How to Pay Yourself as a Doula
How to Pay Yourself as a Doula
And Why I Think Financial Self-Care Is the Missing Piece to Doula Sustainability
Let’s talk about something that way too many doulas are avoiding: how to actually pay yourself.
Not “how to make money.”
Not “how to raise your rates.”
I mean the real, adulting stuff: How do you know what to pay yourself? When? How often? And how do you make sure there's enough money to actually make that happen?
Why Paying Yourself is Self-Care
Let’s start here: paying yourself well is not greedy, it’s self-care.
It’s what allows you to do this work long-term without burning out, going broke, or giving up.
Too many doulas are amazing at giving to others but never stop to ask:
“Am I taking care of myself financially?”
You deserve a paycheck that reflects the emotional, physical, and energetic labor you give to every family you serve.
Step 1: Know What You Actually Need to Earn
Don’t just pick a random salary goal out of thin air. Instead, reverse engineer your income:
Start by calculating your monthly household expenses. This includes rent/mortgage, food, car, insurance, utilities. Everything you need to survive and pay your bills.
Whether you're the sole provider or contributing a percentage, this is the minimum you need to pay yourself from your business.
Once you have that number, you can determine how many clients (at your current rate) you need to take to meet it. And if the math isn’t mathing? It might be time to raise your rates or reassess your offerings.
👉 Remember: the math has to math. Don’t build a business that can’t support the life you want.
Step 2: Plan Ahead for Taxes (and Stop Stressing!)
If tax time makes you panic, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here’s a simple system that works:
Look at what you paid in taxes last year.
Divide that number by 52 (weeks in a year).
Set up an automatic weekly transfer from your business account to a separate savings account labeled “Taxes.”
If you’re newer and unsure what you’ll owe, a good rule of thumb is to set aside 30% of your weekly or monthly income for taxes.
✨ Bonus tip: Read the book Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. It’s been a game changer for me and so many doulas inside my My Doula Village membership (we read it together and have been implementing it) to understand how to manage our money as a business owner.
Step 3: Track Your Business Expenses
You are running a business, which means you have costs. These might include:
Doula certifications or memberships
Liability insurance
Software like QuickBooks or eDoula.biz
Your cell phone, internet, marketing, etc.
Add up your annual business expenses, then divide by 12 (or 52) to get a monthly or weekly average.
And PS: Your salary is your #1 business expense. Treat it that way.
Step 4: Save for Retirement. Yes, You!
No matter your age, it’s time to start thinking about retirement.
Whether you’re 22 or 62, it’s not too late and not too early to start an IRA.
Being a doula is beautiful, but it’s also demanding and one day, you’re going to want to rest without stress.
If you're in My Doula Village, I have an entire training with my personal financial planner on how to get started (and I promise it’s not as scary as it sounds).
Automate Everything (Future You Will Thank You)
The less you have to think about moving money around, the better. Set up:
Automatic transfers to your personal account (your paycheck)
Automatic tax savings
Automatic retirement contributions (even a small monthly amount adds up!)
Automatic payment of your bills - bonus points for seeing what you can pay annually to save $$
Taking this off your mental plate gives you more space to focus on your clients, your family, and your wellbeing.
And Don’t Forget Your Profit!
This is where the fun comes in.
Set aside 1 - 5% of every dollar you earn into a Profit account. Every few months, use that money to reward yourself with something meaningful, a new pair of skis, a spa day, a solo coffee date with a good book. This is your thank you to yourself for building something brave and beautiful.
You Deserve to Get Paid
You’re not “just a doula.” You’re a business owner. A care provider. A guide who helps people through one of life’s biggest transitions.
You deserve to be paid well. To plan for your future. To create a business that doesn’t just survive, but thrives.
Let this be the year you stop winging it with your money and start owning your worth.
Want to go deeper?
Join me inside My Doula Village where we’re hosting a 7-day Financial Foundations Challenge to help doulas set up all of this - with checklists and support from a community that gets it.
Need more clients?
Now that you know how to pay yourself, ready to pay yourself more? Get me free cheat sheet on How to Get Doula Clients here.
