Nannies what do you feel is a comfortable living in this area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bring home $500 after taxes and I am not comfortable. Currently working on changing that.

Hope your employers aren't lawyers or doctors. They make that in an hour or two.

Uhh, lawyers don't. Not even big firm ones, unless you're talking about partners.

How many hours, ok, DAYS, does it take you to earn $500.00 gross?

Listen, I'm not denigrating anyone's need to have a roof over their head, but surely you understand why a lawyer or a doctor might make a ton more money than would a nanny? The simple economic reality is that if you have a job that has no official education, certification, or compliance requirements, there are going to be a ton of people willing and able to do the job. Willing and able to do it well? Probably not, but the simple fact of a huge flood of supply for relatively little demand is going to keep prices for the service down. Particularly when purchasers of the service have no standard method of evaluating candidates, of being able to assume what services they will be providing, etc. Literally anyone can make a profile on Care.com and advertise themselves as a "nanny."

You can't do that if you're a doctor or a lawyer until you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and pretty much your entire third decade toward education, followed by passing official certifications that are well-known to be extremely difficult. There's a reason most of us aren't doctors or lawyers and why most of us aren't making doctor or lawyer money. Nowhere close. Because the rest of us haven't put forth the money and time to get that kind of a return on our career path.

If you're asking someone to pay $25/hour for a service, you need to be able to let them know exactly what you will be providing to them that is so far over and above what the huge pool of nannies will provide who will happily take $15/hour (and yes, there are tons of nannies available that will at least accept a job at this rate in the DC area).

If you're really upset about nanny pay rates, then work on distinguishing yourself from the mass of available workers who will keep your children alive for very little pay. How are you going to PROVE to employers that you are worth $25/hour? Just like any other professional job really - by having glowing references in long-term positions, by acting like a professional day-to-day, by knowing your craft inside and out, by showing certifications and trainings that you have put yourself through, etc. I'm not saying that there aren't nannies who don't absolutely deserve these rates, but you can't expect people to just happily pay $10/hour more just because you insist that you're really great and that you deserve to put a roof over your head.

And if you're not able to put a roof over your head on a certain career path that doesn't require any education or certifications, even if you actually do have an education, then start making motions toward getting yourself into a career path where you can rather than blaming employers for not just forking over more money. There are lots of careers in which, education or not, you're not going to be able to have a comfortable living. That's a fact of life. If you want to make lots of money, you typically have to be in a career that has a higher barrier to entry. And unfortunately, and here's where we should be getting angry, many of these are typically female career paths. Not because taking care of children is inherently less important than being a doctor or a lawyer, but because that's how our society sees it right now and we pay people in those career paths accordingly.

Net. Both parents are doctors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I bring home $500 after taxes and I am not comfortable. Currently working on changing that.

Hope your employers aren't lawyers or doctors. They make that in an hour or two.


Uhh, lawyers don't. Not even big firm ones, unless you're talking about partners.

How many hours, ok, DAYS, does it take you to earn $500.00 gross?


Listen, I'm not denigrating anyone's need to have a roof over their head, but surely you understand why a lawyer or a doctor might make a ton more money than would a nanny? The simple economic reality is that if you have a job that has no official education, certification, or compliance requirements, there are going to be a ton of people willing and able to do the job. Willing and able to do it well? Probably not, but the simple fact of a huge flood of supply for relatively little demand is going to keep prices for the service down. Particularly when purchasers of the service have no standard method of evaluating candidates, of being able to assume what services they will be providing, etc. Literally anyone can make a profile on Care.com and advertise themselves as a "nanny."

You can't do that if you're a doctor or a lawyer until you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and pretty much your entire third decade toward education, followed by passing official certifications that are well-known to be extremely difficult. There's a reason most of us aren't doctors or lawyers and why most of us aren't making doctor or lawyer money. Nowhere close. Because the rest of us haven't put forth the money and time to get that kind of a return on our career path.

If you're asking someone to pay $25/hour for a service, you need to be able to let them know exactly what you will be providing to them that is so far over and above what the huge pool of nannies will provide who will happily take $15/hour (and yes, there are tons of nannies available that will at least accept a job at this rate in the DC area).

If you're really upset about nanny pay rates, then work on distinguishing yourself from the mass of available workers who will keep your children alive for very little pay. How are you going to PROVE to employers that you are worth $25/hour? Just like any other professional job really - by having glowing references in long-term positions, by acting like a professional day-to-day, by knowing your craft inside and out, by showing certifications and trainings that you have put yourself through, etc. I'm not saying that there aren't nannies who don't absolutely deserve these rates, but you can't expect people to just happily pay $10/hour more just because you insist that you're really great and that you deserve to put a roof over your head.

And if you're not able to put a roof over your head on a certain career path that doesn't require any education or certifications, even if you actually do have an education, then start making motions toward getting yourself into a career path where you can rather than blaming employers for not just forking over more money. There are lots of careers in which, education or not, you're not going to be able to have a comfortable living. That's a fact of life. If you want to make lots of money, you typically have to be in a career that has a higher barrier to entry. And unfortunately, and here's where we should be getting angry, many of these are typically female career paths. Not because taking care of children is inherently less important than being a doctor or a lawyer, but because that's how our society sees it right now and we pay people in those career paths accordingly.

Well said, PP. very well said.

[Anonymous]

No one is ever guaranteed a comfortable living. We all work for a market wage. We can negotiate a little better or worse at the margins, but most jobs come with a built-in ceiling above which no one will pay. The ceiling is pretty low for nanny jobs--probably lower than most of us consider enough to live comfortably--because there are more nannies then there are jobs and no regulation of the trade to help parents differentiate the true experts who are worth $20 per hour or more from the sweet and competent but not necessarily expert. The latter group is fine for many people, but they are always going to be worth less on the nanny job market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is ever guaranteed a comfortable living. We all work for a market wage. We can negotiate a little better or worse at the margins, but most jobs come with a built-in ceiling above which no one will pay. The ceiling is pretty low for nanny jobs--probably lower than most of us consider enough to live comfortably--because there are more nannies then there are jobs and no regulation of the trade to help parents differentiate the true experts who are worth $20 per hour or more from the sweet and competent but not necessarily expert. The latter group is fine for many people, but they are always going to be worth less on the nanny job market.

The highest earning nanny dictates your so-called built-in ceiling. Your "ceiling" can easily fluctuate tomorrow, if she accepts a better offer.

The value of anything is always going up or down depending on "the market." In the nanny world, that market can be the woman around the corner who can pay your amazing nanny more than you do. Just one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is ever guaranteed a comfortable living. We all work for a market wage. We can negotiate a little better or worse at the margins, but most jobs come with a built-in ceiling above which no one will pay. The ceiling is pretty low for nanny jobs--probably lower than most of us consider enough to live comfortably--because there are more nannies then there are jobs and no regulation of the trade to help parents differentiate the true experts who are worth $20 per hour or more from the sweet and competent but not necessarily expert. The latter group is fine for many people, but they are always going to be worth less on the nanny job market.

The highest earning nanny dictates your so-called built-in ceiling. Your "ceiling" can easily fluctuate tomorrow, if she accepts a better offer.

The value of anything is always going up or down depending on "the market." In the nanny world, that market can be the woman around the corner who can pay your amazing nanny more than you do. Just one.

You revived a two year old thread just to indulge your rant?

That's kind of sad PP.

[Anonymous]

Child care is said to be more expensive here than anywhere else in America. Basic cost of living is also very high now.