Field notes
Practical, source-backed explanations drawn from the same verified research behind the directory. Every figure traces to a bank's own pages.
How much do sperm donors actually make? The advertised "$2,400/month" is a near-perfect-attendance ceiling, not cash in hand — here's the real per-donation pay across 29 US programs, verified Sept 2026.
Read the guide 02"Highest paying" now has two answers — the walk-in bank with the biggest monthly wage, and the directed agency writing a five-figure check per donation. We map advertised pay against the barriers you can actually check across all 29 US programs DonorIndex tracks.
Read the guide 03How tall do you have to be to donate sperm, and which banks have no height minimum at all? Age, height, and education bars across 29 US programs — verified Sept 2026.
Read the guide 04About $90–$200 a visit for months at a bank, or a per-family lump sum — $5,000 to $50,000+ — through one of eleven directed/known-donor agencies. Two completely different models, compared honestly on money, time, selection, control, and legal exposure.
Read the guide 05The FDA's 2023 blood-donation change did not change the sperm rules — anonymous banks still exclude MSM. But there are now real routes for gay men, because known/directed donation runs on a different regulatory path. Here's the current state as of September 2026.
Read the guideSperm donor pay is taxable income. The banks themselves say they'll issue a 1099 over $600 and treat you as an independent contractor — and they withhold nothing. Here's what the banks actually publish, and why everything past that is a question for your CPA.
In review