Average SAHM has 94.4-hour work week

by Amy Hatch (Subscribe to Amy Hatch's posts) Sep 30th 2008 11:00AM

Categories: Just For Moms, Weird But True, Mommy Wars

An annual survey by Salary.com revealed that the average stay-at-home mom works an average of 94.4 hours per week, meaning that in the context of a normal 40-hour week, more than half of her time on the job is overtime.

The survey, administered yearly since 2000, also determined that in 2008, a full-time mother's annal salary would come in at $116,805, down from 2007's figure of $138,094. And just what does a family get in return for this princely sum?

Salary.com breaks a mother's job down into the following duties: housekeeper, day-care center teacher, cook, laundry machine operator, computer operator, psychologist, facilities manager, van driver, and chief executive officer.

So let me get that straight -- I am working in excess of 90 hours a week, and my salary has decreased? What gives?

The company uses a number of factors to calculate mom's paycheck, and this year added a new wrinkle: companies with fewer than 25 employees tend to offer lower salaries. Your typical American family comes in way under that "25 or more" threshold. If you think the SAHM's salary is miserly, consider this -- a working mom's job description is roughly equal to that of one who stays at home, and she only nets $68,405 for her 54.6 "mom work week."

Want to know exactly how much you're worth? You and your family can calculate your personal compensation at mom.salary.com.

Source

Comments (30)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Nicola 9-30-2008 @ 11:42AM

Now take the figure and consider the mom who works full time. You think that she doesn't do all of those things on top of her regular 40 hours at the office? We are superhuman. Just call me "MOM" :-)

LAnne 10-01-2008 @ 2:21PM

Amen to that. My second job starts when I get home. I'm a full-time, middle income wage earner so I can't afford to pay anyone to clean my house, cook the meals, do the laundry, help with homework, mow the lawn, drive my boys to practice or the tutor, etc., etc. It's all there waiting for me when I get home each week day and on the weekends. I love my boys more than anything, but some time off and a little help would be a real blessing.

Jack 9-30-2008 @ 12:51PM

I beg to differ. What about dads? Contrary to popular belief, my duties as a working dad include not only working 45 hours/week to bring home a paycheck, but another eaula amount of yardwork, babysitting, psychology, tutoring, cooking, cleaning, etc etc etc. Most of it is the equivlaent to what the mom does. And I don't get paid a penny for any of it either.
Do not try to make me feel sorry that you have to do all those things for free, ladies, especially when dad is supplying the income that pays for your minivan and trips to the mall. Sheesh!

Nicola 9-30-2008 @ 2:20PM

You'll be beaten up for that comment. If only you had left out the bit about the minivan and the mall...

I have to admit that as a working mother, I do look at my SAHM friends and wonder where they get off making financial demands when they don't earn a penny. Don't give me the "I do all of this work at home for free" crap. Yeah, me too, AND I earn an income to support my family and pay for that home. You had a child -- its not a job, its life. Its why we're all here.

I'm probably just jealous because my husband would never in a million years go out to work and let me sit back with my hand out while he brought home the pay each week :-)

Becca 9-30-2008 @ 3:58PM

Did you or Nicola even look at the link? It has a form for SAH Mom's, Working Mom's, SAH Dad's and Working Dad's. It figures out what you do at home and how much it's worth based on how many hours YOU say you do certain things. Do you cook every night? An hour a day or more? Do laundry? Take care of the kids? My Husband's pay for what he does at home, if he got paid for it, would be $45,000.

This isn't about saying that Stay at home Mom's should be paid a certain amount of money, it's about valuing what Parents do at home as well as what they do in the work place.

I think that both of you need to get over yourselves, and admit that there is value in what a Stay at home parent does.

Tammy 10-01-2008 @ 2:36PM

it's not considered babysitting when it is your child/children.....why do men always think taking care of their child is babysitting??

Shannon 10-01-2008 @ 2:58PM

I agree with you Jack! I can't stand this annual survey they come out with - last year they actually tried to say a SAHM was worth MORE than an actual working mother b/c they supposedly spend more time doing these make-believe jobs at home! Psychologist and CEO??? Whatever! Being a single working mother who works TWO jobs to keep my son in his private school, karate classes and nice complex that we live in (and the only one here to do the cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc); that was a kick in the teeth to read! At least this year they brought their "opinions" down to a slightly more rational figure! Those of us who work and take care of the home all by ourselves deserve a little more credit than that!

