What is Mom's Work Worth?

After enjoying a weekend where I actually felt productive around the house (while hubby spent the weekend tuning up the mowers and mowing), I’m back to feeling a bit overwhelmed.

This week alone I have had to:

• Shuttle Mr. B to a friend's house to complete their school business project (for the third time in less than a week) and to two baseball practices


• Take him to an eye appointment (Mr. B is squinting to see the clock on the TV. It’s time for a new prescription and possibly contact lenses)


• Purchase flowers for Teacher Appreciation Week (not an easy chore…Miss Monkey is VERY picky about such things)


• Bake (not buy) cookies for above mentioned Teacher Appreciation Week (I had to submit my recipe last week for a cookbook the PTO is putting together. No store bought shortcuts here)


• Shop for/order Mother’s Day gifts (and patiently wait in the card aisle as Miss Monkey proceeded to look at Every. Single. Card. Before she found ones that she liked.)

That’s not including all the other “normal” mommy duties: cooking, dishes, laundry, paying bills, cleaning. Yada. Yada. Yada. You know the drill. A mom’s work is NEVER done.

And that’s why I found the salary calculator for Moms on Salary.com so refreshingly interesting. Here are the top 10 duties of a working mom.

10. Laundry Machine Operator
Granted, my husband does most of his own laundry (I did boycott doing his laundry early in our marriage and it worked), and the kids CAN do their own, I'm still stuck with this chore for the majority of the household.
Annual Salary: $20,100
Hourly Pay: $9.66
Working Mom: 4.0 Hours a Week

9. Janitor Who do you call when something breaks at home? Just call me Ms. Fix-it. (I mean really, the broken garage door doesn't fix itself.)
Annual Salary: $20,700
Hourly Pay: $9.95
Working Mom: 4.0 Hours a Week

8. Taxi Driver
Daily duties including driving to and from daycare and after-school activities. And don't forget all those "playdates" that they need to get to (I often refer to myself as their social director).
Annual Salary: $31,600
Hourly Pay: $15.19
Working Mom: 5.3 Hours a Week

7. Housekeeper
This one feels like a losing battle to me, but I still strive for cleanliness and order. I just wish my efforts would last for more than a few hours.
Annual Salary: $19,700
Hourly Pay: $9.47
Working Mom: 8 Hours a Week

6. Computer Operator
Modern moms use the computer to organize their family's time and keep track of their busy schedules. That's all true, but for me, the computer is my retreat... a great way to connect with old and new friends.
Annual Salary: $31,300
Hourly Pay: $15.05
Working Mom: 4.6 Hours a Week

5. Cook
“What's for dinner, Mom?” I've blogged about how this is my "favorite" question (insert sarcasm here). Since I lost my personal chef, it's up to good ole mom to plan the meals and make sure everyone is eating their vegetables. Annual Salary: $27,300
Hourly Pay: $13.13
Working Mom: 6.8 Hours a Week

4. Day Care Center Teacher
With both kids in school, I'll classify this more as homework helper (no I don't do their homework, but I am around to help them when they get stuck, or need a little motivation)
Annual Salary: $26,700
Hourly Pay: $12.84
Working Mom: 7.1 Hours a Week

3. Facilities Manager
Mom is the organizer who keeps the home operating smoothly. From making sure lunches are packed the night before to keeping those bills paid.
Annual Salary: $70,200
Hourly Pay: $33.75
Working Mom: 5.7 Hours a Week

2. Psychologist I always thought being a mom would get easier as the kids got older. WRONG. Dealing with drama, arguments, hurt feelings, worries, and emotional struggles is SO MUCH HARDER.
Annual Salary: $74,000
Hourly Pay: $35.58
Working Mom: 5.2 Hours a Week

1. Chief Executive Officer
In other words, she runs the house. Enough said.
Annual Salary: $210,700
Hourly Pay: $67.53
Working Mom: 6.1 Hours a Week

Total Salary Breakdown
With time and a half for overtime, if an employer had to pay cash for all that mom does:

Stay-at-Home Mom: $122,732
Working Mom: $76,185.

Adjusted for the suburban area I live in, my Mom Salary would be:


You read that right...$85,477 for being a full-time working Mom. Oh Yeah! Now if only I could get someone to pay up...I guess I'll just have to settle for payments of hugs, kisses, snuggles and laughter.