If SAHMs were paid, their salary would be $184K/year
According to the latest data from salary.com.
No one decides to be a stay-at-home mom for the paycheck—but if we were to earn one, it would put us in league with some CEOs. Although it doesn’t do much for the bank account, a 2021 survey that calculated what the average salary would be for a stay-at-home mom is mighty validating. (Remember this next time anyone asks what you do all day.)
According to 2021 available data from Salary.com, stay at home moms should earn upwards of $184,820 per year when you tally up their 106 hours of work per week.
That’s up $6,618 from the previous year’s calculations.
The total was determined after polling thousands of mamas on the tasks they devote time to—including everything from housekeeping to being an unofficial psychologist to, yes, being a family CEO.
Related: The invisible work of a stay-at-home mom
And it’s not just the regular stuff—like laundry and lawn mowing—that modern mamas are working hard at. It probably comes as no surprise that we’re diversifying our job responsibilities in some pretty impressive ways.
The other most time-consuming gigs according to Insure.com include cooking (14 hours per week), driving (9 hours), childcare (40 hours) and those “miscellaneous” tasks that add up to 40 more hours.
Because every mama’s workload varies, Salary.com also offers a way to plug in your own data to calculate what your SAHM paycheck would be based on how much time you spend as a de facto nutritionist, administrative assistant, academic advisor, etc.
Of course, the true payoff of motherhood is in watching our children grow, learn and laugh—experiences that are priceless. Still, it is nice to have this data to recall on those days when it seems like you got “nothing” done.
Take the 2023 State of Motherhood Suvey!
Every year, Motherly conducts the largest nationwide survey of mothers to better understand the varied experiences of what motherhood looks like today. The Motherly State of Motherhood survey uplifts the voices of mothers everywhere, raises conversation and provides important insights about everything you’re going through, from childcare challenges to inflation stress, your family’s health and your own maternal wellness—but we need to hear your voice.
As a mother, your perspective is incredibly valuable to us—and we know your time is valuable, too. In appreciation, we’ll be awarding five survey respondents with a $100 electronic gift card to Target.
A version of this post was published May 08, 2018. It has been updated.
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