Being a mom is not a nine-to-five job. It’s an all day, every day job that, naturally, has its own rewards. But if mothers received a salary for all the tasks they did, it would be $67,619, the highest yet for the Insure.com’s annual Mother’s Day Index. That’s up 3.2 percent from last year’s value of $65,523. Mom’s value in our Index has been on a steady rise since 2014 after dropping in both 2012 and 2013.  

The Index looks at the many tasks a mom does at home to take care of her spouse, kids and household – and the amount you’d have to pay others to take over those duties.  The numbers are based on the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) median wage data for women in common roles moms take on. The Index does not include any salary earned outside the home at a workplace.

Multitasking moms get the job(s) done

Being a mother has its benefits — like kisses and hugs — and pitfalls, such as, chauffeuring kids all over town and wiping away tears of sadness.  Being a mom is also like an office job, in that moms must multi-task to get as much accomplished as possible. 

Insure.com looks at common duties that mothers typically fulfill in households and estimates how much time each year a mom spends on the various tasks. Only three “jobs” this year had a dip in salary:

• -0.9% — Chauffeur
• -1.8% — Designer
• -3.8% — Teacher

Gains in salary were seen the most for:

• 8% — Hairdressers                                      
• 7% — Grounds maintenance worker   
• 7.2% — Private detective                            

Keep in mind, some jobs we have listed for mom will take up just a handful of hours each year, while others are everyday roles. Some tasks may done concurrently, such as making dinner and helping with homework, because moms must multi-task to get it all done.

Mothers will not be surprised that research shows they spend more time multitasking than dads. A study by the American Sociological Review found that mothers typically spend 10.5 more hours a week multitasking compared to fathers. These hours are mainly spent on housework and child care, with 52.7 percent of all working mother’s multitasking home activities involving housework. 

Mother’s Day job values index 2017

Mom takes on even more jobs

Insure.com’s list of tasks for moms has remained the same since 2011. This year we retained the same tasks on our Index but looked to see what other jobs are appropriate to add, as some responsibilities haven’t been represented.  For instance, how much more would mom’s salary be if it included her tasks as a baker, counselor and judge?  

Are there other tasks that should be added to our list?  Any jobs in the main Index we should retire? Let us know your thoughts.

Why you need to know mom’s worth

While everyone’s mom, or mother to your children, is priceless and irreplaceable in our hearts, it is prudent to figure out the value of her household responsibilities so you can provide a financial safety net for the family through life insurance coverage. Many families couldn’t afford to pay for the services that a mom does for free. That’s why it’s important to consider what a parent contributes at home when deciding how much life insurance to buy.

Putting a dollar figure on mom’s cooking, cleaning, child care and other similar responsibilities will help ensure you buy enough coverage when purchasing a life insurance policy. You want an amount that would cover replacement costs for household duties, plus her annual income if she is employed outside the home.  Insure.com’s life insurance calculator can help you estimate what your household would need financially after the death of a spouse.

The 2017 Insurance Barometer Study, an annual study from Life Happens and LIMRA, found that 85 percent of their respondents agreed most people need life insurance, but only 59 percent said they had a life insurance policy.  And nearly 40 percent of the respondents say they wish their spouse had more life insurance coverage.  You should consider buying a second life insurance policy if you’ve acquired more debt, for instance, you bought a bigger home with a higher mortgage, are getting a significantly larger salary or had children since you purchased your initial policy.

Life insurance isn’t as expensive as many people believe. The Barometer Study results showed that many consumers overestimate the price of life insurance, believing it costs three times more than it actually does. Life Happens estimates that for a healthy 30-year-old woman, a 20-year term life insurance for $250,000 can be purchased for around $13 a month. You can save that amount by skipping three Unicorn Frappuccino’s a month, or following one of these simple ways to save for your life insurance policy.

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