William Lipovsky
While the donor pay varies based on several factors, you can usually expect to earn between $45 and $125 per visit at paying donation centers.
I explain the factors that will determine your pay rate below. I also detail the donor restrictions, where to donate, and what to expect during the process.
How to Donate Blood for Money
When you donate blood for money, what you’re actually donating is the plasma in your blood.[1]
There are more than 900 licensed and certified plasma collection centers located in the United States.[2][3]
However, not all donation centers compensate their donors; see the list of paying plasma donation centers by region.
I contacted BPL Plasma and CSL Plasma Centers in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio, as well as Octapharma Plasma’s customer service line, to find out what you can expect when donating blood and how much you can earn by giving plasma.
What You Can Earn
Payment amounts vary by location, which center you choose, how often you donate, and your weight. On average, you’ll receive anywhere from $45 to $125 per visit.[4][1][5]
New donors may receive higher payouts for their first visits. For example, new donors can earn $700 in their first month with CSL Plasma.[6][7][1]
Most centers also offer higher rates for your second donation of the week.[4][1][5]
Donor Eligibility
You can legally donate plasma as often as twice per week with at least 48 hours between each donation.[8][4][1][5]
However, you must be at least 18 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds.[9][10]
You’ll also need to be in generally good health and complete a physical examination at the blood bank before your first donation.[11][12][13]
Note that requirements and examinations vary slightly by state and by the donation center.
However, you are ineligible to donate blood if you:[14][15]
- Take certain medications
- Test positive for HIV
- Test positive for Hepatitis
- Test positive for Parvo B19
- Have had close contact with a person with viral hepatitis in the past three months
- Have a congenital coagulation factor deficiency
- Have had new or multiple partners in the last three months
Before donating, it’s best to consider your well-being and whether you’ve had strong reactions to having blood drawn in the past.
Donation Process
Before your appointment, you should eat a healthy meal and drink an extra 16 ounces or so of water.[16]
Tip: It’s a good idea to wear short sleeves or sleeves that are easy to roll up for a more comfortable experience.
What to Bring
Before setting out to donate plasma, you’ll need to gather a few documents.
Be sure to bring the following with you:[17][11][4][1]
- A current, government-issued photo ID
- Proof of your Social Security number
- Proof of your local residential address, such as a utility bill
What to Expect
Once you arrive, an associate will greet you, look over your documents, and check you in.
If it’s your first visit, you’ll complete your medical history screening and physical exam. (Subsequent visits involve screenings as well, but the first screening/exam is longer and more thorough.)[11][18]
Once approved to donate, a staff member will take you to the donation area and draw your blood. You’ll relax in a chair while your donation takes place, and the staff will check on you throughout the process.[1]
You’ll receive compensation at the end of your session, usually in the form of a prepaid debit card. Most donation centers offer reloadable cards, which they can add money to after each of your successful donations.[11][19]
What to Do After Donating
When you’re done, make sure to eat some food, drink plenty of water, and relax for a bit. Most donation centers will offer doughnuts, cookies, juice, water, and other treats to help you re-energize.[20]
Leave your bandage on for several hours after your blood draw. If your arm is a bit sore, you can take acetaminophen or ice the area.[16][17]
FAQ
All blood types earn the same amount, including Rh-negative. While Rh-negative blood produces a special antibody that’s necessary to create certain medications, donors still receive the standard pay rate.[21][4][1][5]
This takes about one to two hours, depending on which center you visit;[22] you’re welcome to bring a book, magazine, tablet, or smartphone to keep yourself occupied while you wait.[1][23]
Most people don’t experience any side effects when donating blood or plasma. However, keep in mind that there are a few potential side effects, including lightheadedness, dizziness, bruising, and bleeding.[24]
In Summary
You can earn about $45 to $125 per visit by donating the plasma from your blood, depending on the location, your weight, and how often you donate.
You should be sure you’re in good health and can pass a medical examination before making your first donation. You will also need to bring your ID, proof of your Social Security number, and proof of residence.
