While some doulas are members of Doulas of North America (DONA), others
practice without affiliation. There are at least 12,000 certified doulas across
North America.
Some do work for free -- new doulas may offer their services for free until
they become established.
Income is taken solely from the amount charged per birth. Since most doulas
are private contractors, they work out payment with parents on an individual
basis.
Ellie Shea, a member of DONA based in Torrance, California, says fees for
U.S. doulas range from $200 to $500 or more for advanced doulas. "There's
broad variation in fees. Everything from volunteer doulas to $1,000 in upscale
communities.
"No woman will be denied a doula if she wants one. So a sliding scale is
used, or [a] referral [is] given to a low-cost or volunteer or trainee when
a client cannot pay the usual fee."
Earnings and employment information from the U.S. Department of Labor is
not available for this field at this time.