Mom beats Dad big time on home work

Updated: June 12, 2012 - 7:47 AM

Photo: Michael Hogue, MCT

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For all the soccer coaching, burger grilling and spider killing that Dad does around the house, the value of his work is worth only about one-third as much as Mom's, according to the annual Father's Day Index from Insure.com.

Fatherly duties are valued at $20,248 a year -- more than $1,000 less than the inflation-adjusted amount a decade ago and far less than the $60,182 amount attached to maternal labors.

Insure.com calculated how much fathers would be paid in wages for a collection of jobs based on data from the Department of Labor.

For helping with homework, Dad would be paid $17.91 an hour like the average teacher or instructor. Since cooks are generally paid $11.99 an hour, that's how much a father would get for back-yard barbecuing. Mowing the lawn nets Dad $14.07 an hour; pest removal brings in $15.65.

Outside the home, however, fathers tend to be the main breadwinners. And even when mothers take the reins, they still earn only about 77 cents to every male dollar.

At least Mom gets more love on Mother's Day, with consumers spending an average of $152 each. On Father's Day, people shell out $117 on average, with total spending for the holiday expected to reach $12.7 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Popular gifts? Golf outings, restaurant meals, sports games and electronics.

LOS ANGELES TIMES