The way things are currently going with our economy, it’s no surprise that many women have to work. Even if they have a partner or husband working, there are many women who also work outside of the home to help support and provide for their families. According to WalletHub, women make up almost half of the U.S. workforce. And of those, you have a lot of working moms. In fact, in 2022, 73% of moms with children under 18 were working.
Being a working mom has its challenges. Not just trying to balance home and work life, but also the financial aspect. We unfortunately still battle with inequality when it comes to the average hourly wage. Women are still making around 82% of what men make.
It seems women are often put in a position where they have to choose between their career and their family. And even though that doesn’t seem fair, it’s a reality. Thankfully, there are places throughout the country that are making progress. Unfortunately, when WalletHub took a look at working moms in each state, South Carolina did not fare well.
When it comes to the best and worst states for working moms, South Carolina came in 50 out of 51! WalletHub took at look at 17 key metrics when determining the rankings. These metrics include: child care availability and costs, professional opportunities, and work-life balance.
While Georgia does appear to be a little better for the working moms, we still ranked at 38 out of 51. To see the full list, click here.
5. Wisconsin
Wisconsin came in third on the list of states with the lowest gender pay gap.
Total Score Child Care Professional Opportunities Work-Life Balance 58.51 11 3 11 
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4. District of Columbia
The District of Columbia has the second highest female executive to male executive ratio.
Total Score Child Care Professional Opportunities Work-Life Balance 59.62 3 13 7 
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3. Connecticut
Total Score Child Care Professional Opportunities Work-Life Balance 61.06 5 5 51 
Photo: SeanPavonePhoto/iStock/Getty Images
2. Rhode Island
Rhode Island does have the lowest gender pay gap out of all of the states. They also have the 5th highest female executive to male executive ratio.
Total Score Child Care Professional Opportunities Work-Life Balance 65.05 10 2 2 
Photo: SeanPavonePhoto/iStock/Getty Images
1. Massachusetts
Total Score Child Care Professional Opportunities Work-Life Balance 66.20 2 11 1 
Photo: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
5. West Virginia
West Virginia has one of the worst gender pay gaps, coming in 47 out of 51.
Total Score Child Care Professional Opportunities Work-Life Balance 32.31 47 51 32 
Photo: Sean Pavone/iStock/Getty Images
4. Mississippi
Mississippi does have some of the lowest child care costs, coming in 4th lowest.
Total Score Child Care Professional Opportunities Work-Life Balance 32.17 44 44 49 
Photo: SeanPavonePhoto/iStock/Getty Images
3. Alabama
Unfortunately, Alabama is a state that has a low female executive to male executive ratio. They also ranked 47 out of 51 when it comes to the daycare systems.
Total Score Child Care Professional Opportunities Work-Life Balance 31.04 46 47 43 
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2. South Carolina
South Carolina comes in 49 out of 51 when it comes to female executive to male executive ratio.
Total Score Child Care Professional Opportunities Work-Life Balance 30.20 48 45 45 
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1. Louisiana
Louisiana ranks 48 out of 51 when it comes to daycare systems.
Total Score Child Care Professional Opportunities Work-Life Balance 29.14 50 50 38 
Photo: Sean Pavone/iStock/Getty Images
