You cannot compare nanny jobs to office jobs. In an office position there is considerable freedom You can talk to other adults and are free to go out to lunch. You have much better benefits of sick and annual leave. Your boss is not a woman who is jealous of you taking care of her children. Rarely, are you micromanaged the way so many nannies are micromanaged. At your quitting time you can walk out the door where as nannies have to wait for their employer to arrive home and many are habitually late. Then they have to send another 10 minutes filling you in on the child/children's for day. Personally, you are very lucky that so many women choose to be nannies and they should be paid a lot more than $25-$30/hr. FWIW, I am not a nanny. |
Many office jobs are not flexible. And, you are entitled to minimum wage and anything more is employer choice. If you want a professional salary, find another career field. |
You math isn’t mathing, op |
Seriously!! I swear people have been posting on this board for at least 10 years that nanny wages are $18-20/hr or even up to $25. I’m sorry but has YOUR wage increased in the past 10 years? Be real! |
Can you give some examples? OP didn’t get into the weeds (some of the nanny’s cost can be offset with an FSA, for example, and the parents might be eligible for some tax credits if their income isn’t too high), but in general OP’s premise is correct - working parents essentially get “double taxed”: using taxable income to pay for nanny + paying the employer portion of nanny’s taxes with post-tax dollars. |
Anyone else picking up some misogyny / reinforcing the patriarchy on this thread?
Domestic labor has never been valued. Like teachers, nannies and caregivers have never been a highly paid field. Even pediatricians, who literally save children’s lives, are on the lower end of doctor salaries. But I don’t think attacking working moms is the answer. I see some people on this thread arguing “you should stay home and raise your own kids.” And while they aren’t specifically saying that to women, it seems clear that if we reach some sort of childcare crisis, working moms are the ones who will sacrifice their careers. But it’s feels like this simplistic way of thinking - moms, either pay your nannies six figures or get out of the workforce - really only benefits men and the status quo. Would nannying be considered “unskilled labor” since it requires no schooling or other qualifications? I just don’t see our country embracing a higher wage for nannies / childcare workers. I wish they would. I also wish our country would treat stay at home moms better. SAHMs get screwed in several ways (retirement, for example, and not contributing to social security). I’d love for SAHMs to make a salary. |
1.1 Million families hire nannies in the US. So you're indicating the average nanny salaries increased by 50% in 2 or 3 years? Went from $20 to $30?!!! While obviously none of those families got even a 20% pay increase during this time. And according to you all those families can no longer afford a nanny because obviously they don't make more. And lets say half of that 1.1 million families fall in this catagory. So now 550,000 families should fire their nannies because they can not give a 50% raise when their salaries are still the same, which you indicate means "they can not afford" a nanny. Great, you just solved the problem. So half the nannies in this country just got a 50% raise, and the other half just lost their job! Good thing you're not an economist, and lets hope you're among the ones that gets a raise and not loose your job. Because another more experienced nanny just lost her job, and will be competing with you over the same job posting. |
No nanny deserves $35 an hour |
They deserve a minimum of $250.00 hr if they have to put up with you! |
DC minimum wage is $17, MD is $15, and VA is $12. Do you expect nannies to make minimum wage or close? You're willing to accept a "nanny" who is on her first job? |
A live-in nanny may decrease your costs and her exposure. |
Private care is the luxury, not daycare. The IRS doesn't separate babysitters and nannies, so where are you getting your data? |