Lots of low paying positions right now on care/sittercity

[Anonymous]

I live in an area that's very comparable to DC, pay wise. I am an experienced nanny looking for a position and it amazes me the offers I'm getting for $8-$12 per hour for multiple children, housework and shopping/errands. I was a nanny for 10 years before opening a home daycare 3 years ago. I have 25+ childcare related professional development certificates, CPR and first aid.

7 years ago I had no problem finding positions paying $16-$18 and hour for one child and no housework, now I'm looking for positions with 7 more years of experience and all these certificates and no one wants to offer more than $12/hour.

Has childcare changed this much since I last looked for a job in 2007? Is it this way in DC as well? It's very frustrating and discouraging! I could get a better paying job as a school secretary and that may be the way I go. Right now I'm interviewing for school jobs for $16+/hour plus great benefits. I love being a nanny and don't want to give up on that.

Any advice to better market myself or find families who will value and therefore pay for my experience?

[Anonymous]

Times have changed. Any of us have experienced huge pay decreases, especially in government contracting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Times have changed. Any of us have experienced huge pay decreases, especially in government contracting.

I think this is true. The last time you were looking was before the recession. People were splurging on all sorts of things; I remember people talking about bidding wars for nannies prior to 2008! Fewer people feel comfortable spending beyond their means now, which reduces the number of available jobs and raises the competition, and even those who can afford it are more cautious in their spending (though the economy is improving, so maybe this will change).

In the DC area, for example, private schools have seen a dip in enrollment while public schools are bursting at the seams, even in marginal school districts. People just aren't spending like they used to.

That said that seems like a major change in pay in general. Not sure what's going on there!

[Anonymous]

I'm seeing the same thing OP. I haven't been looking for a job for about 4 years, and the vast majority of jobs on their aren't worth my time. I recognize that people are tightening their wallets, but it baffles me that to so many that means they'll cheap out on the nanny? Um no. It means you CAN'T AFFORD ONE. I'm not going to live below the poverty line so you can afford your luxuries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm seeing the same thing OP. I haven't been looking for a job for about 4 years, and the vast majority of jobs on their aren't worth my time. I recognize that people are tightening their wallets, but it baffles me that to so many that means they'll cheap out on the nanny? Um no. It means you CAN'T AFFORD ONE. I'm not going to live below the poverty line so you can afford your luxuries.

Well, that's probably true. It also means that there are fewer jobs to go around. It may be that you can't afford to keep being a nanny if that's the best there is ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm seeing the same thing OP. I haven't been looking for a job for about 4 years, and the vast majority of jobs on their aren't worth my time. I recognize that people are tightening their wallets, but it baffles me that to so many that means they'll cheap out on the nanny? Um no. It means you CAN'T AFFORD ONE. I'm not going to live below the poverty line so you can afford your luxuries.

Well, that's probably true. It also means that there are fewer jobs to go around. It may be that you can't afford to keep being a nanny if that's the best there is ...

Eh. Yes there are fewer jobs to go around, but I have no worry that I will find one, thanks! There are still good jobs around, its just kind of appaling the amount of $10-$12/hour jobs people are posting (and having a hard time filling). There's a woman in the DC area that posts every month or two offering $10/hour for her 3 kids, 50 hours per week, must speak Russian, and do housekeeping. Parents need to get their expectations in line with their financial realities.

[Anonymous]

I smell a troll.

[Anonymous]

"$10-$12/hour jobs people are posting (and having a hard time filling)."

That's great. The lack of response those posts get is the signal the family needs that their rate is too low. That is how people find out what a fair rate is - by getting no takers at a bad rate, just the same as most businesses would have trouble selling things they are over pricing. The market sounds like it's working.

[Anonymous]

You are worth what people are willing to pay. If families are only willing to pay $10 an hour, then that is what you are worth. Day care does not make sense often with multiple kids. If a parent makes $22 an hour, minus taxes, insurance and all the extras, their take home pay could be $12-14 an hour, so $10 to them is reasonable.

