New York
UJ
—
Many women may not be surprised by findings from a recent Pew Research Center study indicating that, despite wives earning equal to or more than their husbands, they still dedicate more time to household chores and child-rearing. In contrast, their husbands allocate more of their time to paid employment and leisure activities.
“While financial contributions in marriages have become more balanced, couples still show an imbalance in how they split their time between professional work and home responsibilities,” noted Pew.
So, what are the earnings looking like?
According to Pew, in 29% of heterosexual marriages, men and women earn approximately the same (around $60,000 each). “In egalitarian marriages, husbands invest about 3.5 hours more per week in leisure than their wives, who, in turn, contribute approximately 2 hours more per week in caregiving and 2.5 hours more on household tasks,” the study highlights.
In 55% of traditional marriages, males act as the primary or sole earners, achieving a median income of $96,000 compared to their wives’ $30,000.
Meanwhile, in 16% of marriages, wives earn more than their husbands, serving as the primary earners (10%) or sole earners (6%). In these instances, women generally take home a median salary of $88,000 compared to their husbands’ $35,000.
Among these categories, the only scenario where men reportedly engage in caregiving more than their wives is when the woman is the primary breadwinner. Notably, in these families, responsibilities for household chores are shared equally.
This marks a significant shift from 50 years ago, when husbands were the primary earners in 85% of marriages.
Today, the likelihood of women being the primary or sole providers varies by age, family dynamics, education, and ethnicity.
For example, Pew discovered that Black women are “considerably more likely” to out-earn their husbands compared to their peers. Notably, 26% of Black women earn more than their spouses, whereas only 17% of White women and 13% of Hispanic women do.
Furthermore, Black women with a college degree or higher and fewer children at home are among the most likely to have income parity with their husbands.
These statistics emerge against a backdrop of prevailing social attitudes regarding income disparities and the distribution of caregiving duties between partners.
Nearly half of respondents (48%) in Pew’s survey indicated that husbands generally prefer to earn more than their wives, while 13% believed men would be content with their wives earning similar salaries.
When it comes to women’s preferences, 22% of respondents stated that most women desire a husband who earns more, while 26% believe most women would prefer a partner with a similar income.
Additionally, regarding family dynamics, 77% opined that children benefit more when both parents equally share their focus on employment and childcare, in contrast to just 19% who believe children fare better when the mother prioritizes home responsibilities and the father focuses on work.
The Pew study draws from three data sources: earnings data sourced from the US Census’ Current Population Survey; the American Time Use Survey; and a nationally representative survey involving 5,152 U.S. adults conducted in January.
