How much do you make after expenses?

[That Is Nice]

I'd just like some perspective. How much do you make after expenses? How much do you earn? Are you full time or part time? Who cares for your children? How much is child care per child? What are your other expenses? What type of benefits / retirement?

How much education did you need to get your job? How many years have you worked?

I need to get perspective on whether or not my current job is worth the struggle or if I should look at other jobs or outside my field.

Please share! It will probably be interesting for us all to see what is out there and what opportunities and challenges there are for working mothers.

Also, please share if your partner/spouse works or if you support a SAHD or your spouse / partner works part time. Thanks so much!

[GuildJenn]

It's really hard to break my salary out from the household expenses but here's some ballpark numbers.

I work in media. I just got back to the salary I was making in 1996 as an executive assistant, after having made the career move to publishing in 1998. So not a highly remunerative field that way.

If you were to take my net salary after taxes and after required benefit & retirement contributions and simply subtract the full expense of daycare ($1100), commuting costs including car payment, gas, parking & insurance although chances are good I would have wanted a vehicle anyway and clothes and makeup and miscellaneous (I work in a reasonably image-conscious area, although I am more of a wreck than most people appearance-wise ), most months you would come up with about $4-500 in my family's pocket. However I contribute over the minimum towards retirement so it works out to a bit less.

Also we don't budget it that way - we total up our income and go from there.

Ironically though, when I was at home I spent more in some ways because I was buying more consumer stuff - shopping recreationally, stuck in my house dreaming up decorating projects, and going to lunch and paying for classes for my son that he now gets included in that $1100. Actually it might be closer to $1200 starting in Sept.

On the other hand we're not as locked down financially and do more trips and things when we're both working, which we both enjoy.

So - yup. Not really the same as a pre-daycare budget. However, when I first went back to work it was $200 on a GOOD month. Daycare should be going down but err, pregnant me, so that's not going to work out that way for a while.

[Carita]

I will be the breadwinner - DH is going back to school.

After 12, going on 13 years of FT college (yes, you read that right!), I will make about 43K/9 month contract at an entry level position. I will get 3 months "off," but that and any other holidays are not really holidays, they are "bring work home" days.

I will be paying about $600/mo per child for daycare (1200/mo). Since I will likely work PT during the summer, even though I'll be on a 9 mo contract, I will have to pay childcare year round.

I have standard benefits, not as nice as when my DH worked for the state, but reasonable. However, my kids get to go to college tuition free.

ETA: unless you want to work hard at the publish or perish life, academia is not really a good field to switch into for either job security or for earning potential.

[Peony]

I work very part time right now, I get paid hourly and my paycheck is nothing to brag about, no benefits. I supervise a program for the health dept, but I work mostly from home. I could work in a hospital making more money but would have to work longer hours. My current job is very flexible, as the supervisor I get to arrange the majority of my meetings around MY schedule which is a must for me right now.

Childcare is pieced together every time I have to go into the office. DD1 will be returning back to school in a couple weeks, DD2 hopefully will be in preschool 2 days a week, and DS gets pawned off on anyone who will take him. Sometimes a family member or friend or we have a couple of sitters that we use. For one meeting a month I get to take him with me. I pay between $10-15 an hour for sitters, my school bill will be about $750.00 a month, I haven't gotten the final price yet. I do the rest of my work at night and when ever I can. In exchange for my relaxed schedule I am always on-call, day and night for phone support. DH works full time so I do this and all the child wrangling.

How I got here? I am an RN, 6 years of experience in lactation, I am a CLEC, and sat for the IBCLC this year. I am starting grad school next month for an MSN, I figure if I can slowly do it now when my kids are still small (7, 3, and 1y old) then eventually I can do more when I am ready for more employment.

Honestly, my current job I don't do for the money, I actually lose money by working. DD2 would not be in preschool if I wasn't working and then I still to have pay for a sitter for DS. Since my hours are all over the place, 15 one week, nothing another, a regular child care just wouldn't work. What I am doing it for is for the resume and the professional potential years away.

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by GuildJenn

It's really hard to break my salary out from the household expenses but here's some ballpark numbers.

