Doula salary varies considerably from one city to another, across the states in the country and it can also vary in the same city or district depending on the place where one works and how much experience one possesses.
Job Description
A doula is regarded as an allied healthcare professional but a doula may or may not have professional or formal training. Unlike a midwife who is trained to deliver a baby along with providing assistance to the mother and the family through the phase of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care, a doula will offer all emotional and moral support along with hands-on guidance to the mother and the newborn but will not be trained to deliver the baby.
A doula is similar to a midwife in many ways. A doula is supposed to stay by the mother through the trimesters, depending on when a family hires the doula. A doula will be available on call, will spend an agreed amount of time every day or on scheduled days at the home of the expecting mother and educate both the mother and the father on various aspects of pregnancy and parenthood. A doula will, in most cases, be with the expectant mother and will offer assistance to a midwife. A doula guides the mother and the father through the pregnancy, offers emotional and moral support and sees through the delivery and stays around post delivery. A doula trains a mother to breastfeed, to handle the baby and offers insights to ensure that the baby and the mother can be discharged quickly from the healthcare facility or hospital.
Salary Of A Doula
According to a salary report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salary of a doula is about $29,000 per year. The hourly wage of a doula is usually between $10.00 and $35.00. The profession of a doula is not regulated by the government and thus there is very little official information on white paper that can help one to track the trends of wages of doulas. There are doulas who are paid less while there are many who are paid considerably more than the hourly wages mentioned here.
Salary Based On Experience Of A Doula
Like in any profession, more experienced doulas will earn more than those with little to no experience. A doula who has less than one year experience or is just starting out after formal training may earn less than $29,330 in the first year. This number can go up to $40,000 as one is more experienced and depending on where one practices and how efficient one is. As one progresses through the year, the income may increase considerably. Doulas may also cater their services to multiple clients at the same time. That can increase the income potential of a doula, albeit depending on the needs of every client.
The experience is not just weighed in based on the number of years one has practiced but also on the horde of services a doula specializes in. Since a doula may be a professional or a nonprofessional, the specializations can vary largely.
A doula often works with a midwife or in a network of doulas and midwives. But it is not uncommon to find a doula who is self employed and not associated with any organization or network.
Doula Salary Across Countries
Like in most professions, doula salary varies from one state to another and also across countries. In the UK, the salary of a doula is about 75 GBP per day. If a doula is needed to stay round the clock or spend 24 hours on a certain day then one can always charge much more than the 75 GBP.
In Australia, the average salary for a doula is 40,882 AUD per annum. Canada pays about 40,000 CAD per annum which is an average and may fluctuate considerably depending on where one is and how experienced one is.
Across the states in the US and across countries, the actual hourly wage, the yearly salary, bonuses and commissions will depend on where one practices and on the terms of employment. Doulas are entitled to overtime and that charge may depend on the mutual negotiation amongst the parties involved.
In the United States, a doula earns about $37,000 per year in Chicago while one in West Columbia in South Carolina will earn about $41,000. The salaries can fluctuate if a doula is of repute and is in much demand. The industry is not regulated which allows a good doula who has impeccable word of mouth reference to charge much higher than normal rates or the averages mentioned here. Some families may choose to pay more if they can afford it. If there are complications during pregnancy then a family may have to pay more for more experienced doulas.