Jack 10-01-2008 @ 3:03PM

It is indeed considered "babysitting" when you claim that it has a monetary value as the original article asserts. If it's parenting, then it's free. Which makes my point: don't make claims that being a mom has all this monetary value unless you consider the value of being a dad as well. And it's pointless to put a monetary value on it, because money can't buy a parent.

Nicola 10-01-2008 @ 12:50PM

Becca,

I see the value in all good parents. We all do a whole lot of work in raising productive, healthy, intelligent children of the world. What irks me is this constant idea that a stay at home parent has a "job". No, you stay at home. You do not have a job. Raising children IS NOT a job. It is life. It is what everybody has done since the beginning of time in order to continue the process of life on this planet. Raising a family and doing the associated work of living in a home does not constitute having employment. Everybody who has a home and who has a child does these things. If you are lucky enough to be able to stay home and do these things as the basis of your day, rather than throwing them into the mix at 3am because you've been at work all day and with the kids all evening and at meetings after the kids went to bed, then consider yourself lucky and blessed. I do not take issue with people staying home. I take issue with people staying home and then telling me about what a hard life it is because of all the hours that they have to "work" in the home. Um, no, sorry. That's called living life. You do things. Alternatively, the only person who does not "work" endless hours is the person who does not get out of bed in the morning. Or perhaps a teenage boy on summer vacation!

Joey M 10-01-2008 @ 10:40PM

I was a SAHM and give me a break, it's not the same, there are more breaks, more phone time, no one watching you to see what time you actually start and stop, you can sleep late, wear what you want, read a book, take a bath, watch TV and get everything done in 35 minutes, it's getting old now, it's time for SAHM's to fess up.
If a SAHM is working 94 hours, she's a bad time manager and wouldn't cut it in the outside world anyway. Let it go already.

Crystal 10-01-2008 @ 3:23PM

I'm sorry- sleep in, read a book? Did you have children? I don't even get to sleep in on the weekends! (Unless my husband, bless him, takes all the kids out of the house as soon as they get up.) As soon as I get my oldest kids off to school, it's time to feed and dress the smallest, feed myself and start whatever "chores" I'm doing that day (laundry, cleaning, always dishes). Not to speak of grocery shopping or other errands that may need to be run that day. Then it's lunch and nap time (my only downtime until bedtime- I might read a book!). Then the older kids come home, snack time and time to help with homework, not to mention THEY have chores to do. Then dinner and dishes, finish up any homework not done and a little family time. I have been in the work force and a SAHM and I agree that being in the work force can be more difficult, but not usually with a job you love (which I did). You still have deadlines and timelines at home and YOU have to worry about what gets done when (which to me takes a lot more self-discipline than at a workplace because there are very different consequences). When I'm not working, I take on the majority of household issues, but when I am working, my husband and I split things pretty evenly. I don't know how single parents do it but I do know how you feel- my husband is often on business trips for as long as a week. Hats off to you guys and gals. I'm just saying that SAH mom and dad don't have it all that easy.

Joey M 10-01-2008 @ 3:32PM

I have 5 and did all those things, it just doesn't take that long, it's not an all day process. And I did not have help and I did nt require my children to do "chores" which were mine to do. Actually, I see mothers at the park, frowning and being miserable and I think these folks really regard motherhood as a job, for me everything I did was an act of love, I felt and still feel my family was a blessed gift from God and I cherished it and still do, I'd rather take care of my family more than anything else in the world, and you don't put a price tag on taking care of your loved ones.

Crystal 10-01-2008 @ 4:06PM

I have 5 too and what "help" are you referring to? My husband after he comes home from almost 9 hours of work? (He helps referee at dinner and then keeps them out of my hair while I clean up or vice-versa.) I LOVE the days when I can take my kids to the park or story-time at the library. And your kids didn't have chores? What are they doing now, letting someone else pick up after them and putting their clothes away for them? Sorry, chores teach kids responibility and cleaning up their rooms and putting their own clothes away are not my "jobs". I love my kids and wouldn't ask for this any other way, but it is an all day thing, at least when they're still as young as mine. And I have been in the work force and am excellent at time management.