I work in media. I just got back to the salary I was making in 1996 as an executive assistant, after having made the career move to publishing in 1998. So not a highly remunerative field that way.

If you were to take my net salary after taxes and after required benefit & retirement contributions and simply subtract the full expense of daycare ($1100), commuting costs including car payment, gas, parking & insurance although chances are good I would have wanted a vehicle anyway and clothes and makeup and miscellaneous (I work in a reasonably image-conscious area, although I am more of a wreck than most people appearance-wise ), most months you would come up with about $4-500 in my family's pocket. However I contribute over the minimum towards retirement so it works out to a bit less.

Also we don't budget it that way - we total up our income and go from there.

Ironically though, when I was at home I spent more in some ways because I was buying more consumer stuff - shopping recreationally, stuck in my house dreaming up decorating projects, and going to lunch and paying for classes for my son that he now gets included in that $1100. Actually it might be closer to $1200 starting in Sept.

On the other hand we're not as locked down financially and do more trips and things when we're both working, which we both enjoy.

So - yup. Not really the same as a pre-daycare budget. However, when I first went back to work it was $200 on a GOOD month. Daycare should be going down but err, pregnant me, so that's not going to work out that way for a while.

You're pregnant? Congratulations! I feel like I've gotten to know you. Wow. So happy for you!

Thanks for sharing this. It definitely gives good perspective and I feel like, wow, I really can't even think about leaving my current job.

My retirement is fully paid for me. I don't have to contribute a dime. The employee contribution is fully paid by my employer as well as the matching. So I get double for nothing basically. I have a good amount in retirement having worked for the same system for over 10 years. I have more in retirement than my husband who took no paternity leave while I took two years.

I get great health insurance. I get over 5 weeks of paid leave plus sick leave and holidays. I get to work from home some of the time.

After daycare, parking, transit back and forth, and gas I make anywhere from $300 to $1000, depending on how many hours I work. I go back and forth between full time and part time. I've been clearning on the $1000 for the last few months, but it's taken a toll on me and the house for sure.

With my benefits and retirement factored in, I have a pretty good deal, I guess.

The job is hard though and it beats down on me. I'm sick of meetings, presentations, and travel.

I see what you are saying about other expenses. I mean, I would eat the same amount and pay the same amount for food no matter what. Clothing is hard for me to factor in. No, I probably wouldn't spend as much if I weren't working, but I can't say how much less truthfully. I don't dress up too much for work, except meetings.

And I consider pre-school/daycare expenses worth it for the enrichment. If I were a SAHM, I wouldn't be able to afford any classes whatsoever for my kid. So, I'm happy that my working allows him to go to a great place.

Thanks so much for sharing! This is really good info. I hope it's informative for others, too.

Good luck with your pregnancy. Hope all goes well!

[Alyantavid]

The only expense related to my working is childcare. I pay $16.50 per day for one child, plus $130 a year for preschool. I don't have to dress up for work, I eat at home every day and I'd spend money on gas no matter what. Plus my work is 3 miles from home so it doesn't add up to much.

We have horrible benefits. My pay is pretty good for where we live, but not great. I have no college degree. But they're extremely flexible which is so nice with kids. Dh works part time and while he doesn't get insurance/retirement, he does get some other perks that make his job worthwhile. And he loves it.

[Sharlla]

dh is a sahd. i make min $1800/month take home. bills and student loans are $900. no experience is required as they train and do all your certs. i work part time with no benefits at both jobs. im up for management which will put me at ft. they only hire for parttime even if you do work 40+ hrs/week which i do. i dropped down to sub at my one company after 3 years of being ft with benefits.
Posted via Mobile Device

[choli]

Originally Posted by Carita

I will be the breadwinner - DH is going back to school.

After 12, going on 13 years of FT college (yes, you read that right!), I will make about 43K/9 month contract at an entry level position. I will get 3 months "off," but that and any other holidays are not really holidays, they are "bring work home" days.

I will be paying about $600/mo per child for daycare (1200/mo). Since I will likely work PT during the summer, even though I'll be on a 9 mo contract, I will have to pay childcare year round.

