Lucy Solie-Vilker
June 30, 2026
Last updated October 2026
The short answer
How much do egg donors make? At Donor Nexus, you set your own compensation, fresh cycles have no cap, and Frozen Egg Bank donors can earn up to $20,000 per cycle.
Our team shares guidance on typical ranges, but the final number is always yours, and compensation typically increases with each donation. In both programs you are paid by ACH or wire within 5 to 7 days of retrieval, and travel and lodging are covered separately, so none of it comes out of your pay.
Egg donation pay works differently from one program to the next, and some programs pay every donor the same fixed rate. This guide walks through how much egg donors make at Donor Nexus, what affects the amount, when you get paid and what to plan for at tax time, and if you already know you want to donate, you can start your egg donor application online.
Who sets egg donor compensation at Donor Nexus?
You do. Our team shares guidance on typical ranges so you can land on a number that feels fair for your time and commitment, but the final figure is always yours, and for a fresh cycle in our Fresh Matching Program the amount you choose is agreed on with the intended parents and written into your donor agreement before your cycle starts.
Choosing your own number is part of the donor-first approach behind everything we do, which also lets you decide how much contact you are comfortable with and whether you do a fresh or a frozen cycle. Lucy explains why she built the program this way, and our post on why egg donors choose Donor Nexus goes deeper into what that means for you as a donor.
“I started Donor Nexus in my early twenties, which is about the age most of our donors are when they first reach out to us. I wanted donors to feel as important to this process as they actually are. I never wanted a donor to feel like an object, or like she came second to the intended parents, so we built the program around treating donors the way I would want to be treated.
One of our core values is respect in all three directions, for our donors, for each other, and for our intended parents. Without donors, our intended parents have no hope, and that is why donors come first here.”
Lucy Solie-Vilker, CEO of Donor Nexus
How much do egg donors make?
How much egg donors make depends on the program you choose, whether you have donated before and what you and the intended parents agree on, which is why egg donor compensation does not have one standard number.
For a fresh cycle, your compensation is agreed on between you and the intended parents, and there is no upper limit. Frozen Egg Bank compensation follows a more standardized structure, with the opportunity to earn up to $20,000 per cycle, and it typically increases with each additional donation. You can see the current details on our become an egg donor page.
Every dollar of your compensation goes to you. Travel, lodging and companion costs are paid separately, so a flight to the clinic or a hotel night before retrieval never comes out of your pay.
How does egg donor compensation work?
Egg donor compensation is agreed on before your cycle starts and paid after your egg retrieval. Here is how the steps line up at Donor Nexus:
- Apply and share your preferences. The donor application asks about your health and background against our egg donor requirements and lets you share which program interests you.
- Choose your compensation. You decide the amount, with guidance from your case manager if you want it.
- Get matched or join the egg bank. In the Fresh Matching Program, intended parents choose your profile. In the Frozen Egg Bank, you can start without waiting for a match.
- Sign your donor agreement. Your compensation is written into the contract, and you receive your own legal counsel at no cost to review it with you.
- Complete your cycle and retrieval. You go through medications, monitoring appointments and the retrieval procedure.
- Get paid. Compensation arrives by ACH or wire within 5 to 7 days of retrieval.
Our guide to egg donor legal agreements explains what else the contract covers. Along the way you have a case management team, your own attorney at no cost, and a companion of your choosing with you on retrieval day, and one first-time donor described the experience this way:
"As a first-time egg donor, I have never felt more cared for and respected for the gift I was giving! Miranda was with me the whole time and answered all my questions!"
D.G., Donor Nexus egg donor
What affects how much egg donors get paid?
The biggest factors are which program you choose, whether you are a repeat donor, and what you and the intended parents agree on for a fresh cycle.
| Fresh Matching Program | Frozen Egg Bank | |
|---|---|---|
| How compensation is set | You choose it, with guidance from our team, then agree on it with the intended parents | More standardized, with guidance from our team |
| Cap on compensation | No cap | Up to $20,000 per cycle, within a standardized structure |
| Repeat donations | You can ask for more on later cycles | Compensation typically increases with each donation |
| Who uses your eggs | One set of intended parents | Intended parents who select your frozen eggs later |
| Timeline | Several months or longer, because you wait to be matched | Often 8 to 12 weeks, because no match is needed first |
| When you are paid | ACH or wire within 5 to 7 days of retrieval | ACH or wire within 5 to 7 days of retrieval |
Fresh matching or frozen egg banking
Fresh matching usually takes longer, since you wait for intended parents to select you, but it gives you the most room to set your own compensation. Frozen egg banking moves faster and has a more predictable structure. Some donors do one of each, and your case manager can help you weigh the tradeoffs.
Donating again
Donors who complete a cycle and return often ask for more the next time, since they have shown they can complete the process. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends that egg donors be limited to six donation cycles, so your medical team will factor your history into any repeat cycle.1
Why donors come back
Since 2012, Donor Nexus has completed more than 1,000 egg retrievals, and about 70% of our cycles come from repeat donors and people referred by past donors. We are an FDA-registered egg bank with a California tissue bank license, and several of the women on our team have donated through the program themselves.
What is egg donor compensation paying for?
