I read an article from MSNBC that said stay-at-home mothers in the states would be paid $138,095 on average for her work as a housekeeper, cook and psychologist.
This means that my soon-to-be wife will also be worth $138,095. The first thing I thought to myself is ?? better hide this article from her!!??br />
The article says that the typical mother puts in a 92-hour work week (really??), so 40 hours were calculated using base pay and 52 hours were calculated with overtime. It also says that if the person has a full time job (meaning all 92 hours are overtime), add $85,939 to the number.
Over $200,000! Wow!
Let?? just become house husbands and wives!
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve heard these ideas before, and all it does is try to make people feel better for being stay at home moms.
When are people going to realize that raising children is not a job. It is a huge responsibility, but it’s not a job, occupation, career or anything like it.
You also can’t say what someone “would be” paid. People are only paid as much as someone else is willing to pay them, and no one is going to pay you $138K to raise your own kids.
You also can’t forget that the working parent (in this case the father) also helps out with the kids once he gets home from work (or at least he should). If someone’s going to purport that they should be paid such an exorbitant amount for raising kids, the father shouldn’t then be expected to ever change a diaper or anything.
It should be a team effort and both help out and do what they can. You shouldn’t be comparing and worrying about who does more or less.
-limeade
Wow! That’s a lot of money, but like you said, people are only worth what others are willing to pay.
Obviously people will have a hard time finding a way to get paid $138,095 for being a house mom. However, my mom had been a house mom ever since I was born and I wouldn’t trade $138,095 a year for anything other than her being my full time mom.
This is such bull. A few points:
(1) Many of these tasks are done by those of us like me who are childfree (and many of us live alone). I do my own cooking, cleaning, chauffering, and shopping. I handle my own finances and maintain my PC. I don’t see anyone writing an article about what my “salary” should be.
(2) Many of these tasks, if done by a professional, require college degrees and/or licensing. Being able to balance one’s checkbook or do one’s own taxes does not translate into the salary of an accountant. Driving one’s kids to soccer practice or dance class does not trnaslate into the salary of a taxi driver. Talking to your kids does not translate into the salary of a psychologist. Helping your kids with their homework does not translate into the salary of a teacher or private tutor. Putting a band-aid on your kid’s skinned knee does not translate into the salary of a nurse. [Also, having sex with your spouse does not translate into the salary of a prostitute.]
(3) The SAHM receives free housing, food, car, and clothing (to name a few) for her “services”. That should be deducted from any so-called “salary” she may be entitled to.
(4) And the SAHM has volunteered for this “work” – she and her spouse decided to have kids. She isn’t entitled to any special pay for volunter work any more than I am entitled to getting paid for the volunteer work I do with kids.
deegee has sure hit the nail on the head. This stuff just makes the mommies feel better about themselves. Funny how they think they’re worth so much money, yet they scream at the money a daycare costs or what babysitters charge (the latter is the reason parents take their kids places with them that they shouldn’t).
Wow!! Such ugly comments about stay at home moms. I didn’t know that I needed to feel better about myself!! FYI there is no such thing as free room and board. Believe me, I earn my share in this household and I am proud of what I do. Contrary to popular belief, most mothers do not sit around on the couch and watch tv all day. Probably no more than all single or childless woman do nothing but work and have sex with men they don’t know. The point of the article is that if you attempted to hire someone to do each individual job that is what you would have to pay. I Love My Husband and 5 Children!! Jealous??
“I Love My Husband and 5 Children!! Jealous??”
Seriously? FIVE children?! What’s there to be jealous of? If I were in your situation, I’d kill myself. And probably my kids, too.
After you shat out 5 kids, I’d bet you good money that hubby is boinking some fine young tart on the side. Goodness knows he’s not getting any from you… Not that he would be interested in you that way. He could probably drive a Volvo into your Vulva.
I’ll just continue to enjoy my unencumbered relationship with my fiance while you do “the most important job in the world”.
As for the topic of the OP, so much for motherhood “being it’s own reward”.
This is so ridiculous. Why should these women be paid for a lifestyle that they themselves chose. Everyone has to clean their house, cook meals, shop for food, etc. These SAHM’s are “worth” no more than anyone else. They just think they are, and want special treatment/consideration. They’re the ones who chose to have kids, not us. So I guess all of us should be paid a salary for living life.
“I didn’t know that I needed to feel better about myself!! FYI there is no such thing as free room and board. Believe me, I earn my share in this household and I am proud of what I do.”
You moms (and the media), NOT the rest of us, are the ones trying to make yourselves feel better with these ridiculous claims of deserving astronomical “salaries” for taking care of your OWN children that they CHOSE to have! And yes, you do earn your share in your household. That is the point! You don’t work, but your husband supports you, so in essence he is “paying” you.
As someone said earlier, the rest of us don’t try to claim we should be paid for doing the things EVERYONE has to do, so why do so many moms think they’re any different?
And, why do we never hear “Dads should earn $$$$ for what they do” around Father’s Day?
