Salary of a stay-at-home parent in Ireland estimated at €57,140

The annual salary for a stay-at-home parent has been estimated at €57,140, according to new research.

Royal London Ireland analysed the typical daily tasks and responsibilities of stay-at-home parents and researched the cost of employing someone to do these jobs based on current wage data. The responsibilities include childcare, cooking, cleaning and driving, and the calculations reveal it would cost €57,140 to employ someone to do the duties of the average stay-at-home parent.

The pensions provider surveyed 1,000 participants in Ireland to understand people’s perceptions of the value of stay-at-home parents. It found that almost nine in 10 people in Ireland underestimate the monetary value of a homemaker.

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Of the 1,000 people surveyed, only 11 per cent valued the cost to employ someone to perform the duties of a stay-at-home parent at over €50,000. Almost a third of respondents estimated the value of stay-at-home parents' work to fall between €20,000 and €30,000.

The average estimate was €32,340, a 5.9 per cent increase from the 2023 estimate of €30,547. Some 4 per cent of the respondents valued a stay-at-home parent at less than €10,000, while 19 per cent valued their job at between €10,000 and €20,000.

Almost three times as many women as men accurately estimated that the cost would exceed €50,000 (16 per cent vs. 6 per cent). Respondents aged 45 to 54 were the most accurate in valuing a stay-at-home parent’s role, with 15 per cent estimating it would exceed €50,000.

The majority of stay-at-home parents in Ireland are women (90 per cent) as the most recent Census data revealed there were 272,318 stay-at-home parents in 2022. Those living in Munster placed the greatest value on the role of a stay-at-home parent, with almost three in ten (28 per cent) suggesting a salary above €40,000.

The estimated annual salary of a homemaker has increased by over €2,000 compared to last year. In the past nine years, it has risen by over €17,000, with Royal London Ireland calculating then that hiring a stay-at-home parent would cost €40,560.

Karen O’Flaherty, Senior Propositions Executive of Royal London Ireland, said: “I believe the role of the stay-at-home parent is greatly appreciated by many people. However, when it comes to gauging their financial 'worth', there remains a significant 43 per cent gap between people’s perception of the homemaker’s economic contribution and the reality of the likely cost if they had to pay someone to carry out the jobs a homemaker does on a day-to-day basis.

“Stay-at-home parents have a diverse range of responsibilities – including childcare, household management, budgeting, emotional support, and handling children’s transportation needs - yet the full value of their work often goes unrecognised. The fact that those aged 45-54 are more likely to recognise the true value of the stay-at-home parent is significant. This age group has likely experienced first-hand the range of tasks and sacrifices involved in this role.”

Ms O’Flaherty said every year since the survey began in 2015, the majority of people underestimate the value of stay-at-home parents. She added: “Unpaid labour, which is disproportionately shouldered by women, is often not factored into household financial plans when it comes to looking at things like life assurance and pensions.

“Each year, we conduct this research to highlight the tangible value of the responsibilities of stay-at-home parents shoulder. It’s crucial that the role of a stay-at-home parent is recognised, not as an invisible contribution but as an essential job that deserves both support and consideration in financial planning.”

The estimation was calculated by comparing the duties in the home to the average cost per hour of an employee doing the corresponding job. For example, it estimated it would cost €14.89 an hour for a childcare provider, €12.93 for a cleaner, €13.76 for a general cook, €20.10 for a teaching assistant, €19.86 for a handy person, €14.37 for a gardener, and €14.80 for the average taxi trip.

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