But, according to a recent survey from personal finance site WalletHub, it's easier done in some states than others.
To find the best states for moms who work outside the home, WalletHub assigned each US state and Washington DC a score based on numerous factors, including women's median annual salary adjusted for the cost of living, daycare quality, the gender pay gap, childcare costs adjusted for the median women's salary, and the female unemployment rate. The rankings also assigned each state a parental leave policy score, based on this 2016 study from the National Partnership for Women and Families.
To read more about the study's methodology, check out the full report here.
Here are the top 15 states for working mothers:
15. District of Columbia
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $37,292
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 26.70%
Average length of a woman's work week: 38.7 hours
Parental leave ranking: 2
The capital of the US has the second lowest gender pay gap in the rankings and the second best parental leave policies.
14. Indiana
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $40,642
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 17.36%
Average length of a woman's work week: 35.4 hours
Parental leave ranking: 34
Indiana has the fourth highest women's median salary out of all 50 states and Washington DC.
13. Wisconsin
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $37,940
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 23.85%
Average length of a woman's work week: 35.1 hours
Parental leave ranking: 16
Wisconsin's high quality day cares and schools launch the Badger State to the 13th spot on the list.
12. Montana
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $34,048
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 21.06%
Average length of a woman's work week: 34.8 hours
Parental leave ranking: 20 (tie)
Montana enjoys a low female unemployment rate and a brief average commute time of only 16.5 minutes.
11. Oregon
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $33,075
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 19.76%
Average length of a woman's work week: 34.2 hours
Parental leave ranking: 8
The Pacific Northwest state has one of the shortest work weeks on the list, coming in third with an average of 34.2 hours.
10. Illinois
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $41,382
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 19.90%
Average length of a woman's work week: 35.6 hours
Parental leave ranking: 10 (tie)
Women in Illinois have the third highest median annual salary of all 50 states.
9. New York
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $31,385
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 23.96%
Average length of a woman's work week: 35.9 hours
Parental leave ranking: 3
The Empire State boasts the highest quality day cares on the list, along with one of the lowest gender pay gaps (coming in at 86.9%).
8. Rhode Island
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $31,387
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 25.19%
Average length of a woman's work week: 34.5 hours
Parental leave ranking: 4
The smallest state in the US places eighth due to its generous parental leave policies and high number of pediatricians.
7. Maine
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $33,011
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 18.54%
Average length of a woman's work week: 35.1 hours
Parental leave ranking: 14
These rankings put the Pine Tree State's ratio of female to male executives at an impressive 67.73%.
6. Massachusetts
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $35,014
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 21.94%
Average length of a woman's work week: 34.8 hours
Parental leave ranking: 10 (tie)
The most populous New England state receives a first-place ranking in school quality, and features a slightly shorter work week for women than most of the states on the list.
5. Connecticut
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $34,773
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 22.09%
Average length of a woman's work week: 35 hours
Parental leave ranking: 5
Excellent schools and generous parental leave policies propel Connecticut to fifth place on WalletHub's list.
4. Delaware
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $37,505
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 18.04%
Average length of a woman's work week: 36.1 hours
Parental leave ranking: 20 (tie)
Delaware places third when it comes to number of pediatricians per 100,000 residents. It also came in seventh in the category of day care quality.
3. New Jersey
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $37,560
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 18.16%
Average length of a woman's work week: 35.7 hours
Parental leave ranking: 7
The Garden State received a boost in the rankings from its top-notch schools, coming in second in the category of school-system quality.
2. Minnesota
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $40,427
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 18.75%
Average length of a woman's work week: 35.2 hours
Parental leave ranking: 12
This Midwestern state benefits from a low female unemployment rate of 3.2% and comparatively low child care costs, which clock in at 18.75% of a median women's salary.
1. Vermont
Median women's salary (adjusted for the cost of living): $31,948
Childcare costs (adjusted for the median women's salary): 20.40%
Average length of a woman's work week: 35 hours
Parental leave ranking: 9
The Green Mountain State snags the top spot, boasting a comparatively small gender wage gap, a low female unemployment rate, and a high number of pediatricians per 100,000 residents.
