Married people: Who brings in more income -- husband or wife?

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In times past, the husband was usually the major breadwinner. In my home, my wife has earned more for most of our 26 years of marriage, and I admit, it makes me feel like less of a man.

I’d like to know if I’m in good company, or if I’m one of the few, the not-so-proud, the less-than-manly husbands.
 
Even as a junior trainee I earned more, and my husband gave up his job about seventeen years ago, four years or so into the marriage. Plenty of people have implied we should both somehow feel “funny” about this but it’s never been an issue for either of us. For the first four years I was the main breadwinner and ever since I have been the only breadwinner, aside from what we’ve earned jointly in our music business and even that depends mostly on my abilities. He keeps house and does the shopping and cooking but spends plenty of time maintaining his sailing hobby and other things he chooses to do.

Why are you “less than manly”? 😛
 
Can’t edit my reply for some reason … I was just going to add that if ever my husband is asked whether he is bothered his wife earns more than he does, he replies, “no, I think it’s a ******* good thing!!”. 😃
 
My DH earns less than half I do. I has been like this since before we got married 7 years ago. He knows it doesn’t make him less of a man.

Gearoidin
 
I can’t vote because there really isn’t a good answer. I own my own business and have very low overhead. DH works for a corporation. After taxes are considered, I bring home more than he does. His salary though, is higher than mine. He had no idea that this was the case though until we went to apply for a mortgage. I actually think he thinks it is pretty neat, and thinks if I can do even better he can spend more time on his golf swing 😛 !
 
Hubby definitely makes more than me even if I didn’t only work one day a week. His payrate is higher. But if it wasn’t it would never make me look at him any differently.
 
I make more than twice what DH makes. But I work for a major corporation, on salary, and he works for a poor non-profit Catholic Apostolate. We are ok with the trade off - I work to keep the roof over our heads and health insurance, and food on the table, and he works for God. It means we won’t ever have the big house or two cars, but we are ok with that.

~Liza
 
if a couple, or one member of a couple, believes that one’s contribution to the marriage and family can be measured by take-home pay there is a lot of damage in the marriage and issues that have nothing to do with take-home pay.

If either a man or woman believe salary level=manliness, they have deeper issues about defining masculinity and feminity that have nothing to do with job and salary, and if these are not addressed, the marriage is headed for trouble.
 
What works for the best of each family is what is to be considered. We are more than our paycheck, marriage is more than a financial arrangment.
 
I voted “husband brings in more income,” because I stay home with the kiddos, so technically, I don’t directly contribute any money at all. But my contributions, although not measured monetarily, are just as important as his. 😃
 
I make way more as a self-employed attorney than my wife makes as a state research scientist. Which is odd, because she’s really industrious and I’m lazy. Go figure.
 
Until three years ago, I earned twice what my husband earned. He was more than fine with it! Especially since he was a teacher (I was, too) and taught in a disadvantaged school. I was proud of him. Today he works for the state as a tax accountant and makes more than I do. I am still teaching and my goal is to make more than he does again! 😉 Nothing like a little friendly rivalry, esp. since we have four kids in college.
 
My wife makes roughly $138,095 per year so I would say that she makes more than me. Only she does not see a dime of that, so I guess that I make more than her. 🤷

My DW is a SAHM
 
Mirror_Mirror said:
My wife makes roughly $138,095 per year so I would say that she makes more than me. Only she does not see a dime of that, so I guess that I make more than her. 🤷

My DW is a SAHM
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Do you multiply that by how many kids you have? 😃
 
When I first got married, my husband made a few grand less than me. It was kind of fun when we applied for our mortgage together that I had a higher income. I knew it wouldn’t last for long because I was pretty much at the top of my wage scale, and he was just entering the workforce as an engineer. Now he makes nearly double what I make.

When we did the pre-cana marriage test ( forget what its called but you know it ) there was a question in there about how would you feel if your spouse made more than you? I guessed that my husband would have a problem with it. When we compared answers with the priest, it was one of the few disagreements we had and it hurt him that I thought he would have a problem with it. He says he doesn’t. It’s just a bit hard to believe 😛
 
It fluctuates, and neither of us has a problem with it. Right now he makes more than me, mainly because my income is a fixed grad student stipend (he works in a biotech lab). Before I went back to school, my senior research assistant position paid more than his job. Once I have the Ph.D., it will probably still be a few more years of post-doc work before I’m the majority earner (that’s assuming I can land a faculty job), but if he manages to break into biotech management he will probably end up making more than me once again. Industry almost always pays more than academia.
 
Engineer husband - good money 👍

Homeschool mom - $0

Works for us - Priceless

—KCT
 
Wife by 60k and climbing rapidly! 🙂
She’s a pediatrician.

I’m an archaeologist.😛
 
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