A study reveals that in 29% of heterosexual marriages, women and men earn about the same. However, despite equal earnings, wives still do more at home, spending 2 hours more per week on caregiving and 2.5 hours more on housework than their husbands. This highlights a significant change from 50 years ago when husbands were the primary breadwinner in 85% of marriages.
In 29% of heterosexual marriages today, women and men earn about the same (roughly $60,000 each). In these marriages:
- Husbands spend about 3.5 hours more per week on leisure activities than wives do.
- Wives spend roughly 2 hours more per week on caregiving than husbands do and about 2.5 hours more on housework.
In contrast, in 55% of opposite-sex marriages, men are the primary or sole breadwinners, earning a median of $96,000 to their wives’ $30,000. Meanwhile:
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In 16% of marriages, women outearn their husbands as the primary (10%) or sole breadwinner (6%). In these marriages:
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Women earn a median of $88,000 to their husbands’ $35,000.
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The time spent per week on household chores is split evenly between husbands and wives.
Interestingly, the only instance where men are reported to spend more time caregiving than their wives is when the woman is the sole breadwinner. In this scenario:
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The time spent per week on household chores is split evenly between husbands and wives.
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This highlights a significant change from 50 years ago, when husbands were the primary breadwinner in 85% of marriages.
The study also sheds light on societal attitudes towards who should earn more and how caregiving should be divvied up between spouses. Nearly half of Americans (48%) in Pew’s survey said that husbands prefer to earn more than their wives, while:
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Only 13% said men would prefer their wives to earn about the same as them.
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When it comes to having a family, 77% of respondents said that children are better off when both parents focus equally on their job and on taking care of the kids.
