How often do sperm donors donate?

Banks ask for a regular schedule over several months, often one or more visits a week at the bank's own location, which is why most donors live near a bank. Each bank's own requirement is in the table on this page.

What do you need to become a sperm donor?

Each bank publishes its own criteria, usually an age range of about 18 to 39, good health, and passing semen analysis, medical history, infectious disease and genetic screening. Banks accept a small share of applicants, and the bank's screening decides.

Becoming a sperm donor

How much do sperm donors get paid?

What US sperm banks say they pay donors, bank by bank, each figure linked to the page that states it, with the unit it is paid in and what the bank asks.

Updated monthly · checked 12 h ago

$720–$4,000published range

4agencies compared

$4,000highest published (Fairfax Cryobank)

Banks compared here publish $720 to $4,000, each in its own unit (per accepted donation, per month or for the program), and pay only for samples that pass. How often you can donate decides what you earn.

Do I qualify?

Check yourself against each agency's published criteria

A few answers, checked against the 2 agencies here that publish their criteria as numbers. Nothing is sent or stored.

By agency

What each agency says it pays sperm donors

Each figure is the agency's own, linked to the page that states it, with what it covers. Highest published pay first.

AgencyPublished payWhat the figure covers

Fairfax Cryobank
$4,000
up to, over its 6-month program ($150 per donation visit)
Asks: 18 to 39Fairfax Cryobank, read Oct 28, 2026
Apply
California Cryobank
$2,400
up to, a month, at the maximum of 3 donations a week
California Cryobank, read Oct 28, 2026
Apply
Seattle Sperm Bank
$1,500
up to, a month ($100 per approved donation, up to $10,000 a year)
Seattle Sperm Bank, read Oct 28, 2026
Apply
Cryos International USA
$720
up to, a month (per visit, per sample and per release payments)
Asks: 18 to 44Cryos International USA, read Oct 28, 2026
Apply
Growing Generations
$10,000+
per donation in its directed-donor program, up to $100,000 over several
Growing Generations, read Oct 28, 2026
Apply

The other side

What families pay for donor sperm

A vial of donor sperm costs families far more than a donor is paid for one sample. See donor sperm cost by bank for every bank's published vial price.

Questions

Common questions

How much do sperm donors get paid?: US sperm banks state their pay in different units: per accepted donation, per month or for the whole program. Of the banks compared here, Fairfax Cryobank publishes the highest figure: $4,000 (up to, over its 6-month program ($150 per donation visit)). Pay is for accepted samples, so it depends on how often you donate and how many samples pass.
How often do sperm donors donate?: Banks ask for a regular schedule over several months, often one or more visits a week at the bank's own location, which is why most donors live near a bank. Each bank's own requirement is in the table on this page.
What do you need to become a sperm donor?: Each bank publishes its own criteria, usually an age range of about 18 to 39, good health, and passing semen analysis, medical history, infectious disease and genetic screening. Banks accept a small share of applicants, and the bank's screening decides.