Egg donor compensation pays for your time, effort and discomfort, and not for the eggs themselves. ASRM's Ethics Committee states that compensation should acknowledge the donor's time, inconvenience and discomfort from screening, stimulation, retrieval and recovery, and that it should not vary with the number or quality of eggs retrieved.2
At Donor Nexus, your compensation is the same no matter how many eggs are retrieved, so a smaller retrieval never means a smaller payment. Your compensation is also placed in an escrow account before your retrieval, which means the money is already set aside for you when you go in for the procedure.
The prescreening process can take up to 4 months, followed by 7 to 10 days of birth control, 10 to 12 days of injections with monitoring appointments about every other morning, a trigger shot, and a retrieval 32 to 36 hours later. The procedure itself takes 20 to 30 minutes under anesthesia, and most donors return to work or school the next day. Our overview of how long the egg donation process takes maps out each stage.
For many donors the money funds something specific, like tuition, a down payment or a fresh start. You can hear more of those stories in our post on how egg donor compensation changed donors' lives.
Do you pay taxes on egg donor compensation?
Yes, egg donor compensation is taxable income in the United States. In Perez v. Commissioner (2015), the U.S. Tax Court ruled that the $20,000 an egg donor received for two donation cycles was payment for services and had to be included in her gross income, even though her contract described it as compensation for pain and suffering. The agency in that case had reported the payments on a Form 1099.3
A few habits make tax season easier:
- Set aside part of each payment for federal and state income tax.
- Keep your donor agreement and payment records together.
- Ask a tax professional whether you need to make estimated tax payments for the year you donate.
Do other countries pay egg donors?
Some do, many do not, and rules vary widely. In the United States, donors can be compensated for their time and effort. In the United Kingdom, egg donors can receive up to £985 per cycle to cover their costs, and more if documented expenses are higher.4 In Canada, it is illegal to purchase eggs from a donor, and donors can only be reimbursed for eligible expenses with receipts.5
Because these rules change, check the current law where you live and where your retrieval would take place before you commit to any program.
How else can egg donors earn with Donor Nexus?
Through the referral program, you earn $1,000 when someone you refer completes an egg retrieval, with no limit on referrals. You do not have to be a past donor to refer a friend. Learn more on the refer a friend page.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you get paid to donate eggs?
It depends on the program and on you. At Donor Nexus, you choose your own compensation with guidance from our team, fresh cycles in our Fresh Matching Program have no cap, and Frozen Egg Bank compensation is more standardized, with the opportunity to earn up to $20,000 per cycle.
When do egg donors get paid?
Donor Nexus holds your compensation in an escrow account before your retrieval and pays it by ACH or wire within 5 to 7 days of your egg retrieval.
Is egg donor compensation taxable?
Yes. In Perez v. Commissioner (2015), the U.S. Tax Court held that payments to an egg donor are taxable income for services. Talk with a tax professional about estimated payments and deductions.
Do egg donors get paid more for donating again?
Often, yes. Donors who return for another cycle can typically ask for more, and ASRM recommends a limit of six donation cycles per donor for health reasons.
Does egg donor pay depend on how many eggs are retrieved?
No. At Donor Nexus your compensation is the same no matter how many eggs are retrieved, which follows ASRM's ethics guidance that compensation should recognize your time, inconvenience and discomfort rather than the number or quality of eggs.
How much do you get for donating eggs the first time?
First-time donors set their own compensation just as returning donors do, and your case manager can share typical ranges for a first cycle in the program you choose. Repeat donors often ask for more on later cycles, and compensation typically increases with each donation.
How do I start getting paid to donate eggs?
Start with the Donor Nexus egg donor application, which covers your health and background and asks which program interests you. Our donors are 19 to 30, and once you have been accepted into our program, your case manager walks you through choosing your compensation and the steps to your first cycle.
Sources
- Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Practice Committee for the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Guidance regarding gamete and embryo donation. Fertility and Sterility. 2024;122:799-813. asrm.org
- Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Financial compensation of oocyte donors: an Ethics Committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility. 2021;116:319-325. asrm.org
- Perez v. Commissioner, 144 T.C. 51 (2015). U.S. Tax Court. courtlistener.com
- Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Donating your eggs. hfea.gov.uk
- Health Canada. Reimbursing a sperm or ova (egg) donor or a surrogate for expenditures related to donation or surrogacy. canada.ca
Disclaimer
This article is general information about egg donor compensation and is not legal, tax or medical advice. Talk with your own attorney and a tax professional about your agreement and your taxes, and with your doctor about the medical side of donation.
California egg donor disclosure
Egg donation involves a screening process. Not all potential egg donors are selected. Not all selected egg donors receive the monetary amounts or compensation advertised. As with any medical procedure, there may be risks associated with human egg donation. Before an egg donor agrees to begin the egg donation process, and signs a legally binding contract, she is required to receive specific information on the known risks of egg donation. Consultation with your doctor prior to entering into a donor contract is advised.
Related reading
Lucy Solie-Vilker
Lucy Solie-Vilker is the CEO of Donor Nexus, where she's helped build one of the most established platforms in egg and embryo donation. Since 2012, her work has contributed to more than 2,000 babies born to Don…
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