I have standard benefits, not as nice as when my DH worked for the state, but reasonable. However, my kids get to go to college tuition free.

ETA: unless you want to work hard at the publish or perish life, academia is not really a good field to switch into for either job security or for earning potential.

Reading this makes me really really glad that I skipped college and went straight to work. Hands on IT experience and no student loan debt is a much better option.

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by choli

Reading this makes me really really glad that I skipped college and went straight to work. Hands on IT experience and no student loan debt is a much better option.

Yeah, it's true student loans tie you down. I stated earlier that my friends who had parents who paid their college tuition are able to do more with what they earn than I can, for instance, a nanny or travel or whatever.

I graduated with about $20k to $25k in student loans. I had some scholarships, but the rest I paid for all on my own. I'm still paying off my student loans today (almost done, thank goodness).

I've never regretted my student loans though. It was the only way I would have been able to go to college. My life is much better with a degree than not. That's one decision I've never regretted.

[Sharlla]

dh got 30k in student loans for artschool. hes paid off almost half and we'll at least get the high interest one paid off next year. it sucks that he cant do anything with that education, he regrets going to school.
Posted via Mobile Device

[KSLaura]

I make about $2300/m after taxes, 401k, and childcare. I work in the IT field, have a BA in psychology, and 10 years experience. My benefits aren't very good. They have 401k matching up to 4% or something.

We pay $23 or $25 a day for each child in daycare (depending on age of child).

BTW, my DH makes SUBSTANTIALLY less money (I'm sure he could find a better job, but he doesn't think so). We would probably benefit the most if he were a SAHD, but it will never happen.

[Carita]

Originally Posted by choli

Reading this makes me really really glad that I skipped college and went straight to work. Hands on IT experience and no student loan debt is a much better option.

now to be fair i never paid tuition (schlarships/assistantships) and only loaned minimally for living expenses, but if i'd known then what i know now...

[major_mama11]

I make about $1200-$1600 after taxes. Work related expenses are around ~$250. So about $900-1300 after expenses. Bennies- 403b w company matching, FSA, and the health insurance here is great, but I missed the cutoff . When I do start carrying our insurance next year, my take home pay will be nearly $400 less.

I have a BSN in nursing, and have 2 years experience. I work average 18 hrs per week. Like Peony, I may become a lactation nurse eventually (that or get my MSN and be a nurse practitioner) - hospital nursing pays well and allows for a family-friendly schedule, but is SO physically and emotionally taxing that I may give myself an ulcer from all the worry (I'm REALLY not an adrenaline junkie). Plus I don't really feel that my hourly wage compensates for the stress of knowing that if I overlook something important, there can be life or death consequences.

[laurabfig]

Originally Posted by That Is Nice

I'd just like some perspective. How much do you make after expenses? How much do you earn? Are you full time or part time? Who cares for your children? How much is child care per child? What are your other expenses? What type of benefits / retirement?

How much education did you need to get your job? How many years have you worked?

I need to get perspective on whether or not my current job is worth the struggle or if I should look at other jobs or outside my field.

Please share! It will probably be interesting for us all to see what is out there and what opportunities and challenges there are for working mothers.

Also, please share if your partner/spouse works or if you support a SAHD or your spouse / partner works part time. Thanks so much!

I'm going to try to answer all your questions, b/c I feel like my career is GREAT for working motherhood...

I need to preface this by saying that we live in a VERY expensive area (SF Bay Area, CA) so both salaries and child care are significantly higher here than in other places we have lived.