[Anonymous]

You are worth what people are willing to pay. If families are only willing to pay $10 an hour, then that is what you are worth. Day care does not make sense often with multiple kids. If a parent makes $22 an hour, minus taxes, insurance and all the extras, their take home pay could be $12-14 an hour, so $10 to them is reasonable.

[Anonymous]

OP here and I'm not a troll, just a frustrated nanny looking for work for a wage worth my while and only finding cheapskates.

I just returned an email to a mom who upon reading my $500-$800/week salary requirements asked me "what are you really looking for?" I told her $500 is my minimum for 25-30 hours per week. She responded that I am "obserd" and that she couldn't "fathum" paying someone that much to take care of her very easy children.

I very nicely let her know that as a childcare provider with...
3 years experience owning and operating a licensed home daycare
5 year infant only experience
10 years as a professional nanny for only 3 families
18 years as a babysitter
Over 150 hours of childcare related professional development
Several Early education college courses
And CPR and first aid certified

That I very much deserve the $19.60 that I quoted her for 25.5 hours for housework, errands, driving her children around and caring for 2 children under 4.

I'm so discouraged by the state of affairs in the nanny profession. 90% of parents want the most the can get for the cheapest person willing to take the job. Where do highly qualified nannies go to find decent paying positions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are worth what people are willing to pay. If families are only willing to pay $10 an hour, then that is what you are worth. Day care does not make sense often with multiple kids. If a parent makes $22 an hour, minus taxes, insurance and all the extras, their take home pay could be $12-14 an hour, so $10 to them is reasonable.

Those parents can't afford my rate and have no business disrespecting me for my "absurd" salary requirements just because they can't afford the salary I've spent most of my life working towards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are worth what people are willing to pay. If families are only willing to pay $10 an hour, then that is what you are worth. Day care does not make sense often with multiple kids. If a parent makes $22 an hour, minus taxes, insurance and all the extras, their take home pay could be $12-14 an hour, so $10 to them is reasonable.

Ha! If only it worked like that huh parents? That you could just name a number snap your fingers, and suddenly that's the market rate for whichever nanny you like? Get real. People are just beginning to see the realities of private in home care. It is expensive, and if you're making $22/hour is not a realistic choice for you, especially if what you want is a highly experienced, highly recommended, bilingual, degreed nanny. If you insist that you need a nanny, for $10/hour you can have one of the broken English, or lazy/incompetent models.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I'm not a troll, just a frustrated nanny looking for work for a wage worth my while and only finding cheapskates.

I just returned an email to a mom who upon reading my $500-$800/week salary requirements asked me "what are you really looking for?" I told her $500 is my minimum for 25-30 hours per week. She responded that I am "obserd" and that she couldn't "fathum" paying someone that much to take care of her very easy children.

I very nicely let her know that as a childcare provider with...
3 years experience owning and operating a licensed home daycare
5 year infant only experience
10 years as a professional nanny for only 3 families
18 years as a babysitter
Over 150 hours of childcare related professional development
Several Early education college courses
And CPR and first aid certified

That I very much deserve the $19.60 that I quoted her for 25.5 hours for housework, errands, driving her children around and caring for 2 children under 4.

I'm so discouraged by the state of affairs in the nanny profession. 90% of parents want the most the can get for the cheapest person willing to take the job. Where do highly qualified nannies go to find decent paying positions?

Word of mouth. I stopped playing games with these out of touch care.com-ers years ago. If you are experienced and established as you say, reach out to your network and let them know you're looking. They know you're rates and your worth and hopefully won't waste your time with someone not up to par. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I agree with PPs that people are tightening their belts and not spending as much as they used to, but I think that a lot of it comes from families who can't afford nannies that want to put on this act that they are wealthier than they really are. I live in a suburb of a major city, and not many people can afford what I would consider a decent salary for a nanny in the area, yet Care.com is filled with ads in the area for people wanting to pay $5 an hour for someone to work for 60 hours a week, teach their children a foreign language, cook meals, clean, etc. Having your kids in daycare isn't really as "glamorous" as having a nanny apparently.