How Much Do You Get Paid to Donate Plasma?

Plasma, also known as blood plasma, is the liquid portion of whole blood. Plasma is mostly water and makes up about 55% of your blood. Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are suspended in the plasma, accounting for the other 45%.

Plasma serves four distinct functions in the body:

1. Helps sustain blood pressure and volume

2. Supplies proteins for blood clotting and immunity

3. Carries electrolytes to the muscles

4. Helps maintain pH balance to support cell function

The process of plasma collection is called plasmapheresis, which involves removing whole blood, separating the plasma, and returning the blood cells and platelets to the body. (Some people have plasmapheresis to replace their plasma with a substitute that doesn’t contain antibodies that are making them sick. This is called therapeutic plasma exchange.) When extracted, plasma looks like a yellow-tinted liquid that’s close to the color of very weak tea. 

Plasma-derived medicinal products are used to make treatments for severe liver disease, immunodeficiencies, autoimmune conditions, and bleeding disorders such as hemophilia.

Most of the global plasma supply — about two-thirds — comes from the U.S. because it has the least restrictive regulations in the world.

Can you get paid to donate plasma?

Yes, one reason why the international plasma supply relies on the U.S. is that donors are compensated. Blood donation typically takes 10 minutes or less and is unpaid, but the process of donating plasma takes longer, and the donors typically receive payment.

The compensation is for the time donors spend during plasma collection. Donors typically receive payment via prepaid debit cards from commercial (for-profit) plasma centers. From check-in to recovery, giving plasma can take up to 2 hours the first time. After an initial donation, the process typically takes 60 to 90 minutes, which includes screening and recovery.

Paid plasma (known as source plasma) is used to make medicinal products and for international export, but not for transfusions. Typically, you must successfully donate twice in 6 months to have your plasma tested and to become an official donor, or qualified donor.

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Plasma for transfusions

Plasma transfusions help people who have experienced certain medical issues, such as trauma or burns. Transfused plasma can help boost blood volume and improve clotting. Convalescent plasma, a type of transfused plasma, comes from a person who has recovered from an infection like COVID-19 and can help other people with the virus get better. 

Plasma for transfusions typically comes from nonprofit centers that do not pay donors.

How much money can you make donating plasma?

People giving plasma are typically paid $30 to $70 per donation, but some centers are paying $100 or more as of June 2025. With incentives, you can make $400 or more a month. Certain high-frequency donors can make up to $1,000 a month. Donor fees vary by area and center.

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The amount of money you can make donating plasma depends on the plasma center, how often your plasma is collected, and the compensation and incentives offered. There are more than 1,000 plasma centers in the U.S. The commercial chains with the largest U.S. footprint are:

• CSL Plasma

• BioLife Plasma Services, part of Takeda Pharmaceuticals

• Grifols Plasma, sometime branded as Talecris Plasma Resources or Biomat USA

• Octapharma Plasma

The difference between compensation for your first donations and when you become a qualified donor can be hundreds of dollars (with incentives and bonuses). You can also get more money for referrals and regular visits. Centers often hold raffles and offer prizes, including cash, to encourage people to keep giving.

Plasma center payments and incentives

The chart below includes information about rates for plasma donation at the time of publication. You can contact a plasma center near you to get more information about payments and incentives.

U.S. Plasma Centers Sample Payments and Incentives

Tax implications

It’s important to note that plasma centers don’t report donation payments to the IRS because the amounts are typically below the reporting threshold for cash and electronic payments. But plasma earnings are considered taxable income that you are responsible for reporting on your taxes.

How often can you donate plasma?

Plasma reproduces quickly. With proper hydration, your plasma levels return to normal in 48 hours. You’re not considered a qualified plasma donor until you make two donations — tested separately, but collected at the same center — within 6 months to make sure your blood products are safe to use. Once you’re cleared, you can give plasma 2 times in every 7-day period. That means you can make up to 104 donations every year.

At many nonprofit plasma centers, including the American Red Cross, you can give every 28 days, or up to 13 times a year. While Type O-negative is the universal blood type for a whole blood donation, people who have Type AB (AB-positive and AB-negative) are considered the preferred group for plasma donations. This is because AB is the rarest blood type. AB plasma is compatible with all other blood types without concern about adverse reactions. If you have AB blood, your plasma donation can help the most people.

Is it safe to donate plasma regularly?

Donating plasma can be done safely on a regular basis by many people. First-time donors are most likely to experience an adverse reaction. But you can experience temporary side effects with any plasma donation. Your symptoms may include:

• Fatigue

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Bruising or soreness at the needle site

• Dehydration

• Feeling of coldness from your blood being chilled during the collection process

• Citrate reaction

Citrate, an anticlotting substance, can enter your bloodstream during the plasma collection process. A citrate reaction can temporarily drop calcium levels and cause chills or tingling in your fingers or toes.

Severe events related to plasma donation are rare. One possible long-term outcome of repeated plasma donations is a scar at the needle site, but this also is rare.

Plasma donor eligibility

To qualify to donate plasma, you must:

• Be age 18 or older

• Weigh at least 110 lbs

• Pass a medical exam

• Complete medical screening, including testing negative for hepatitis and HIV

• Not have gotten a tattoo or piercing in the last 4 months

Here’s what you can do to prepare to donate plasma:

• Get enough sleep the night before your donation.

• Eat a healthy snack or an iron-rich meal a few hours before your donation.

• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

• Reduce your alcohol and caffeine intake.

• Gather your identification, proof of address, and Social Security number to take with you to the plasma center.

• Keep in mind that certain medications and prescriptions can disqualify you from donating plasma.

Where to donate plasma

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides a link to the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association’s plasma center locator tool to help you find a location near you.

Demographics of plasma centers and donors

A 2021 study established a link between the location of commercial plasma centers and disadvantaged communities. The researchers found that people who live in census tracts where plasma centers are located are more likely to have low incomes and more likely to be Black or Hispanic.

A 2022 paper examining the financial impact of compensated plasma donations also found that paid plasma donors tend to be younger people with lower incomes. This study estimated that access to plasma centers helps U.S. households avoid $180 million to $230 million annually in high-interest, nonbank borrowing from payday lenders and providers of other installment loans.

Why do you get paid for plasma but not blood?

Your whole blood, platelets, and plasma can be collected to help individuals or for use in creating medicinal products. But the FDA requires whole blood from paid donors to be labeled, and hospitals use only donated blood, according to the STAT medical news website.

It’s not considered moral or ethical to pay for whole blood, but it is legal. Whole blood donation is also quick. Plasma donations take longer, and people are compensated for their time and commitment to regularly giving plasma.

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Written by:

Brookie Madison

Brookie Madison is a freelance writer, communications professional, and content creator. She has more than eight years of experience covering topics including consumer health, personal finance, mental health, community outreach, education, and more.

Edited by:

Cindy George, MPH

Cindy George is the senior personal finance editor at GoodRx. She is an endlessly curious health journalist and digital storyteller.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined her interests in clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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