My take home pay after everything is taken out (retirement, health insurance premiums, union dues, taxes, and FSA account contributions) is around $3800/mo. I work 30 hours per week (M-Thursday, 8:30-4:30) as a pediatric occupational therapist for a public school district. Last year my children stayed in after-care at school until I got off, which cost us about $400/mo.
(Once we start childcare for the new baby next year, our child care will cost at LEAST $1500/mo probably, and that is if we share a caregiver with another family or use a center-based daycare.) Other than childcare, rent is definitely our biggest expense at $3200/month. (We rent an old 4 bedroom house in a great neighborhood, but it would cost us double that per month to buy something comparable in our city...which we can't afford!) Benefits at my work are really good and the main reason I stay in my job, even though it is stressful at times: state public employee retirement system, school-schedule (all holidays paid throughout the year and summers off), union to resolve issues for me with paycheck or HR or whatever, $70/month to cover my ENTIRE family for medical, dental and vision insurance!!!, flexible schedule, 10 extra days off per year besides holidays, and lots of independence in my actual workday, which I love.

I went to school 10 years ago before a degree in Occupational Therapy (OT) was a master's program, so I went to a typical 4 year degree program for undergrad. Now a master's degree is required to begin practice, so for most people pursuing OT now it is undergrad for 4 years, plus 2 years for a master's plus clinicals (working for free/interning) for 6 months. (There MAY be some programs that combine the bachelors and masters into a 5 year program...) I've worked for 10 years now since graduating, even though most of it has been part-time since I started having children shortly out of college.

My husband works part-time for our church (30 hours per week) and also is starting his own business on the side (which has not made money yet, so is unpaid at this point). I make a bit more than him, and carry the benefits for our family, which is why my job is worth more than just the paycheck to us. With both of us working 30 hours per week, I feel like we have a good equal partnership in parenting and getting things done around the house, for the most part. I still feel like sometimes I take on more "responsibility" for that kind of stuff- the groceries, dinner prep, cleaning, kids' routines like homework and bedtime, etc....but I'm thankful to have a partner who is available and willing to help, even if I sometimes have to "remind" him to step in and get the job done, or if he doesn't do things exactly how I would. Also with him working 30 hours a week, we may be able to have him watch the baby when the baby is young and I go back to work to finish out the school year, if we can schedule our workdays on opposite days...so that could save us a lot in childcare when our LO is still a babe.

[CatsCradle]

Good question. This is hard for me to do because we deduct expenses from the total family budget and I presently make twice what DH makes, although we are both full-time. I should also note that we too live in high COL area and our income and expenses are probably going to be significantly higher than other areas. We did have the good fortune to buy our apartment a number of years back, so our mortgage is actually about half of what people in our city are currently paying for rent (for same type and size of place). We don't have a car and given our limited space, we don't really have the opportunity (fortunately) to spend our income on stuff. We were just joking the other day that we're probably the last family in Brooklyn to have a tube television. It fills me with great pride!

Our biggest expenses after housing (which includes mortgage, maintenance, insurance, utilities) are DD's private schooling and my student loans. DD's schooling is presently 16k per year, and I pay about $1,000 month on my student loans. In my case, my student loans were a good investment because they bought me a very a good salary (I'm in the legal profession). As I mentioned in a separate thread, I work at 80% of my pay rate so that I can have some flexibility while DD is young but still make six figures simply because it is the market rate for my type of work and experience. DH works for the city and makes about half of what I do, but has a gold-plated medical insurance plan for our family. He is due to retire in about 10 years, so other than his own retirement plan, I'll be the sole breadwinner when DD is a teenager. Again, speaking in terms of the family budget, we managed to put $40k in savings last year and hope to continue to save big chunks in the years to come. Not sure what we're saving for, but we've never been big spenders (other than the fact that we live in a high COL area) and the security is important to us. We've been extremely fortunate in that we don't have to try that hard and that so far our decisions and choices have been fruitful.

[jdg]

Originally Posted by That Is Nice

I'd just like some perspective. How much do you make after expenses? How much do you earn? Are you full time or part time? Who cares for your children? How much is child care per child? What are your other expenses? What type of benefits / retirement?

I make somewhere around $38k/year gross. After taxes and deductions, I take home $1061 every two weeks. My husband also works full time and makes around twice as much as I do. My health insurance is a LOT better than his, so we're on the family plan through my work. I get a total of 36 holiday, vacation, sick, and personal days per year. I'm a state employee and there is a state retirement account that my employer pays into; I only get anything from it at all if I work for the state until retirement age. (We contribute to my husband's 401k.)

