S/O: Working Moms Pay & Hours

[Anonymous]

I only make 55k at my job - and I'm a supervisor! Roughly 8:30-5:00 hours with occasional staying a bit late. I don't work on weekends but I do check email and respond to anything that's urgent.

It would take me ages to work up to 6 figures at my job. Probably 10+ more years and I've already been there 3.5. Two of the ladies I supervise make around 45-48k and they've been there for. freaking. ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only make 55k at my job - and I'm a supervisor! Roughly 8:30-5:00 hours with occasional staying a bit late. I don't work on weekends but I do check email and respond to anything that's urgent.

It would take me ages to work up to 6 figures at my job. Probably 10+ more years and I've already been there 3.5. Two of the ladies I supervise make around 45-48k and they've been there for. freaking. ever.

Some of us are old. I am the $160k WAH Fed. GS-14/step 10 with bonuses. 45 years old. I've been there 20 years. I started at 25. My youngest is 8. Colleagues that left for private make much more, but their hours suck and they don't WAH.

[Anonymous]

I just started a GS13 fed position last year, and that plus a loan repayment award bring my total compensation to just above $100K/year. Work 40 flexible hours/week, two days from home, in work that is meaningful and challenging. Travel 3-4 times/year to conferences, which are often fun and in cool locations. My boss and most coworkers are awesome. I fully expect to move up at some point, but for now, am thrilled with what I have. Kids are four and two, and have another on the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I make around $350 as a lawyer. I'm the main breadwinner. I work 8 to 5, go home and bathe, play with kids, then after putting them to bed (aged 4 and 2) make dinner and usually continue working from home. Some nights I work for under an hour, others I could be up til 3am.

I enjoy my work and it would be hard to do the kind of law I do on reduced hours. Sometimes I feel exhausted by it all, but generally I feel grateful that I'm able to continue working in this kind of role and also I get some time with my kids every day. The things that make it work for me are: husband being great and sharing the load, having a v short commute so I don't waste time with that and get more time with kids, having a v good boss who respects my off-hours in the evening, and also keeping my weekends generally clear. Any work I need to do I usually do in the evenings on weekends so I get to spend both days with family.

If money was no object I don't know what I'd do. I don't think I'd be a Satm because I had long maternity leaves and while I loved it for that amount of time, I think any longer and I would have been very restless, as I found full time childcare to be a combination of boring and exhausting. I love being with my kids but I don't think any of us would benefit from me doing that 24/7. I like the challenging aspects of my job and although I ideally would like a job with shorter hours/lower expectations, I can't imagine what that would be - but if money was no object I think I'd probably look into that further and try to find out.

Are you a partner or at very very big law?

[Anonymous]

I make about $200k in tech sales, managing a virtual team but I work in an office. I am primary breadwinner but only by about 15% more than DH. I probably work 50-55 hours a week, if on weekends it's only Sunday night. I mostly just need to answer emails in the evenings after kids go to bed. Kids are 4 and 2 and in a center daycare. I have no interest in being a SAHM, I like working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I make around $350 as a lawyer. I'm the main breadwinner. I work 8 to 5, go home and bathe, play with kids, then after putting them to bed (aged 4 and 2) make dinner and usually continue working from home. Some nights I work for under an hour, others I could be up til 3am.

I enjoy my work and it would be hard to do the kind of law I do on reduced hours. Sometimes I feel exhausted by it all, but generally I feel grateful that I'm able to continue working in this kind of role and also I get some time with my kids every day. The things that make it work for me are: husband being great and sharing the load, having a v short commute so I don't waste time with that and get more time with kids, having a v good boss who respects my off-hours in the evening, and also keeping my weekends generally clear. Any work I need to do I usually do in the evenings on weekends so I get to spend both days with family.

If money was no object I don't know what I'd do. I don't think I'd be a Satm because I had long maternity leaves and while I loved it for that amount of time, I think any longer and I would have been very restless, as I found full time childcare to be a combination of boring and exhausting. I love being with my kids but I don't think any of us would benefit from me doing that 24/7. I like the challenging aspects of my job and although I ideally would like a job with shorter hours/lower expectations, I can't imagine what that would be - but if money was no object I think I'd probably look into that further and try to find out.

Are you a partner or at very very big law?

No, senior associate. Big law - don't know how "big"?! One of the big firms.

[Anonymous]

I make 200k - senior research position. Kids are 5 & 6, I was a stay at home mom until last year.
M & F i go into work late after dropping kids off at preschool/school get him at 6.30. T.W.T most days im out by 7.30 am but get home at 6 those days. Friday im at home by 6. No travel and very little work at weekends - of my choosing when i do. I have some flexibility to work at home as well.
Have a good but not great nanny.
Im not the main breadwinner and DH has a stressful job which involves travelling. No family locally so nanny is key to our lives.

[Anonymous]

How old is everyone? I feel so poor when I read threads like this haha. I work 40 hours 90% of the time 8-4ish and make 98k. I feel like my company is ripping me off now lol.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks to everyone for sharing. I am very surprised to see so many people on here with good 6 figure salaries and so much flexibility. I am not ever able to work from home / telecommute. Even with Skype it's all about face time in the office here. Maybe I need to start looking for other options with more flexibility. Clearly they exist!

I am 36 for those who have asked about age.

[Anonymous]

I'm in sales/account management at a business advisory firm. I make 220-250k year, super flexible schedule although there are busy periods around quarter close. WFH 2-3 days a week, days in the office I'm in by 9 and out by 430. I do wake up at 5 most mornings and either work out or get out a few hours of work before the kids get up. Max 45 hrs/week though. I'm 35, have a 1 and 3 year old.

[Anonymous]

My income varies by how much I work in any given year. I am an attorney and I work for myself. I am in court daily so no working at home. I make between $100k and $130k. For the past few years closer to $100k just because I have wanted to be more available at home. I have worked about 30 hours per week during this "down" time. Once we get over the hurdle of middle school, I imagine I will work more and make more money.

[Anonymous]

PP here. I'm 41. I think one key to my making 6 figures and having flexibility is the path I took. Undergrad in my field, extensive time working abroad before kids, consulted for 8 years to build strong technical credentials, masters in management, and now 9 years managing big projects. It would have been tough to take any sort of detour or major amount of time completely off. I took about 6 months off and then consulted with small projects til the kids were 18 months. Figure I'll work like this another 10 years then consult again for the last 10-15 before retirement.

[Anonymous]

110 K, Fed, largely 9-5. Travel is discretionary. I am a researcher, so I spent a lot of time getting a doctorate etc. before I had a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just started a GS13 fed position last year, and that plus a loan repayment award bring my total compensation to just above $100K/year. Work 40 flexible hours/week, two days from home, in work that is meaningful and challenging. Travel 3-4 times/year to conferences, which are often fun and in cool locations. My boss and most coworkers are awesome. I fully expect to move up at some point, but for now, am thrilled with what I have. Kids are four and two, and have another on the way.

For those who asked about age, I'm 39. I have a PhD and other somewhat in-demand skills that helped me get the position I'm in; I also turned down something much more prestigious (though probably not more lucrative) shortly after my second was born, to keep myself open to a flexible job like this one. Very glad I did.

[Anonymous]

35 y/o physician $260k. My total educational debt exceeds my annual income. My job is high stress, modestly long and inflexible hours. I frequently bring work and stress home with me and am on call some nights and some weekends. Love the work content, long for better balance.