# Unpaid Work Calculator

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/finance/unpaid-work/
Last updated: 2026-10-25

> The unpaid work calculator estimates the value of the unpaid household work you do – cooking, cleaning, laundry, childcare, adult care, shopping, repairs and gardening – by the hours you spend and the wage it would cost to pay someone else.

## Inputs

- Meal preparation and cleanup (h/week)
- Cleaning (h/week)
- Laundry (h/week)
- Childcare (h/week)
- Helping with schoolwork (h/week)
- Caring for adults (h/week)
- Shopping and errands (h/week)
- Repairs and maintenance (h/week)
- Gardening and pet care (h/week)
- Hourly wage for this work

## Results

- Hours of unpaid work per week
- Value per week
- Value per year
- Hours per year

## Formula

```
Weekly hours = Σ hours per task
Yearly value = weekly hours × hourly wage × 52
```

## Explanation

Unpaid care and domestic work is not counted in GDP, yet economists estimate it would add 10–40% to it. Women still do the larger share in most countries. Using a replacement wage (what you'd pay a housekeeper or carer) gives a practical estimate.

### How to use the Unpaid Work Calculator

- **Meal preparation and cleanup**
- **Cleaning**
- **Laundry**
- **Childcare**
- **Helping with schoolwork**
- **Caring for adults**
- **Shopping and errands**
- **Repairs and maintenance**
- **Gardening and pet care**
- **Hourly wage for this work**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

Enter the hours you spend each week on each task and the hourly wage for that kind of work.

### Tips

- Use your real spending from bank statements rather than guesses.
- Automate savings so they happen before you spend.
- Revisit your plan once a year or after any big life change.
- Keep an emergency fund before investing for long-term goals.

### Common mistakes to avoid

- Underestimating irregular expenses such as car repairs, gifts and annual bills.
- Ignoring inflation for long-term goals.
- Taking on high-interest debt to fund wants.

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterMeal preparation and cleanupIn h/weekCleaningIn h/weekLaundryIn h/weekChildcareIn h/weekHelping with schoolworkIn h/weekCaring for adultsIn h/weekShopping and errandsIn h/weekRepairs and maintenanceIn h/weekGardening and pet careIn h/weekHourly wage for this workAmount in your currency

### What each result means

- **Hours of unpaid work per week** = [Meal preparation and cleanup] + [Cleaning] + [Laundry] + [Childcare] + [Helping with schoolwork] + [Caring for adults] + [Shopping and errands] + [Repairs and maintenance] + [Gardening and pet care]
- **Value per week** = [Hours of unpaid work per week]×[Hourly wage for this work]
- **Value per year** = [Hours of unpaid work per week]×[Hourly wage for this work]×52
- **Hours per year** = [Hours of unpaid work per week]×52

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Meal preparation and cleanup** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

Meal preparation and cleanup (h/week)Value per year3.533,361.95.2535,484.93737,607.968.7539,730.9910.541,854.021446,100.08

## Worked example

Inputs — Meal preparation and cleanup: 7 h/week; Cleaning: 4 h/week; Laundry: 2 h/week; Childcare: 10 h/week; Helping with schoolwork: 2 h/week; Caring for adults: 0 h/week; Shopping and errands: 3 h/week; Repairs and maintenance: 1 h/week; Gardening and pet care: 2 h/week; Hourly wage for this work: $23.33.

Results — Hours of unpaid work per week = 31; Value per week = $723.23; **Value per year = $37,607.96**; Hours per year = 1,612.

## FAQ

**How much is unpaid housework worth?**
Often $20,000–$60,000+ a year at replacement wages.

**Why isn't unpaid work in GDP?**
GDP only counts market transactions.

**Which wage should I use?**
A local wage for housekeepers, cooks or carers – $20–25 an hour in much of the U.S.

**What formula does the Unpaid Work Calculator use?**
Weekly hours = Σ hours per task.