Feel free to ask questions below or to share your own story as a donor or receiver of blood.
Hi my name is Tia, I’m interested in donating for 500 a week. Where can I go to donate? I live in broward county.
Hi Tia,
We get so many comments that we can’t reply to every location specific request, sorry! But, you can use the find a center link under each donation company to search for their donation centers and check for one near you. I did a search for zip code 33009 and found that BioTest Plasma and CSL Plasma both have centers nearby.
I can donate my blood because I really need help with cash ,I have to pay my debt to bank,so please tell me the kind way to donate and earn.
Hello, I am from Italy and travel to US quite often (usually I spent 150 days/year in the US).
I am a blood donor in Italy but, over there, I am allowed to donate only once every 3 month. Also, I have to wait 30 days I am back in Italy, before I can make a donation, which happen only twice a year. I was wondering if I can donate my blood in the US, as well so I can make more donations..
Thank you
Hi Carlo,
The FDA has deferrals in place for individuals who traveled overseas. According to the FDA, ineligible donors are those who “have spent five years or more in Europe (including the United Kingdom) cumulatively from 1980 to the present.”
Thank you. So my blood is considered ok in Italy but not here in the US. Feel sorry I can’t give more blood as there is always need.
This article was very helpful to me. I went to CSL Plasma in Hazel Crest, Ill. I made $270 in the month of August. As someone who works a part-time minium wage job this extra money will really come in handy. I recommend that people drink a sports drink immediately after donating. I make my own from a recipe I found online. I expect to make over $300 in September because they are offering a $80 bonus on your 8th donation of the month.
Hi Lesliedian,
Thank you for the advice, and for sharing that they are offering an 8th-month bonus at your location.
who do I contact to get payed to donate blood
Hi Denise,
In the section of this article — “Age Requirements for Donating Blood” — you can use the links after each plasma company to find their page detailing donor requirements. Their websites will also have a page showing donation center locations and contact info. You can also reference our article specifically on the topic of where to donate blood: Plasma Center near Me: Where to Donate Plasma for Money (The Most $). That article has more detailed information on individual plasma donation centers and direct links to their center locators.
I have been donating to the local blood bank (OneBlood) for over 30 years. Just recently I got the “It’s time to donate” email once again. During a casual conversation with a co-worker I was told that the (whole) blood that is collected is sold for in excess of $500 per pint. I’ve donated 13+ gallons because I wanted to help out others and make a difference. It appears that I am simply making someone else rich.
I am taking a pause to decide whether to halt donating forever.
Hi Pete,
Your coworker was right, donated blood does typically get sold. If you want to keep donating but the idea of your donated blood being sold for a pretty potent doesn’t sit well with you, try looking into the companies featured on our list and donating for compensation instead of for free.
Trust me, you are NOT “making someone else rich” by donating blood to a NON-PROFIT blood service like the Red Cross. In order to make sure the blood is safe for the sick people who need it, it must go through a lot of testing (hepatitis, HIV,etc), and it also gets processed into separate components — red cells for transfusion, platelets for transfusion, plasma and cryoprecipitate for transfusion; each donation can help several people. Many many people are involved in this testing and processing — those people don’t work for free, it is their occupation to make sure the blood supply is safe and plentiful; so of course the blood components are sold to hospitals for patients to use. That is not a bad thing! Shame on this article for misleading people! The thing to remember is that places like the Red Cross are NON-PROFIT — they can only charge a certain amount to recoup their costs and pay their employees. You are indeed a HUGE help to sick people by donating blood. The plasma that Plasma Centers collect and pay you for is mostly used to make NON-TRANSFUSABLE items.
Dear JoAnne,
Thank you for your comment. You are indeed correct that organizations like the Red Cross are non-profits and that when they sell blood donations to hospitals, some of the money they make is used to cover the cost of blood tests, processing, and salaries. We really appreciate your input and have included it in the article.
The article has been updated to reflect this information.
