How Much Is a Stay at Home Mom Worth?

Stay at home mom

My wife and I had our annual argument last night about who has the harder job. I am a high pressure lawyer and she is a stay at home mom. I thought I would win hands down.

She came armed with some statistics, however. According to the mom pay wizard calculator at Salary.Com, the typical stay at home mom  works 40 hours at base pay and 52 hours overtime for a total of 92 hours a week.

Mothers perform ten jobs at home, namely:

  • cook
  • housekeeper
  • day care center teacher
  • laundry machine operator
  • van driver
  • facilities manager
  • janitor
  • computer operator
  • chief executive officer
  • psychologist

Salary.Com also says it would take $138,095 a year to buy those services if she did not perform them. So who has the harder job in your marriage? Leave a comment.