SAHMOF5, do you write a check for your rent or mortgage every month using money you have earned and are contributing to your household? If not, then your room and board are FREE. If you were living the way unrelated (usually) roommates live, then each roommate pays his or her share towards the household’s living expenses. You do not, so your room and board are free. This cost should be deducted from any “salary” you claim to earn by being a SAHM. And that $138k salary is vastly inflated for reasons I mentioned above.
BTW, SAHMOF5, I am 46, male, and retired as of last November. I was able to get out of the rat race called work by not having any kids. Unlike you, I do not depend on others (i.e. spouse) to pay for my living expenses. And, with some of my added time, I can do more of my volunteer work with several area schools [so you can't call me some evil "child-hater" or any of those other stereotypes you SAHMs have about us CF (childfree) folks]. I enjoy a quiet, peaceful life without children. YOU should be jealous of ME!
Funny how the mommies claim to do so much “work” yet it’s the same work everybody else does AFTER working an 8 (or more) hour day. Laundry, clean up, dishes, errands, grocery shopping, food preparation, day-to-day household stuff, pet care, etc. We ALL do it, only I don’t complain about it being my “job” even after working an 8 hour day. Jealous? LOL Hardly. I get to enjoy constant peace and quiet, having hubby all to myself, financial freedom, time for travel, hobbies, etc., and the numerous other perks of being CF.
All you self-indulgent adults without kids and moms who work because they can’t stand to be around their kids, you are pathetic. Why have kids if you don’t stay home and raise them. and why don’t you have kids, Oh I know because you’re selfish and you’ve just got to go party and have your coach bags! you don’t know what real love is…you can’t buy it. It comes from family. Stay-at-home moms should definitely get paid for being day care providers, maids, and cooks because she definitely wouldn’t be cleaning that much just for herself. SAHMof5’s husband would be paying a pretty penny for daycare and cleaning services for 5 kids.
BTW CF people, who his going to be around you holding your hand when you’re on your deathbed, you can’t take your D & G with you, you have no legacy, U R PAH THET TIC! because you’re shallow shells of human beings.
Mommy23angels, you are the one who is selfish and I will explain why:
Choosing to have kids IS the most SELFISH thing someone can do.
Let us assume for the moment that someone who chooses to have kids is making a decision which most benefits that person, or else that person would not make that decision. And let us assume for the moment that someone who chooses not to have kids is also making a decision which most benefits that person.
The difference between these two people is that the have-children person expects others, including those who choose not to have children, to subsidize (i.e. using resources, getting tax breaks, favors and benefits in the workplace, tolerating other’s children in places they have no business being in) the choice of the have-children person, while the person who chooses NOT to have children neither expects nor receives any benefits from the have-children people because of the choice he or she made.
That is the essence of the “Who is selfish?” debate. Each is making a decision which best suits himself or herself, but one expects the other to bear some of the costs of that decision, while the other does not. This is why those who have children are selfish while those who do not have children are not selfish.
And tell me, Mommy23angels, what makes you so sure someone will be on the deathbed of a childed person? The nursing homes are filled with elderly childed folks whose kids never visit them (because they put them in there to keep them away from the adult children who want nothing to do with them other than inheriting from them). Did you even bother to read the posts my fellow CFers and I made about why SAHMs should not be paid or did you just go on your worthless rant to try to unsuccessfully put us down and make yourself feel better for the poor lifestyle choice you made to have kids?
Well, lookie, lookie. ANother “who’s gonna take care of you when you are old” tired old bingo. Having kids is no guarantee that YOU are going to have someone taking care of you. I volunteer in animal rescue groups and one thing we did was bring pets to elderly stuffed in nursing homes….by the kids who did not give a good Goddamn about their parents…except where they stood in the will. The pets liked getting out and the elderly folks loved something willing to show a little love their way. It never ceased to disgust me how many kids ditched the parents…so much for the “who’s gonna take care of you” bingo.
I can go one higher than that….an elderly lady moved into my old apartment, fell out of bed and broke her hip. She was unable to tend to her own needs before…so why was she in an apartment? The landlady said that her kids did not want to waste THEIR INHERITANCE on a nursing home or other independent care facility. They complained about 700 a month in rent. Once again, so much for that “take care of you when you get old” bingo….actually it took care of her nicely since she died shortly after. I bet they are still fighting about the will. Hopefully this won’t be you when you are old…but the odds are against that.
You can throw a shitload of bingos at CF folks but what are you really contributing to society? The next Nobel Prize winner or the next serial killer? Once again, odds are against the first one. Your kids will probably be like you….extra-ORDINARY. If you are lucky, that is.
Family does not necessarily require breeding your own little replicants. Family can be spouses, blood relatives, close friends, even adopted kids if one chooses to parent. And if I request to be buried in my D&G I CAN take it with me.
I wiped my own bottom five times so far today. Who’s going to pay me $50 for that service? Who’s going to add to that $150 a day for housekeeping my own house, $50 a day for administering my own household bills and paperwork, and another $50 a day for ‘entertainment services’ provided to the friends I had coffee with and the phone call I made to chat with my mother?