MIAMI, FL-Women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, and in 2025 about 74% of moms with children under age 18 were employed. Despite their strong presence in the labor market, working mothers still face significant challenges. On average, women earn only about 82% of what men make per hour, and just 9.4% of chief executives at S&P 500 companies are women. These disparities raise not only financial concerns but also broader social questions about whether women are still expected to choose between building a career and raising a family.
A key issue is how effectively these challenges are being addressed. Progress varies widely across the country, as parental leave policies and other legal protections differ from state to state. In addition, the quality of essential support systems — such as affordable child care and strong public schools — is far from consistent nationwide.
To highlight where working mothers have the best and worst opportunities, WalletHub compared states across 17 key metrics to identify the Best & Worst States for Working Moms.
Life as a Working Mom in Alabama (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
- Overall Rank: 50th
- 47th – Day-Care Quality
- 37th – Pediatricians per Capita
- 45th – Gender Pay Gap (Women’s Earnings as % of Men’s)
- 49th – Ratio of Female Executives to Male Executives
- 35th – Median Women’s Salary (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
- 23rd – Female Unemployment Rate
- 43rd – Parental-Leave Policy Score
- 29th – Avg. Length of Woman’s Work Week (in Hours)
- 48th – % of Single-Mom Families in Poverty
Expert Commentary
What can companies do to help working parents balance their home and work life?
“Companies can provide working parents with pay that is high enough to cover child care costs, while also providing as much flexibility as possible, especially for family medical leave.”
Rachel Wu, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, University of California, Riverside
“Affordable child care is key for working parents. Companies that provide or support child care are an enormous aid for working parents. Flexibility in work hours and remote work options, at least on some days, also assist working parents in dealing with child care, medical appointments, and school events.”
Ann C. Hodges – Professor Emerita, University of Richmond
What careers are the most difficult and the easiest for balancing work and family?
“Any job that requires very strict schedules, especially ones that interfere with daycare/school drop-off and pick-up times, as well as requiring a lot of travel will put a strain on parents, especially moms.”
Rachel Wu, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, University of California, Riverside
“Careers that provide flexibility for working parents are the easiest for balancing work and family. That flexibility may come with the career itself or…with a career that offers a variety of work options, some with flexibility. Nursing, for example, offers a variety of job options, some which provide flexibility and some which do not. In particular careers, the employer will make the difference, as some employers will provide the needed flexibility while others may not. In other careers, regardless of employer, the career option offers little flexibility. Jobs that require physical presence on the job site for specific hours, particularly for hours when children are unlikely to be in school or day care, are the most difficult to manage. Careers with evening or weekend work hours, however, may enable one parent to work those hours while another works standard work hours, minimizing the need for child care.”
Ann C. Hodges – Professor Emerita, University of Richmond
What steps should policymakers take to support working mothers’ labor force participation and address disparities between men and women in the labor market?
“Universal/heavily subsidized daycare (similar to the German model), guaranteed and highly flexible maternity and paternity leave, more childcare/fertility incentives/benefits.”
Rachel Wu, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, University of California, Riverside
“In recent years some states, in addition to requiring equal pay for equal work based on gender, have enacted other laws designed to encourage gender equity. Two examples are pay transparency laws, which require job ads or postings to specify the pay or pay range, and laws prohibiting prospective employers from asking about prior salary. Enacting such laws where they don’t exist, and providing robust public enforcement of all laws requiring or supporting pay equity, would support working mothers and reduce pay disparities. Many employees, especially low wage employees, cannot find attorneys to file and litigate claims for violation of these laws. Nevertheless, it is important to provide for a private right of action to enforce these laws, in addition to public enforcement. Where the likelihood of enforcement is limited, compliance with these laws is not encouraged. Similarly, paid leave laws should be enacted for both parents after birth and for illness of the employee or a family member. Only a small number of states have such laws at present. As with gender equity laws, enforcement is important and both robust public enforcement and a private right of action for those with the resources to hire counsel will aid in compliance. Finally subsidies and/or tax credits for child care will also be of significant benefit to working parents.”
Ann C. Hodges – Professor Emerita, University of Richmond
For the full report, please visit:
https://wallwalletHubethub.com/edu/
Media Release/Diana Polk/WalletHub Communications Manager
