Have you been meticulously preparing every element of your baby’s arrival, from drafting a birth plan to determining how you’ll deal with labor pain?
Another thing to think about is if you want to employ a doula, a trained labor companion.
A growing number of parents want to avoid medical intervention during birth.
While many hospitals and doctors opt to let the process unfold naturally (rather than inducing labor or using other medical means to speed things up), a doula can provide additional assurance that you get the birth experience you desire.
Being a doula is a hard job because you need to do a lot of things at once, and you need to make sure that the mother is in a good position both mentally and physically.
Since it is hard, you might ask how much do doulas make and which state pays them the most?
According to ZipRecruiter, San Mateo, CA, is the highest paying state for Doulas, paying 26.0% higher than their national average salary, followed by Green River, WY, and Johnstonville, CA.
Keep reading to find out the actual hourly and yearly salary for Doulas.
Summary
| Guide | How Much Do Doulas Make? |
|---|---|
| Average Income | $15,000 to $100,000 per year |
| Highest Income | More than $100,000 per year |
| Education Qualification | Not compulsory |
| Training | Needed |
Who Are Doulas?
A doula provides knowledge, physical, emotional support, and advocacy to women and their partners during and after the delivery process.
Unlike other practitioners like obstetricians, nurses, and midwives, Doulas do not provide medical advice or perform clinical tasks; they are not doctors or trained medical professionals.
However, they give vital support and help throughout labor and delivery, making the process simpler for the midwife and the expecting mother.
During labor, a birth doula gives emotional support as well as help with breathing, posture, and relaxation.
A postpartum doula provides education and information, infant care, and domestic aid to the entire family throughout the transition to caring for a new baby.
Clients can employ doulas directly, they can work for a clinic or hospital, or they can volunteer.
How Much Do Doulas make?
The pay of a doula varies widely according to where she works, how much training and experience she has, and how many hours she works each week.
Doula wages can range from $15,000 to $100,000 per year, depending on the rates they charge and how many deliveries they attend.
However, there is a per birth fee structure charge, and prices for birth doulas often range from $250 to $1000 for each birth they assist.
Per birth fee structure is the most common one among doulas. Doulas who are well-established and experienced might easily earn $1,000 each birth.
Many doula professionals combine birth services with other work, although some are full-time doulas.
1. How Much Do Doulas Make an Hour?
Doulas make a minimum of $15.24 an hour and a maximum of $87.50 an hour.
2. How Much Do Doulas Make a Month?
Doulas make a minimum of $2,642 a month and a maximum of $15,167 a month.
3. How Much Do Doulas Make a Year?
Doulas make a minimum of $31,701 a year and a maximum of $182,009 a year.
Highest Salary Of Doulas In 2023
Doulas can earn a lot of money, and there might not be a limit on how much they can make because the majority of doulas work on the basis of per birth rather than getting an annual salary.
This means they get as many clients as they want and charge them their prices which could be a premium price if they have a lot of experience.
Top 10% of doulas charge their clients $2,000 per birth and can earn more than $100,000 annually. This is a tremendous increase from the average salary.
How Much Should I Charge as a New Doula?
Is Being A Doula Good Or Bad?
Being a doula is extremely tough mentally because it requires a lot of things from your side, both physically and mentally.
You need to be sympathetic and ready to be patient with everything the mother needs or does because they are giving birth, and their mental health might not be as solid as yours.
Many people do not want to take this risk and do not choose this profession, but if you believe you can do it and enjoy doing it, being a doula could be a good choice.
Pros And Cons of Being a Doulas
Pros
- You’lle be playing a key role in a woman’s life
- Does not require a degree
- Good money
Cons
- High resposibility
- Emotionally draining
How To Become A Doulas?
Here’s how you can become a Doulas:
- You do need much academic qualification; you will, however need some tough soft skills.
- Doulas training and certification is very important, though.
- A birth doula must take birthing training, nursing classes, and birth doula classes and witness a certain number of births.
- A birth doula typically has to complete 7 to 12 hours of childbirth education, 16 hours of birth doula training, and two to five births.
- A postpartum doula typically completes 27 hours of postpartum doula training and provides postpartum assistance to two or more people. A postpartum doula also learns home visiting techniques and how to care for babies and moms.
- Both types of doulas need to learn about cultural diversity, ethics, and business practices.
Read: How Much Do DJs Make?
How Many Hours Does Doulas Work?
Doulas work up to 7-10 hours a day during the prenatal and post-partum period; during the labor period, they might have to stay for 3 hours to 3 days.
Also, Doulas need to be available on the phone all the time so that they can help the mother with any difficulties that they may face.
What is the Starting Pay of Doulas?
The pay for Doulas varies greatly from place to place. On average, the starting pay of Doulas is $15.24 an hour or $2,642 a month.
Some Doulas also make as much as $15,167 a month with more training and skills.
Doulas Training Programs
It is advisable to obtain certification through one of the various programs available to advertise oneself as a doula and gain the skills and information needed to begin taking clients.
Instructor-led or self-paced online programs offer you all you need to start and get your training.
The finest online doula training programs include a thorough curriculum that covers all elements of prenatal and postpartum care and requires students to pass an exam at the end to be able to get the certification.
You can find your local school that provides these training programs in the best way possible and start working on your training and education right away.
Conclusion
As you can see, being a doula is definitely not an easy feat, and not everyone can do this profession because it is mentally tiring and requires a lot of effort in any way you can think of.
However, if you get experienced enough, the salary is pretty rewarding and could be a good career path.
FAQ
How much do doulas make when they are in training?
When you are in training, you are officially not working; you are studying to get your certification, which means you are not getting paid.
How much do doulas make when they start to work?
When you start working and do not have enough practical experience, you tend to earn the lowest amount possible.
How much do doulas make when they have a lot of experience?
When you have a lot of experience and are one of the most experienced doulas out there, you can earn like you are in the top 10%, which would equate to around $2,000 per birth.
Shefali Jain is a Content Writer & Editor at USWorkforce.org
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes. In her time at the organization, she has written and edited content on a range of topics, including employment law, human resources, and business management.
ARTICLE SOURCES
The US Workforce has a policy of producing high-quality content that follows industry standards by using primary sources, such as white papers and government data, alongside original reporting from reputable publishers. We also follow an editorial style where appropriate information about the topic can be found with due credit given when applicable.