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What's Mom worth?

By Charles D. Perry · The Herald
Updated 05/11/08 - 1:06 AM |

If mothers made as much cash as they deserve, no one could afford to pay their salaries.

And while a mother's worth can't be measured in dollars and cents, the Web site Salary.com shows what a mom would earn if compensated for all the tasks she does.

For example, a stay-at-home mother in Fort Mill with three kids could make $142,617 if paid for all her services. Meanwhile, a working mother of two in Rock Hill might bring in as much as $85,841.

The site computes annual earnings based on the hours moms spend each week doing various jobs, including psychologist, van driver and CEO.

Be thankful moms are volunteers.

About this mother

Jennifer Boland, 34, works as a materials coordinator at Bosch Rexroth in Charlotte. But as a single mother, this Rock Hill woman also juggles many roles to provide for her 12-year-old son Daniel, a seventh-grader at Sullivan Middle School.

Boland said she's everything from a laundry service to a "boo-boo fixer" for her son. The latter job has kept her busy since Daniel has broken three bones this year.

This hard-working mom met with The Herald last week to talk about the world of motherhood.

Q. What's the toughest part of being a mother?

A. "Seeing your child get hurt. But then it's also having to discipline when they've been bad."

Q. "Which is more difficult: Your job as mother or your day-to-day job in Charlotte?

A. "Day-to-day ... I love my job as a mom, even as challenging as it is ... I love my time with him and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world."

Q. What's your favorite part of being a mother?

A. "Seeing him succeed in something that he's worked very hard on. That's probably the most rewarding thing."

Housekeeper: A typical stay-at-home mom spends about 17.2 hours each week being a housekeeper. A working mom spends about 7.8 hours doing the same. SALARY: $8,072. 82 (stay-at-home mom), $3,666.18 (working mom)

Cook: Preparing meals for a family takes a typical stay-at-home mom about 11.5 hours each week, and 6.4 hours for working moms. SALARY: $7,492.94 (stay-at-home mom) $4,172.49 (working mom)

Laundry machine operator: Sorting whites and colors and handling the less than aromatic scent of dirty laundry can be a full-time job in itself. Stay-at-home moms usually spend about 8.1 hours washing clothes each week, while working moms spend 5.1 hours each week on that task. SALARY: $3,902.67 (stay-at-home mom) $2,456.55 (working mom)

Computer operator: Stay-at-home moms spend about 8 hours on the computer each week. Working mothers use the technology 5.4 hours weekly. SALARY: $5,998.72 (stay-at-home mom) $4,052.02 (working mom)

Van driver: A mother's work is never exclusively done at home. Stay-at-home mothers typically spend 6.6 hours each week on the road, and working moms roll for 4.6 hours. SALARY: $5,107.27 (stay-at-home mom) $3,558.71 (working mom)

Psychologist: Everyone needs someone to talk to. Stay-at-home moms are psychologists for 6.9 hours each week, while working moms aid metal health 4.9 hours per week. SALARY: $12,259.85 (stay-at-home mom) $8,708.25 (working mom)

Other jobs: Day care teacher ($12.35 per hour); CEO ($63.75 per hour); facilities manager ($32.40 per hour), bookkeeper ($15.42 per hour); nutritionist ($21.04 per hour); staff nurse ($25.87 per hour)

The total package: Altogether, a stay-at-home mom in Rock Hill spends about 94.4 hours each week doing all her jobs, while working moms do them in 54.5 hours.