When Women Earn More than Their Husbands
What are the factors that increase the risk of divorce? Studies repeatedly show that lower socioeconomic status, domestic violence, and marital infidelity are three of the biggest contributors. Diminishing levels of intimacy and empty nesting can play a huge part in marital dissatisfaction, as well. But it may come as a surprise to many to learn that there is another issue that is becoming a serious problem for some marriages: it’s when a woman earns more than her husband.
Numbers to Consider
Some interesting statistics prove the point:
- For heterosexual households where the woman is the higher earner, divorce rates are three times higher than households where the man is the higher earner.
- When a woman is the single breadwinner in a household, divorce rates are double the rate of marriages when the man is the single breadwinner.
- Although female breadwinners comprise only 16 percent of American households, these households represent 42 percent of all divorces.
- These divorce patterns have been occurring for at least a decade.
Why the Big Deal?
Despite gargantuan changes over recent decades, societal norms of old still manage to impact us. One such norm is that men should earn more than their wives, and women should spend most of their time managing the house and kids. In the “good old days,” women were expected to find gratification and contentment by succeeding in their traditional roles. But nowadays women are looking for achievement in careers that hold value for them. And with the number of women who earn as much or more than their husbands tripling over the last 50 years, traditions have been tested–although deviating from tradition oftentimes comes at a cost.
Women Want More
Women today expect more in terms of personal and emotional fulfillment in their lives and relationships, and their tolerance for imbalance on the home front is waning. Their higher earnings has brought greater financial independence, which allows women to walk away from marriages that aren’t working for them.
Men React to Women’s Earnings
While women are feeling empowered with the changes in earnings, men sometimes struggle with it. One study of couples’ earnings revealed that as women started to earn more, their husbands were at increasing risk of mental health issues. Most frequently, the mental health problems were linked to substance abuse.
Another study discovered that when men out-earned their wives it gave men a psychological boost, whereas when they earned less, it made them unhappy. As the pay gap between partners increased, so, too, did the level of satisfaction or unhappiness for men, depending on whether they were the higher earner.
One final study found that men experienced more stress when they were the sole earner in the family, but that stress tended to level out when women contributed to household income. Nevertheless, men became more and more uncomfortable, and experienced higher levels of stress if their wives earned too much—with levels of stress levels leaping when wives earned 40 percent or more of what men earned,
When Divorce is Imminent
Regardless of the circumstances, if you find yourself looking at a divorce, the experienced Boca Raton divorce attorneys at WiseLieberman will fight for the best possible outcomes for you. To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation in our Boca Raton office today.
Source:
fortune.com/well/2025/03/13/couples-most-likely-to-divorce-have-this-in-common/