The cost of testing is passed on to the hospital. Blood procurement business can make money off of storage, testing, transport… for people who donate platelets, they can donate 3 units at a time, which the company can charge a premium since it’s from a single donor- that triple unit of platelet brings in $2400. However for items that are transfused directly into another person, payment is prohibited by FDA guidelines. The plasma that people sell is not transfused directly into patients, rather it is transformed into various therapeutic products, thus payment is allowed… but the plasma banks are selling it for ten times what they pay their donors.
Hello, Shawn! We have not added this information to the article since our focus is on the donation process rather than how donations are used/sold; however, we appreciate your comment. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge!
Hoe mach money do we het pad for donating a pint of bloed for the first time???
Hi Connie,
Each time you donate, you’ll donate a pint of blood. Typically you’ll earn about $30 for each donation, though the full range of possible payment is about $10-$60. Payments don’t vary based on how many times you’ve already donated, so even if it’s your first time, you can expect around $30. Most people can donate up to twice a week, which can amount to eight donations per month. That means you could make approximately $240 per month.
What are they testing for when they prick your finger during the physical?
Hi there!
A finger prick is an easy way for your doctor to quickly test your glucose level.
They are testing the hematocrit which is a ratio of cells to liquid, so low hematocrit means you need to drink more water
Interesting and useful information, Shawn! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
do you have a plasma center here in philippines? i want to donate my blood for money im b+
Hi Bryan,
I recommend contacting the Philippine Red Cross, who may be able to direct you to a blood plasma donation center near you.
Can you get paid more for having gotten certain shots such as having the anthrax shot series. Or small pox.
Hi Dustin,
Yes! In many cases, some blood plasma donation centers do pay more if you’ve gotten certain shots. Here is a good example of that.
Hello,
I live in Ontario, Canada and I am close to both New York State and Pennsylvania. Would I be able to donate in multiple states to double my plasma giving income? How long does it take before you can donate again?
Hi Burt,
Plasma donations centers within a certain proximity of one another communicate regularly with one another to verify that donors are complying with donating policies, including frequency of donations. The FDA has guidelines in place for donating plasma to protect your health, so it’s important to abide by these guidelines.
Hi, Burt!
The recommended plasma donation schedule is twice a week, with a waiting period of at least 24 hours between the two donation days. Even if you’re in great physical condition, your body needs time to recover and replenish its supply of plasma. But, by donating on the same two days each week, because of the way your donation days fall during any given month, you could donate a maximum of 8 or 9 times each month.
Biotest has their own way of defining the donor’s week: If your first donation day is, for example, a Tuesday, and your second donation for that week falls on a Friday, then when you return to donate the next week, you can’t come in earlier than Tuesday for your first donation. In other words, once your ‘donation week’ has been defined as starting on a certain day, you can’t start donating on an earlier day in the next consecutive week.
Biotest allows the donors to go online to schedule their donation days/times, which is really helpful and works better for me than being a ‘walk-in’ (donor without a scheduled appointment). Check out the website for your local donation center—you may find coupons that net you extra compensation for your time (you are actually being compensated for your time, not the plasma you are donating), plus you will find information about becoming a regular plasma donor or any special programs that pay additional compensation.
Allow extra time for your first appointment, because you will likely have a physical and then you’ll be allowed to donate if you pass that. Be sure that you are hydrated and have something healthy to eat before donations. (I also hydrate and have a protein snack after donating plasma—you’ll figure out what works best for you.) I hope you find that donating plasma is a rewarding experience.
Gow can I find locations to sell???
Hi, Norma! We have an article here specifically about donating plasma (rather than blood, but as this article explained, do be paid to donate “blood” you have to donate plasma). Out article on plasma donation provides much more information about specific centers that will buy plasma, and where they are located! I hope that helps!
I am looking for a place in boca raton/ delray beach fl 33445
Hi Carl,
There is a OneBlood Donation Center located in Delray Beach! You can read more about donating your blood plasma at OneBlood here. Best of luck!