How much should a nanny get paid?

[4ever2gether]

So my question is… How much to pay a nanny? I am a nanny of two wonderful little girls ages 1 and 2. As a nanny all I need to do is make sure the girls are well taken care of and that the dishes used throughout the day are cleaned, feeding them breakfast, snack and lunch, also taking them to the park and out for walks. Now as I have my job under control I took it upon myself to do the girls laundry and give them baths every other day. I work 32 hours a week, and get paid 640 every two weeks. This family is expecting their third child which will mean starting in October I will be taking care of a 1 and a 2 year old and a new born. What do you guys think is a reasonable pay rate at this point?

 

$640.00 is a bit low for a nanny position in my area but because I needed a job right away I decided to take to offer while I found myself something better, but I have found to like this job, therefore I am looking to negotiate with the family on a pay rate.

 

Thanks for the advice in advance!

[annie24]

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i found this site. I don't know very much about nannies and how much. i see you are getting paid $10 an hour. do they cover any of your health care or anything else? transportation costs? 3 kids = more work, so i can understand wanting a bit more money. though i assume that the mom will be around more after the birth.

 

do you know other nannies in your area and how much they get paid? $10 an hour doesn't seem great. are you able to support yourself?

[blueeyedme]

I think $320 per week for 32 hrs ($10/hr) is a fair rate for the two children - especially if this is a CASH job. Adding the third child, I would ask for $480 per week ($15/hr). If that's not feasible then you could settle for something less if you like the job and the parents.

 

Good luck!

[shuttlefish]

You should be making well over $1000.00 a month at this point. A third child you should get a few hundred more.

This is a difficult question since it really is a "market rules" field in that career. If there are alot of out of work nannys then the wages will get pushed down.

My friend, who has a nanny, looks after one kid (grade school) is NOT live-in and is termed "a foreign worker" pays $2000.00 a month. This is Canada though so maybe the laws are different there. I think the term is "au pair" or something like that.

 

Regardless, I strongly suspect you are working too hard for the money you are making.

[shuttlefish]

Does anyone know the minimum wage in California? I should be at least that I would think.

[annie24]

they should be paying taxes for you as well. (or witholding 15-20% of your pay.)

[annie24]

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$8 an hour is minimum wage in california.

[BellaDonna]

I seems that you are being paid low. You should look at what other nannies in the area are charging and also what the daycares are charging. A nanny provides individualized one-on-one care so their rates are usually higher than some daycares.

 

I guess, like other have mentioned, it also depends on whether this is in cash or not, etc. If you are currently making $320 per week- you can break that down into $160 per child, per week- so if you stick to that standard you should be adding another $160 for the new child- bringing your rate up to $480 per week, $960 over 2 weeks.

 

Use the $480 per week as a starting point, and negotiate lower if you see fit.

[doityourself]

I pay $200/wk for 2 kids at a home sitter.But in my area that is super cheap.

 

A daycare runs anywhere from $180-$220/wk for one child here in IL.

[annie24]

just a question - i don't have children so i don't know.

 

is having 2 children actually double the work of having 1 child? and is 3 50% more work than 2? in some ways, yes, because of feeding, but maybe with laundry, you just throw it all in together? is a 3rd child perhaps only 30% more work?

 

of course, i don't know. it may be helpful to 'journal' how your time is spent in a given week so you have the data to back up how much effort an extra child will take.

[CaptainNapalm]

In my opinion $10/hr is peanuts when you really have the sole responsibility to take care of and ensure safety of two children. I would say a fair rate would be $10/hr for one child, $15/hr for two children and $18/hr for 3 children. If I were you I wouldn't ask for a raise until a third child comes along (if infact it is soon) and then I would suggest you ask them for $18/hr which would generate you $576/week.

[4ever2gether]

Thank you for all the replies! I know I am getting paid way under for the job, and I had thought that maybe asking for 425-450 a week would be good. I just don't know how this family is going to do this, they are struggling on 320 a week... how should I bring up this subject on the pay with my boss? any ideas? I just feel like i am stuck because they are struggling and then on top of that to ask for an increase. I don't get vaccation time, sick time, or anything like that.

[WickedSunrise]

I use a website called Sitter City for babysitting jobs, and they have a rate calculator. Try this!

 

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It can also really depend on your area. In my hometown, I make $15 per hour no problem. But where I go to college, the highest I can get is $8-10. (These are rates with 8+ years of experience, and full CPR first-aid certification).

[CatsMeeoow]

Well in all honesty she needs to be discussing this NOW with her employer...

 

Have they actually said they want you to continue after the third child is born? What if the mom is going to not be needing you when the third one comes along. If they are struggling at $320/week now... they may sit down and calculate that with a third child they may not make enough to pay for care with one of their salaries. There is a good chance you'll be dismissed... if so you need to be looking for a new job NOW.

 

Don't bamboozle the parents and wait until the third child is there to ask for more money... discuss it now before they are wiped out and exhausted. Its fair to for both you and your employer to keep each other informed. Ask now if they will be needing you when the 3rd child arrives AND since it will involve more work for you negotiate a fair compensation. It seems less underhanded to do it now... if you are a really good nanny and their children like you they will want to keep you!!! Good trustworthy care is hard to find... so be confident.

 

 

[Seraphim]

I like this advice because I would be looking for a new job too in this circumstance. If they can barely pay for 2 the chance that you are going to get a raise for the third is slim to none.

 

It kind of makes you wonder why they would have the third when they can not pay the care costs

[BellaDonna]

just a question - i don't have children so i don't know.

 

is having 2 children actually double the work of having 1 child? and is 3 50% more work than 2? in some ways, yes, because of feeding, but maybe with laundry, you just throw it all in together? is a 3rd child perhaps only 30% more work?

 

 

 

If an infant is added into the mix, as the 3rd child, it increases the workload significantly. They need to be fed every 2-3 hours and have several diaper changes (up to 10+ per day- more for those that are on breastmilk). Feedings are time consuming with an infant, especially for those little ones that need extra encouragement to burp. They go through laundry very rapidly. If the infant has any digestive issues (colic/reflux) it will be a lot of work in addition to the standard above. Soothing them can be a time consuming task.

 

Usually daycares will charge more for babies under age 1 for that reason.

 

How difficult it will be to add a new baby into the mix will depend a lot on the ages of the other 2 children as well. All kids are different but as a general rule I would find it very difficult to have a toddler (who wants your constant attention and activity- and is testing boundaries all the time) in combination with a newborn infant. Whereas smaller babies with one another or small babies with older siblings can be balanced.

 

I am a nanny of two wonderful little girls ages 1 and 2.

 

Adding an infant to THAT mix sounds like a lot of work.

[abitbroken]

What other benefits are you getting? Do you sleep there? Do you get to use their computer and other resources during the day while the kids are napping, etc, or things you would normally have to by yourself or pay for? Also, are you sharing meals with the children - you aren't having to pay for groceries out of pocket for what you eat? if you are looking at other jobs on their computer, are eating breakfast and lunch there, and have other benefits, than I don't think you are being paid slave wages. I do think that you should discuss with them about the third child coming. Are you expected to stay on during the maternity leave as a mother's helper and then nanny the third child? Or are they not wanting you.

 

Also, I would wonder how long have you been with them? The time would dictate the exact approach, I think?

 

I would not ask for a raise based on the two, but I would address the issue of what would happen with the baby. Address the need first - tell them you know things will change with the new baby and do they want you to continue. I bet that if you bring it up, they will make some sort of an offer.

 

Also, I would consider a part time job on the weekends if you need a little extra right now in the meantime. $10 an hour is not maybe the ritz but its not slave labor. There may be a limit to what the job is going to pay, etc, in the end.

[CatsMeeoow]

I like this advice because I would be looking for a new job too in this circumstance. If they can barely pay for 2 the chance that you are going to get a raise for the third is slim to none.

 

It kind of makes you wonder why they would have the third when they can not pay the care costs

 

I don't thinks its about not being able to afford but strictly a numbers game....

 

My friend was a stay at home mom because she could not find a job that would pay her enough (at time no college education) to allow her to make a living and then pay for daycare for 2 kids... What was the point in working if you were only bringing home $100.00 a week?

 

Then figure in the cost of gas going back and forth to work... wear and tear on your vehicle... cost of lunch during day... and you could easily be in the negative....

 

It made much more sense for them to watch their budget and live on one income while she stayed home for the first several years of their kids lives.

 

Of course you also need to factor in things employment can provide... sometimes great benefits make up what you aren't taking home too!

 

So all I was saying is that the couple in question may do the math and realize that they could get by on one salary now that they have three kids rather than paying more in childcare.

 

Good luck to the OP!