Make up to $180,000 a Year Selling Your Poop (If You’re Not Grossed Out)

Every time you poop, you might be flushing money down the toilet.

It’s true. Some medical companies will pay healthy donors for their stool. Depending on the company, the poop is then used for microbiome studies or in treatment of patients with Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that causes infections in the colon.

Looking for a side hustle? Your poop could save lives and make you some cash in the process.

Here’s what you need to know to sell your poop.

How Much Money Can You Make?

The amount you earn with each donation depends on the company.

• HumanMicrobes pays $500 per stool donation. If you poop daily and send it, you could net up to $180,000 per year.
• GoodNature offers $25-$75 per visit and up to $1,500 per month.

Like any other side hustle, get details on compensation before you sign any contracts or make any commitments.

Where to Sell Your Poop

While everybody poops, not everyone is eligible to be a donor. Each company has health and geographical requirements.

GoodNature

GoodNature’s stool donation program is used to study poop for potential C. diff treatments. The organization has locations in Irving, California and Tempe, Arizona.

Potential donors must be 18-50 years old, at a normal weight, nonsmokers and with no history of gastrointestinal disease or drug or alcohol abuse. You must also be able to donate three to six times per week.

You’ll be paid $25-$75 per visit and can earn as much as $1,500 per month. You can also receive $250-500 in bonuses if you donate four to six days weekly in a four week cycle.

Donors are paid the same day of their donation with a reloadable card.

If you don’t live near one of their two locations and have one of the conditions the company is studying, you may still be able to participate in their Research and Development program. You’ll collect your samples at home and mailing them with a prepaid label.

HumanMicrobes

HumanMicrobes donors can be anywhere in the country where dry ice is sold, but the requirements for donation are stricter than other organizations. The stool is given to recipients for transplantation rather than studied.

Donors must be in “exceptional physical and mental health” and ideally under 30. Donors should also have a specific Bristol stool type and minimal antibiotic use.

You’ll earn $500 per donation. You can also ask for more if the recipients want the poop to be encapsulated or mixed with an antifreeze solution.

The costs of any materials or equipment, dry ice and shipping will be paid for by HumanMicrobes or the stool recipient.

How to Sell Your Poop 

Don’t rush to the bathroom just yet. You’ll need to go through an application process to determine your eligibility. Different organizations have different requirements.

Here’s how to get started.

1. Fill Out an Application

To get paid to poop, you’ll need to fill out an online application. It’s the first step for both companies.

Prepare to get personal with these applications. Questionnaires delve into everything from your weight and physical activity to bowel movements and other health history.

• HumanMicrobes’ questionnaire covers topics like your weight, physical activity, bowel movements and other health history.
• GoodNature’s survey asks for basic information like location, weight and medical history.

If your application is approved, you’ll be contacted by your chosen organization for further information.

2. See if You Qualify

You’ll also be asked to do health screenings. For example, GoodNature requires three acceptable donations before you can be in the program and daily donors go through weekly nasal swab and pathogen testing, as well as monthly labs and health exams.

3. Submit Your Sample

Once you’ve completed the screening process, get ready to poop.

If you donate through HumanMicrobes, you’ll collect the poop yourself. The stool needs to be placed directly in a zip-close bag, then shipped on dry ice (unless you’re delivering to a local recipient). You can freeze multiple samples and ship them together.

Hopefully you’re not a nervous pooper. At GoodNature, you’ll donate at its respective locations multiple days per week. Donors can expect to be done with their visit in 20 minutes.

Mike Brassfield, a senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, contributed. 

Contributor Jenna Limbach writes on financial literacy and lifestyle topics for The Penny Hoarder from her home base in Nevada.