In almost a third of married or cohabiting couples in the United States, women bring in half or more of the earnings, a significant increase from the past.Simply in most couples, men contribute more of the income, and this aligns with the fact that Americans place a higher value on a human'southward part as financial provider.

Roughly seven-in-x adults (71%) say it is very of import for a man to exist able to support a family financially to be a good husband or partner. By comparison, 32% say information technology'due south very important for a woman to do the same to exist a proficient wife or partner, according to a new Pew Inquiry Centre survey.

Men are particularly probable to place a greater emphasis on their function as financial providers. While a virtually equal share of men and women say a man needs to be able to provide for his family to be a good husband or partner (72% and 71%, respectively), men are less probable than women to say the same nearly women. But a quarter of men say this is very important for a woman to be a good wife or partner, compared with 39% of women.

However, the importance of being the financial provider ranks behind beingness caring and compassionate when it comes to being a practiced spouse or partner, in the public'southward interpretation. Overwhelming majorities say it is very important for men (86%) and women (xc%) to have these qualities to be good spouses or partners.

The nationally representative survey of 4,971 adults was conducted Aug. 8-21, 2017, using Pew Research Center'southward American Trends Panel.

In roughly two-thirds of married or cohabiting couples, men earn more than than women

As women in the U.S. take increased their labor force participation and earning power, their contributions to household incomes have grown. These trends, along with the fact that women with college levels of education and income are more likely to marry, have boosted the economic status of married households. Today, married adults are much more than likely to live in upper-income households than are non-married adults.

At the aforementioned fourth dimension, income dynamics among couples take shifted. In 1980, only 13% of married women earned more than than or about as much every bit their husbands. By 2000, the share had risen to 25%. Today, 31% of women who are married or cohabiting are contributing at least half of the couple'south total earnings (including 28% who earn more than than their married man or partner and 3% who earn about the same amount). In 69% of married or cohabiting couples, the man earns more than than the woman, though this is down from 87% of married couples in 1980.

The relative fiscal contributions of men and women differ significantly past the educational attainment of each partner. In about half (49%) of couples in which the husband and wife are both at least 25 years old and the woman has more education than her male partner, she also earns at least as much as he does. In 29% of couples where both people accept the same level of education, the woman earns the same equally or more than the homo. That share falls to 20% in couples where the man has more instruction than his wife or partner.

Views about who should exist providing for family diverge forth socio-economical lines

Adults with lower incomes and less didactics are more probable to place a high value on a spouse or partner'south ability to provide for a family unit – whether that spouse is a human being or a adult female. Roughly eight-in-ten adults ages 25 and older (81%) with no education beyond loftier school say that, for a man to be a good husband or partner, beingness able to back up a family financially is very important. Amid those with some college feel 72% say this, and the share is smaller still amid those with a four-twelvemonth higher degree (62%).

The pattern is similar when information technology comes to a woman beingness a good wife or partner. Four-in-ten high school graduates say beingness able to financially support a family is very important, compared with 29% of those with some college and 25% of those with a bachelor'due south degree or college.

Adults in lower-income families are more than likely than those in higher-income families to say being able to financially support a family is very of import for making a man or woman a good spouse or partner. For example, 41% of adults with family unit incomes of less than $30,000 say this is a very important aspect for a adult female to have, compared with 23% of those with incomes of $75,000 or more.

Blacks and Hispanics are more likely than whites to identify a high level of importance on being able to financially support a family when it comes to being a good spouse or partner: 84% of blacks say this is very important for a homo, as do 78% of Hispanics. By comparing, 67% of whites say the aforementioned. And while 52% of blacks and 40% of Hispanics say it is very of import for a woman to be able to provide for a family, merely 27% of whites agree.

There are historic period differences also. Adults ages 65 and older, for instance, are more than likely than younger age groups to say that a man should exist able to provide financial support for his family unit. Just the unlike expectations for men and women persist beyond age groups. Among adults ages 18 to 29, for instance, 64% say information technology is very important for men to be able provide for their family unit, while 34% say the aforementioned most women.

College graduates place more importance on having a well-educated spouse or partner

Views as well differ across demographic groups when it comes to other attributes of spouses or partners. For example, similar shares of men and women say information technology is very important for men to contribute to household chores to be good spouses or partners (57% vs. 58%). But men and women accept somewhat different views about the importance of this attribute in women. Seven-in-10 women say contributing to household chores is very of import for women, while 56% of men agree.

Younger adults view contributing to chores around the house as well-nigh equally important for men and for women, but older adults are more likely to encounter this equally an important attribute for women than for men. Amidst adults ages 65 and older, 65% say it is very important for a woman to contribute to household chores to be a good spouse or partner. By comparison, 52% of adults in this historic period group say this is very of import for a human being to be a good spouse or partner.

Equally far as educational attainment, men and women overall tend to agree on the importance of a man or a woman being well educated in club to brand a good spouse or partner. But college graduates are more likely than those with lower levels of education to say this is very important. Among adults ages 25 and older with a bachelor's caste or college, 40% say beingness well educated is very important for a woman to exist a good wife or partner, compared with thirty% of those with less pedagogy. When information technology comes to the importance of a human being well educated, 44% of those with a bachelor'due south degree or college say this is very important, compared with 32% of those with less education.

Blacks and Hispanics are also more likely than whites to emphasize the importance of beingness well educated in society for a homo or a woman to be a good spouse or partner. About one-half of blacks (50%) and Hispanics (49%) say that this is very important for a woman, compared with 28% of whites. Similarly, 49% of Hispanics and 45% of blacks say that beingness well educated is very of import for a human, compared with 32% of whites.

Note: See total topline results and methodology hither (PDF).

Kim Parker is director of social trends research at Pew Inquiry Centre.

Renee Stepler is a one-time enquiry analyst who focused on social and demographic trends enquiry at Pew Research Center.