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Report: Stay-at-home moms are worth 6 figures a year

Posted May 21 2008, 09:24 AM by Karen Datko
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Want proof that stay-at-home moms would be earning a pretty good income if they were getting paid for their work? A report by Salary.com says the time SAHMs spend on 10 "mom job functions" -- including housekeeper and psychologist -- would bring $116,805 in the work world.

Full-time moms work an incredible amount of overtime at their jobs -- 54.4 hours a week above and beyond the normal 40, the Web site says.

In contrast, working mothers spend 54.6 hours total a week on mom stuff, in addition to their paying jobs. Their mom pay would be $68,405, according to Salary.com's calculations.

Both income estimates are down from what Salary.com reported last year because of a change in how they were calculated.

How much is your mom time worth? "Bitsy Pieces" at Bits of Pieces advises that you can use a wizard at Salary.com to figure out what your salary would be, based on how many kids you have, where you live, and how much time you spend on individual mom job functions.

Of course, not everyone agrees that these estimates are valid, and with good reason. MSN Money's Liz Pulliam Weston, in an article several years ago, called such statistics "codswallop" (sending us scurrying to the dictionary to look that up).

David at My Two Dollars takes a different approach. "I would venture to say that you cannot even put a number on their worth," he says. "Sure, there are moms who don't do much of anything, but the majority of moms work incredibly hard at being a good mom -- and sometimes are not really recognized for their work."

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Comments

 

The most rewarding thing you can do in life is to properly care for your children. You want to get paid?

Does this mean that fathers are worthless? Feminist crap is all that this is.  Why do we need to place a value on something we know is priceless like having a good caring mom? I guess nobody can afford to have a mother is what this article tells us.

WANTED: good parents (Posted 05.21.08 1:18 PM ) Report Abuse

This article is offensive and sexist to both male and female parents.  Reading it feels like taking a giant step back in to the 1950s.

david haughn (Posted 05.21.08 1:18 PM ) Report Abuse

24 hours a day????Give me a break.  They live there 24 hours but do not work 24 hours.  

connie mc coy (Posted 05.21.08 1:19 PM ) Report Abuse

24 hours a day????Give me a break.  They live there 24 hours but do not work 24 hours.  

connie mc coy (Posted 05.21.08 1:19 PM ) Report Abuse

if more women stayed home with the little ones, this would be such a better world.  you get it in your head you need to work to have a better life, when all that does is clutter your life with material things that mean absolutely nothing.  bring back the fifties...life was as it was meant to be.

lrv (Posted 05.21.08 1:20 PM ) Report Abuse

Instead of crabbing about who's the better mother, who has the better kids, who get's paid what, and who gets recognized for their work or not, why don't we just mind our own business.  If you are doing a good job raising your kids, recognize it yourself.  It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.  And if you are crabbing about carting around working mother's kids.....STOP carting them around!  Please!  If you are fortunate enough to stay home (as am I) get over yourself and appreciate those mothers who have to work.  

Kristin (Posted 05.21.08 1:20 PM ) Report Abuse

I DID!  OBVIOUSLY, YOU ARE NOT A STAY AT HOME MOM!  THE REASON PSYCHOLOGISTS HAVE A JOB IS BECAUSE SOME MOM'S NEED TO WORK TO HELP THE OVERHEAD EXPENSES. AND OR ARE TO SELF-ABSORBED AND THEY DON'T HAVE OR MAKE ENOUGH TIME TO SPEND WITH THEIR KIDS TO TEACH THEM MANNERS, FAITH, AMPATHY  AND ALL OF THE IMPORTANT SKILLS THAT HELP A CHILD TO GROW UP TO BE A GOOD PERSON.  DAYCARE CENTERS DON'T DO THAT, NEITHER DOES A MAID FOR $500 A WK.  SO ALL THOSE KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE A MOM THAT DOES HER PART IN RAISING THEM END UP SEEING A SHRINK.  THAT IS WHAT THE ARTICLE IS READING.  WE ARE A SOCIETY OF OVERINDULGENCE.  THE MORE MATERIAL THINGS WE HAVE THE HAPPIER WE THINK WE ARE AND FORGET THAT OUR CHILDREN NEED THEIR MOTHER'S TO GUIDE THEM WHY DO YOU THINK THERE ARE SO MANY NARSOCISTIC PEOPLE OUT IN THE WORLD?  A SHRINK COULDN'T DO THE JOB OF A MOM IN AN HOUR SESSION. IT TAKES MORE TO MOLD A GOOD PERSON IT'S A 24/7 RESPONSIBILITY!  WE HAVE A LIFETIME TO BE CAREER ORIENTED PEOPLE OUR CHILDREN NEED US MORE IN THEIR FORMING YEARS.

OUTRAGED (Posted 05.21.08 1:21 PM ) Report Abuse

I am in no way saying SAHM's don't do much or aren't worth much, but there is no way it's worth six figures.  In some ways it's priceless, in some ways, it's just normal grunt work that has to be done when you have a family.

It's stupid to equate what they are doing with paid professionals, etc.  Mom's who work all day still do almost all the things a SAHM has to do and most of us dad's aren't lazy sacks of crap ourselves.  I spend 15-20 hours a week coaching my kids' sports teams.  What is that worth?  I should be valued at a percentage of a professional coach?  Not a chance.

Harry (Posted 05.21.08 1:21 PM ) Report Abuse

I believe stay at home mom is the best thing that you can do for your kids.  In my own experience my kids are well adjusted and happy to see me around. My husband who is never home because he works crazy hours. He is a CPA. Our decision was for me to stay at home and It was the best decision we ever had made. But sometimes I feel that I need to work outside the home then I do a lot of volunteer work at the school and I feel really happy doing that. I know one day I will go back to work but I would never feel guilty because I knew being there for your kids was the best decision I ever made and I feel good about it!!

Kelly (Posted 05.21.08 1:21 PM ) Report Abuse

It may be more accurate to say it would take $116,000 to replace a stay at home mom.  My wife stays at home during the day, and goes to school at night.  She's not able to do all she did before so I have to.  We have 5 kids so it is a hastle.  There is a lot that she does and if each thing was a full time job she might make $116,000.  Its not, but a price cannot be put on a mother staying at home with the children.  

grateful dad (Posted 05.21.08 1:22 PM ) Report Abuse

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