A guide to sperm donor compensation
If you’re considering donating sperm, it’s fair to wonder how much sperm donors make. Donors receive compensation for their time. Often, the sperm bank may provide additional benefits, such as free physicals and infectious disease testing. Read on for more information about donor compensation.
How Do You Make Money As a Sperm Donor?
To become a sperm donor, candidates go through an application and screening process. Usually, this includes an application and interview about your background, providing a family medical history, and physical exam and infectious disease screenings.
If accepted, donors typically sign a contract, often for six months or a year. During this time, donors agree to visit the clinic a certain number of times (typically 1-2 times a week), and to receive a follow-up medical exam six months after your last donation. At each visit, donors go into a private room to provide a semen sample.
After the samples are cleared for donation, intended parents work with the bank to select a donor and use the donated sperm in either intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF).
How Much Do Sperm Donors Make?
On average, donors receive $100-$150 for each viable sample. Most banks ask for 1-2 donations a week. Therefore, this means you could make between $400-$1200 each month. However, in some cases sperm banks may pay more for donors from underrepresented demographic groups.
Some sperm banks provide other benefits in addition to each donation payment. These can range from free medical checkups (donors should never have to pay out of pocket for any medical costs associated with donation) to free movie tickets. Many banks also offer a referral bonus for recommending other qualified candidates. Some banks may also provide free annual physicals even after you stop donating, to contribute to the medical history for any donor-conceived children.
How Often Can You Donate Sperm?
Most clinics ask donors to provide 1-2 samples a week. Some may allow for more frequent donations, but that can result in lower quality sperm samples. In fact, sperm donor contracts usually require donors to abstain from ejaculation for a day or two before donation. Before signing a donor agreement, make sure you know what it contains and ask any questions you may have.
What Are the Requirements to Donate Sperm?
As a donor, you contribute half of any donor-conceived child’s genetic material. This means they can inherit any of your or your family’s traits, including inheritable diseases. Similarly, infectious diseases can transfer from a donor to the recipient. For these reasons, sperm donation involves certain health and behavioral requirements. Sperm donors must:
- Be between the ages of 18-39
- Pass sperm quality, quantity, and viability criteria
- Be able to provide a full family medical history
- Provide blood and urine samples for genetic and infectious disease testing
- Be in good physical and mental health
Each sperm bank may have its own additional donor criteria, including educational or professional achievements or additional screenings.
Help Intended Parents Build Their Family As a Sperm Donor
While PNWF does not run its own donor sperm program, we do partner with several high quality sperm banks. If you are interested in becoming a sperm donor, we can refer you to our partners.