Expenses include mortgage, utilities, phones, cheap cable, a student loan for each of us, one car loan, and a mountain of credit card debt. I can't say how much is left out of "my" income as all the money is thrown into one account and bills are paid from it. Together, we have about $100/week extra, but that's mostly due to the aforementioned mountain of debt. We're digging ourselves out of that.

Right now, we have a part-time babysitter who is paid $10/hour. I will be back to work full time in about another month and my sister-in-law is moving in with us then and will be our nanny. We are paying her $250/week plus all room and board. Standard full-time daycare around here costs $850-1000 for places with a good reputation.

Originally Posted by That Is Nice

How much education did you need to get your job? How many years have you worked?

I have a BA. I have worked in this job for 4 years, and in my field for a total of 8 years.

Originally Posted by That Is Nice

Also, please share if your partner/spouse works or if you support a SAHD or your spouse / partner works part time. Thanks so much!

My husband works full time.

[imamomx2]

I bring home about $1600/month. I work part time, and we have two children in daycare which totals $700/month. My job offers no benefits or retirement of any kind - thankfully, my dh gets that through his work (he's full time).

My field is social services, which is known to be lower pay. However, I make 50% more than the last city we lived in, so we consider ourselves pretty blessed.

[One_Girl]

I have a B.A. and it took me months to get a job. The job I have isn't one that requires having education, but it gave me an edge so I got the job and I started at a higher rate than some of the employees who have been there for years, it is daycare work. I make $850 after daycare expenses and insurance. I am living with my family now so that cost isn't there, if I lived on my own I would make about $270 or so after rent and utilities in a cheap and scary part of town. It would be very hard to make ends meet. I make too much to qualify for any social programs and only barely make enough for $125 from section 8 housing so moving isn't worth it.

[sewchris2642]

I do dressmaking and alterations. When Dylan was in dc, I worked ft out of the home and pt at home. When he started school, I transitioned to ft at home and pt out of the home. Now, he is 12, going into 7th grade and in a charter school where he is homeschooled part of the week and in a classroom the other part. I paid $100 a week (4 days) for dc (1998-2003). But I also worked at the dc one day a week (2 days a week by the time Dylan was 5). Otherwise it would have been $150 a week for dc. Other expenditures were minimal. I had gas, insurance, and maintaince on the car (20 minutes to dc, 10 minutes to work from dc). But for a good part of those years, I carpooled with dh or Joy, took the bus and dh or Joy did the dc drop off/pick up when Dylan was no longer nursing. Maybe $50-100 in wardrobe costs per years, mostly for dress trousers and shoes. Mostly I bought my lunch (there were no places to buy lunch within convenient walking distances). If I gave up the flexibility and family atmosphere of work for higher salary plus benefits, I could have made 3-4x as much money. But would have longer hours, less flexibility, longer commute, a different dc, and more stress. None of which I was willing to give up. So I brought home not much more than minimum wage (for CA). But it was enough to provide 1/2 of our income ($8-1000 from woh take home a month; $2-400 from wah a month). I don't have a degree in my field but I have over 30 years of experience. Dh has always worked out of the house and has always equally shared in raising our kids and house hold chores.

[EFmom]

I take home around $2400/month, but also have deducted 15% of my gross for supplemental retirement and a few hundred each for my two kids' college funds. My child care expenses are down to $109/month for one child in an afterschool program. Those expenses were much higher when I had two in daycare.

I have good benefits in general--good health insurance at a reasonable price, vision and dental as a benefit from my union dues, vacation and sick leave.

You must have a masters for my position.

However, I think there is much more to it than take home pay. You have to factor in what happens to your retirement fund and your employment ability and skills if you stop working. It was extremely worth it for me to be taking home little for a couple of years while the kids were in daycare, because I had a tenure track position, and those are very scarce where I live. I got tenure during that time.

Dh makes a little less than I do. However, he's a teacher. So, we don't have to shell out for very expensive camps for the summer, and he does a bunch of home repair projects that it would otherwise cost a bundle for us to have done if he didn't have the large blocks of time to do it himself.