How much is unpaid domestic work worth?
In many parts of the world, women are expected to be the chief caregivers for the household, basically performing a full-time job at no pay — and they are often undervalued. But what if women were paid for all the hours they spend caring for children and taking care of their homes? We calculate how much they would earn based on US data. See how the data apply to your life.
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Whoa! You would've made
in a year for all that work if you were being paid.
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in a year for all that work if you were being paid.
We calculated the potential wage of each task based on US national median hourly rates of the corresponding occupation listed in the National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2015. Then we multiplied the daily total by 365 days. Below are the corresponding occupations and their median hourly rate in the US.
| Task | Occupation | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Housework and cleaning | Janitors and cleaners | $11.27 |
| Grocery shopping, meal planning and cooking | Chefs and head cooks | $19.95 |
| Yard work | Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | $12.03 |
| Laundry and dry cleaning | Laundry and dry-Cleaning workers | $10.01 |
| Planning activities for family | Meeting, convention, and event planners | $22.52 |
| Being the family’s CFO | Financial managers | $56.73 |
| Playing with your children | Childcare workers | $9.77 |
| Helping with schoolwork (age 6-17) | Other teachers and instructors | $14.79 |
| Helping with schoolwork (age below 6) | Preschool and kindergarten teachers | $16.51 |
| Taking care of kids' hygiene and health | Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | $20.76 |
| Schlepping your kids | Taxi drivers and chauffeurs | $11.3 |
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Compare your results with other mothers
This chart compares the time you spend on household activities and caring for your children with how the average American mother in a similar situation (employed full-time, part-time or full-time caregiver, and with children 6 to 17 or below 6) spends her time. The numbers are average data for the combined years 2009 to 2013 from the American Time Use Survey.
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What about American fathers?
American fathers generally spend less time than their partners doing housework and caring for children. These two charts show the time spent for both spouses with kids in different age groups. Unfortunately, the American Time Use Survey does not include data from fathers who are employed part-time or full-time caregivers.
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