Study reveals how much American moms would be paid per year for housework and it's only fair

Motherhood is a journey filled with both joy and sacrifice. While raising children can be deeply rewarding, it also comes with relentless challenges. The work of a mother—managing the household, caring for children, and balancing countless responsibilities—often goes unnoticed and unpaid. There are no salaries, promotions, or formal accolades for the immense effort moms put in daily. This raises an important question: what if stay-at-home moms were financially compensated for their labor?ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ

A recent study by Insure.com attempted to put a dollar value on the work moms do at home. According to the website's 2024 Mother's Day Index, if stay-at-home moms were paid for their labor, they would earn an estimated annual salary of $140,315. This marks a 5% increase from the previous year’s estimate of $133,440, reflecting the growing recognition of the economic value of household and childcare responsibilities.ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 

Insure.com used data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics to narrow down the amount an American mom could have made daily from home.

"For instance, we estimated that a mom could spend 14 hours a week cooking. Cooks, according to the BLS, make $16.31 an hour. For cooking 14 hours a week for 52 weeks, Insure put mom’s annual compensation for preparing meals at $11,874. The editors then added the pay for cooking with the salaries for the common jobs moms do and came up with an annual salary figure," the study revealed. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ

In the past, Reshma Saujani, the founder of "Girls Who Code," wondered whether moms should receive a $2,400 monthly stipend for their invisible labor or not, according to The Hill. Saujani also contacted Joe Biden to create a "task force dedicated to implementing a Marshall Plan for Moms" in 2020. She also mentioned that the plan should focus on facilities provided to women, such as parental leave, affordable childcare, and pay equity. Unfortunately, Biden never followed up on Saujani's proposal. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ

In a separate 2019 study published in the journal Sex Roles, it was found that "90% of married or partnered moms felt solely responsible for their children and household." A third study from Gallup and Motherly's Annual State of Motherhood Study revealed that women are still "overwhelmingly go-to parents" despite having busy professional lives. When their children fall into some sort of crisis, 60% of moms say they are the ones expected to address it. Women mostly turn down promotions or leave their jobs in favor of their family obligations. Therefore, the government and community need to consider this issue, and soon we might see women receiving rightful compensation for their labor.