Posted on 05/03/2006 10:24:35 AM PDT by grundle
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A full-time stay-at-home mother would earn $134,121 a year if paid for all her work, an amount similar to a top U.S. ad executive, a marketing director or a judge, according to a study released on Wednesday.
A mother who works outside the home would earn an extra $85,876 annually on top of her actual wages for the work she does at home, according to the study by Waltham, Massachusetts-based compensation experts Salary.com.
To reach the projected pay figures, the survey calculated the earning power of the 10 jobs respondents said most closely comprise a mother's role -- housekeeper, day-care teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, chief executive and psychologist.
"You can't put a dollar value on it. It's worth a lot more," said Kristen Krauss, 35, as she hurriedly packed her four children, all aged under 8, into a minivan in New York while searching frantically for her keys. "Just look at me."
Employed mothers reported spending on average 44 hours a week at their outside job and 49.8 hours at their home job, while the stay-at-home mother worked 91.6 hours a week, it showed.
An estimated 5.6 million women in the United States are stay-at-home mothers with children under age 15, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.
NOT 'JUST A MOM'
"It's good to acknowledge the job that's being done, and that it's not that these women are settling for 'just a mom,"' said Bill Coleman, senior vice president of compensation at Salary.com. "They are actually doing an awful lot."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, some 26 million women with children under age 18 work in the nation's paid labor force.
Both employed and stay-at-home mothers said the lowest-paying job of housekeeper was their most common role, with employed mothers working 7.2 hours a week as housekeeper and stay-at-home mothers working 22.1 hours in that role.
"Every husband I've ever spoken to said, 'I'm keeping my job. You keep yours.' It's a tough one," said Gillian Forrest, 39, a stay-at-home mother of 22-month-old Alex in New York. "I don't know if you could put a dollar amount on it but it would be nice to get something."
To compile its study, Salary.com surveyed about 400 mothers online over the last two months.
Salary.com offers a Web site (http://www.mom.salary.com) where mothers can calculate what they could be paid, based on how many children they have, where they live and other factors. The site will produce a printable document that looks like a paycheck, Coleman said.
"It's obviously not negotiable," he said.
On average, the mother who works outside the house earns a base pay of $62,798 for a 40-hour at-home work week and $23,078 in overtime; a stay-at-home mother earned a base pay of $45,697 and $88,424 in overtime, it said.
In a Salary.com study conducted last year, stay-at-home mothers earned $131,471. The potential earnings of mothers who work outside the home was not calculated in the previous study.
Wow...... if you do all that and have time to take the kids to soccer..... You're my clone! *chuckle* Actually, I don't like anyone to cook in my kitchen but me.....AND I have a particular way I like to clean house......so the workaholic thing is my own fault. :)
The only reason the men who read the article are sitting up is because their knickers got in a twist. Honestly, it sounds like some of the men deny that we do anything, and now when my hubby comes home I am going to ask for a paycheck. All I ask in return for my efforts is an ice cream cake from DQ on my birthday and anniversary. Now that my kids are old enough to pick something out, I could add one on Mother's Day too!! :)
Actually, listening to my husband describe me (OK, brag about me) to whomever is a good enough payment. Add to that three of the happiest kids around, who we have lots of fun with, is better than anything monetary I could receive.
You definitely need more pictures on your home page. ;-)
SD
"They ought to be careful-- democrats might get the idea to tax this as additional income."
Strangely enough, during the Clinton administration, they kicked around the idea of taxing people on the "imputed" income they could have gotten "if" they had rented their house to someone instead of having lived in it. Fortunately, saner and more politically savvy minds prevailed.
Does this mean that the governments will pick up the difference, so that I can pay her salary?
After reading this article and the comments, I feel like such a societal cheat:
1) For the first 116 days of the year, I produce a ton of intangibles (educated, fed, cared-for children + husband), but that goes into the family "economy" instead of to the Taxman, fed, state or local.
2) I get to skip the pleasure of trying to do two jobs: the work job and the home job, and usually, it's the home job that suffers (or at least I suffer for doing it also with competency).
3) I get to pour in healthier, cheaper, from-scratch food, values, and time into the kiddos. There's no monetary substitute.
4) Is it weird to ENJOY the company of one's children, to savor every second of the brief childhoods? As a stay-at-home mom, I expect a 3-y/o to act like one, as opposed to the workforce, where adults act like 3 y/o's without the excuse of being actually 3 years of age.
Just a thought.
Hmmm. I might accept Chief Operations Officer, but not CEO.
I look at it this way. A woman could make $134,000 if she worked all year instead of taking care of a husband and family. Instead, she trades the $134,000 a year for a husband. So, a husband is worth $134,000 a year.
I agree. And money can't buy a loving family, a devoted wife/mother and a devoted husband/father. I've been blessed and I don't ever forget that.
Well said, djreece. :)
While I don't think we (mothers and fathers) need to have accolades, it sure feels nice now and then to have someone show us how much they appreciate us. My husband didn't need flowers or awards for what he did, and neither did I. But I tried to show my love and thankfulness for all he did with hugs & kisses, and LOTS of his favorite homemade meals and deserts. As a stay-at-home mom, I also did what some call "man chores", so my husband wouldn't have to.
I love what I do. A happy home is payment enough for me and putting a price tag on what I do certainly doesn't validate me in anyway. My Husband considers what I do priceless. :)
Trust me when I say that wiping someone's a$$ is something I will only do for my children, even for $100K/year. Chill out, I don't think any house wife is going to hit her hubby up for a salary, if only for the reason that he is going to insist on "overtime" bonus. ;)
Your wife is blessed to have a husband like you. I'm sure it'd make her day to know what you wrote about her today. From what you wrote, it's obvious that she is an awesome wife and mother. :)
What a sexist thing to say!
What about us stay at home dads??
Oh, and, where's my check?;^)
What, you don't like what's available? ;-)
How much do fathers deserve in salary?
Hmm... Can housewives/mothers claim this amount as unreimbursed job expenses?
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