Unpaid Work Calculator
Find out roughly how much your unpaid work (housework, caregiving, volunteering) would be worth if it were paid by the hour.
What This Calculator Does
Unpaid work — housework, childcare, eldercare, or volunteering — has real economic value even though no paycheck is attached to it. This calculator multiplies the hours you spend on unpaid work by an equivalent hourly rate to estimate what that work would cost if you paid someone else to do it, or what it would be worth as paid employment.
The Method
The math is simple multiplication: weekly value equals hours per week times your chosen hourly rate. That weekly figure is then scaled up to monthly and yearly totals using the number of weeks you specify (52 for a full year, fewer if you want to exclude vacation weeks).
Choosing a rate: A common approach is to use the local market rate for a comparable paid job (housekeeper, childcare worker, personal assistant) rather than your own salary, since unpaid work often spans many different tasks.
This tool is for general planning and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice.