Average cost for Nanny?

[Anonymous]

Wondering how much on average a nanny costs in this area? It would be FT, live out, and transportation needed.

We are starting our search, and will have a newborn (3 months), and our 2.5 year old, who will be starting PT preschool in the summer.

Also, any recommendations on services, agencies to try?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

OP, where in the area are you located? It does matter. Depending on your location, and each specific nanny candidate, it will be somewhere between $15-$20/hour.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! We are in McLean, Va

[Anonymous]

Also, do you want the average broken-English type you commonly see, or the professional nanny who might cost 25+/hr?
The best thing is to start looking for what you want, and ask her what her rates are.

[nannydebsays]

Anonymous wrote:Also, do you want the average broken-English type you commonly see, or the professional nanny who might cost 25+/hr?
The best thing is to start looking for what you want, and ask her what her rates are.

OP, a professional nanny is not going to cost you $25/hour. You can find a nanny to fit your needs without paying a ridiculous rate.

First, determine your budget. Keep in mind that nannies look at wages differently - some may simply want to know the weekly rate, some may want to know the "average hourly" rate, and some may assume that if you say you are paying $15/hour that means you are paying $22.50 for all hours over 40. Here's a breakdown of what I mean, based on a 50 hour week and a wage of $750/week:

1) weekly rate = $750
2) average hourly rate = $15/hour
3) Hourly rate = $13.64, Overtime rate = $20.45

You also need to take into account the cost of being an employer (generally adding 10% to the weekly wages will cover your share of taxes), and you'll need to add some extra to cover any nanny tax services you might want.

Second, write out your full job description - do you want a nanny who is fully focused on childcare and does NO housework at all, do you want a nanny who does housework pertaining to the kids, do you want a nanny/housekeeper who will clean your house and watch your kids? Generally, the more housework that does NOT pertain to the kids, the higher the hourly/weekly rate.

Third, start running an ad with a good job description to see what sort of candidates your offered rate is bringing in. If you find you are not attracting the quality of candidates you want to hire, you will either need to decide if you can up the pay rate, or choose a different type of childcare.

Once your ad and offered rate are bringing in candidates you like (based on initial email and phone screening), start in-person interviews. Narrow your choices down, have each top candidate come to work a few hours with you around, and finalize your decision.

Make an offer to your top candidate, negotiate, and write up a work agreement with her.

[Anonymous]

nannydebsays wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, do you want the average broken-English type you commonly see, or the professional nanny who might cost 25+/hr?
The best thing is to start looking for what you want, and ask her what her rates are.

OP, a professional nanny is not going to cost you $25/hour. You can find a nanny to fit your needs without paying a ridiculous rate.

First, determine your budget. Keep in mind that nannies look at wages differently - some may simply want to know the weekly rate, some may want to know the "average hourly" rate, and some may assume that if you say you are paying $15/hour that means you are paying $22.50 for all hours over 40. Here's a breakdown of what I mean, based on a 50 hour week and a wage of $750/week:

1) weekly rate = $750
2) average hourly rate = $15/hour
3) Hourly rate = $13.64, Overtime rate = $20.45

You also need to take into account the cost of being an employer (generally adding 10% to the weekly wages will cover your share of taxes), and you'll need to add some extra to cover any nanny tax services you might want.

Second, write out your full job description - do you want a nanny who is fully focused on childcare and does NO housework at all, do you want a nanny who does housework pertaining to the kids, do you want a nanny/housekeeper who will clean your house and watch your kids? Generally, the more housework that does NOT pertain to the kids, the higher the hourly/weekly rate.

Third, start running an ad with a good job description to see what sort of candidates your offered rate is bringing in. If you find you are not attracting the quality of candidates you want to hire, you will either need to decide if you can up the pay rate, or choose a different type of childcare.

Once your ad and offered rate are bringing in candidates you like (based on initial email and phone screening), start in-person interviews. Narrow your choices down, have each top candidate come to work a few hours with you around, and finalize your decision.

Make an offer to your top
candidate, negotiate, and write up a work agreement with her.

Do you seriously not know any nannies who earn $25+ an hour??

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks all for the feedback. Do you usually place ads in craigslist, and on these nanny forums, or have better luck going through agencies?

[Anonymous]

MB here. Nanny Deb - as usual - provided really helpful and accurate information.

OP - try your neighborhood listservs (and ask friends or your real estate agent etc... to check on their listservs or if they know anyone) - that's where I've had the greatest success. Family to family referrals can be fantastic - lots of information about the nanny, lots of solid work history, knowledge of the neighborhood/area, etc...

[Anonymous]

We are near you (vienna) and got over 60 responses from an ad on care.com. Not many from the same ad on Sittercity.

[Anonymous]

Another MB who thinks NannyDeb is spot on with her advice.

[nannydebsays]

No, PP at 22:00, I seriously don't.

I know 1 nanny who makes over $20/hour, but most of the nannies I know don't work for VIP's, or high-end families who outsource their child-rearing 24/5 or more a week.

We make good money, working for good upper-middle-class families. And we bring value to those families that hire us. We are neither entitled nor neglectful. We're just women who love kids, love our work, and do the best job we possibly can while living our own lives outside of the job.

I am sure that all the nannies making $25+ per hour also love their work, but I wonder if they actually enjoy their jobs and their lives away from work. Money isn't everything, wouldn't you agree?

I'd rather make less and work for people I like and respect who enjoy spending time with their kids, as opposed to working for people I disliked, who are disrespectful, and who see their kids as expensively cared for pets who were kind of a bother whenever the nannies weren't around to manage them.

[Anonymous]

nannydebsays wrote:No, PP at 22:00, I seriously don't.

I know 1 nanny who makes over $20/hour, but most of the nannies I know don't work for VIP's, or high-end families who outsource their child-rearing 24/5 or more a week.

We make good money, working for good upper-middle-class families. And we bring value to those families that hire us. We are neither entitled nor neglectful. We're just women who love kids, love our work, and do the best job we possibly can while living our own lives outside of the job.

I am sure that all the nannies making $25+ per hour also love their work, but I wonder if they actually enjoy their jobs and their lives away from work. Money isn't everything, wouldn't you agree?

I'd rather make less and work for people I like and respect who enjoy spending time with their kids, as opposed to working for people I disliked, who are disrespectful, and who see their kids as expensively cared for pets who were kind of a bother whenever the nannies weren't around to manage them.

I take it that you're not in one of the larger metro areas, like NYC, DC or LA. As you must know rates differ across the country. When we talk rates, it's useless when we don't know where you are.

[Anonymous]

I am a nanny who makes in the $20-25 an hour range for nanny jobs. I don't feel most nannies should be making that much. Maybe only about $15 an hour, if even that. I am in the DC metro area. I also have years of experience, excellent references, always go above and beyond what a family asks for. I know my position is to help a family with their children, not have a family serve me. I don't sit at the park and talk to other nannies while my charges are playing, I play with my charges. I have taken extra classes in child care and have a degree. The families I work for know I am trustworthy and I take my job seriously.

[Anonymous]

Another MB here who totally agrees with Nanny Deb. it depends a lot on what you want in a nanny. We also live in McLean and pay our PT nanny $18/hr. She doesn't have a degree in child care and only a few years of actual nanny experience but we pay more because she's PT. She also does the children's laundry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another MB here who totally agrees with Nanny Deb. it depends a lot on what you want in a nanny. We also live in McLean and pay our PT nanny $18/hr. She doesn't have a degree in child care and only a few years of actual nanny experience but we pay more because she's PT. She also does the children's laundry.

Maybe Nanny Deb is in the Midwest somewhere no one earns as much as in the larger metro areas.