Joey M 10-01-2008 @ 5:08PM

Crystal:
Maybe it's your wording that's confusing. You sound angry and unhappy and I would be also if I needed a referee at dinner.
Chroes don't teach anything. Chores are for "big people', children should not have to do your work. Childhood is a short span of time, it is not to be spent doing adult work. That's just an excuse for your laziness and inefficiency.

Joey M 10-01-2008 @ 5:09PM

Crystal:
You don't sound happy at what you do so you are probably not good at it. Poor you! But poorer are your kids and husband.

SAHM 10-01-2008 @ 2:59PM

I am a SAHM. I don't spend my day eating bonbons and watching tv.. I do small repairs around our house dry walling and painting for our remodeling, painting interior of house, changing oil in my car, mowing yard, pruning, pressure cleaning outside and roof, cleaning out garage and storage shed etc.I do all this stuff and much more on a weekly basis. How many of you working moms while patting yourselves on the back and looking down at SAHM's actually go and STAY at your kids practices,games, concerts, awards ceremonies etc? Actually spend real time with your kids not just "quality" time I can tell you from experience not too many, from my experience they drop their kids off and leave to go back to work or do errands.

Nicola 10-01-2008 @ 3:52PM

I have never missed a practise, a game, a school event, or even a school pal's birthday party. Last night was music class, tonight is a t-ball game, tomorrow is swim practise. Luckily, these activities are planned around the work day, so don't require anything of me outside of rushing straight there from work, skipping dinner, and starting my household chores after the boy goes to bed.

As for the rest of your list, yeah, I do those things too. That's what I'm saying. We all do. Its called parenting and managing a household. I have no problem with people who do that full time. As long as you're not going to throw your "work hours" back in my face. Its not work. Its life. Work is the place that you go because they pay you to go there. Not the place that you live with the people that you gave birth to.

Sifrina 10-01-2008 @ 10:50PM

In response to your comment SAHM, I'm a full time mom who does attend concerts, field trips, practices, award ceremonies, play dates, school fundraisers, and birthday parties (sorry, but in my neigbhorhood it is mostly SAHMs suggesting that the small kids be dropped off at the parties while moms scoot off; something I thought was inappropriate for that age group and wouldn't want to do anyway because I love to be with my son).

I'm not looking down on SAHMs, but I have to say I'm a little concerned about the trend I see where more women work outside the home for 7 years and then "retire." There are many stay-at-home moms around in my neighborhood, and I know for a fact that, on average, there is more free time in that world than in mine. While I know it isn't always easy, some SAHMs have openly expressed to me that they have no desire to EVER return to work outside the home, even if their spouses asks them to (even after the kids have grown up). Am I jealous? Sometimes. BUT, I worry about my friends' ability to re-enter the job market - either by choice or necessity (how's that college/grad school fund looking these days?). I also worry about my sister-in-law who stated that she works for my brother, which she finds difficult.

Here's what it comes down to - we should make decisions with our spouses that are best for our respective families. Neither choice should be "romanticized," and we should be tolerant of each others' choices. Therefore, I am DEFINITELY not happy about the moralistic, sanctimonious comments I get from SAHMs I run into on the weekends, such as: "I'm so glad I can be there for my children, when they need me." There's a lot I could say in response, but I don't, mainly because I have only 2 days in which to: do my errands, cook for the week, clean the house, plan and do our weekend crafts, pick out and read new books (plus read some blogs!), get caught up on current events, go the park, work out, take ballroom dance classes with my husband, and get together with friends and family. And I love that my son gets to see how we (my husband and I) do all this ...

staceyr165 10-01-2008 @ 3:03PM

If you are at a sahm then you are watching your kid all day long instead of them being in daycare. So right there is an average 9 hours of daycare. Just because you can talk on the phone, watch some TV, etc doesnt mean that you do nothing. I was a SAHM at one time and I was constantly doing things with my child. Whether it was playing, teaching, taking them on errands, walks, etc. And obviously in between I was doing housework. I was able to do way more housework when I didnt work, my house was cleaner when I was a SAHM. Now I work and do housework too. Working moms should be happy about their decision, but so should SAHM.

newyorkwitch 10-01-2008 @ 4:25PM

I agree...friggin' waaaaaaah for those 'stay-at-home moms'.
I'm a single parent, have been for years. Raised two boys on my own AND worked 90 hour weeks for years. I don't want to hear those sniveling pampered biotches say a damn word. Most of them have nannies anyway. It's pathetic.

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