Wives Still Shoulder More Household Duties Despite Equal Earnings
A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals that even when wives earn the same or more than their husbands, they continue to handle a larger share of housework and child care. Meanwhile, husbands tend to spend more time on paid work and leisure activities.
The study highlights that although financial contributions in marriages have become more balanced, the division of labor at home remains skewed. In 29% of heterosexual marriages, both partners earn roughly equal salaries, around $60,000 each. However, in these relationships, husbands enjoy about 3.5 more hours of leisure per week than their wives, who spend an additional 2 hours on caregiving and 2.5 hours on household tasks.
In 55% of marriages, men are the main or sole earners, with a median income of $96,000 compared to their wives’ $30,000. Conversely, in 16% of marriages, women are the primary or sole earners, with a median income of $88,000, while their husbands earn $35,000. Only in marriages where the wife is the sole breadwinner do men report spending more time on caregiving, and household chores are divided equally.
This represents a significant shift from 50 years ago when men were the primary earners in 85% of marriages. Today, the likelihood of women being the primary earners varies based on factors such as age, family status, education, and race. For example, Black women are more likely than other groups to out-earn their husbands, with 26% doing so compared to 17% of White women and 13% of Hispanic women. Black women with higher education and fewer children at home are also more likely to earn similar amounts to their spouses.
The study also reflects societal views on income and caregiving roles. Nearly half of Americans believe husbands prefer to earn more than their wives, while a smaller percentage think men would like their wives to earn equally. As for women, 22% of Americans think they prefer a husband who earns more, while 26% believe they want a partner with similar earnings.
Regarding family dynamics, 77% of respondents feel children benefit when both parents equally balance work and childcare, whereas only 19% think children fare better when the mother focuses more on home life and the father on work.
The findings are based on data from the US Census’ Current Population Survey, the American Time Use Survey, and a survey of 5,152 US adults conducted in January.