agencies are pretty similar on compensation and when compensation is given out. Compensation is given out in monthly payments once the heartbeat is confirmed on the pregnancy. Another fee is given out before that with some agencies as well. An example of this is an injectable medication fee and a transfer fee as well. These are not all the same in all contracts but are common.
So, the answer to the question about what compensation is to be expected depends on when and where you are applying to be a surrogate. Also, how much you are willing to give for insurance and if you are willing to carry twins. Compensation is an important part of the surrogacy journey and we are always here to answer any questions you might have about compensation.