The ideal situation is for the wife to be a homemaker and the husband to learn all day. For those of us without independently wealthy parents, it becomes necessary to work for a living.
Frum women have always worked outside the family. While some jobs are prohibited to women (most of which we can’t discusses on YWN), the real issue is how much a woman wants to work outside the home, can she arrange childcare (very easy if her sister or sister-in-law is available to babysit), etc. Beyond that, everything depends on what she wants to do. As with anyone else, making a lot on money usually results in long hours, risk taking and hard work. Whether it is worthy it is an individual choice. Running a small business out of the house is easier than being a vice-president of a Wall Street investment bank, but it brings in a lot smaller income.