OP you missed the threads on the older board from nannies talking about how they had great reference. good experience, legal, driving and couldn't find more than $12 an hour in NOVA. There were lots of chiming in on how hard it is to find even $15 an hour.

1. Negotiate in terms of weekly gross against guaranteed hours not hourly amounts. It is safe to assume that when a nanny says 15 she means average (we never saw one nanny who quoted base rather than average). Negotiating in terms of weekly gross/total guaranteed hours resolves any confusion if you run into an oddball like one of the PPs.

2. Budget for around $15 an hour and 10% additional for employer taxes/workers comp etc. Do not accept anyone who wants you to pay their taxes or work under the table.

3. Do not advertise or offer your rate upfront. Ask candidates what their previous salary was and expected salary or salary range would be by the end of the phone interview. If someone asks for $18, just tell them that this is higher than what you were budgeting (don't give an amount) and ask if they would like to still do an in person interview. Weed out anyone who is asking for way too much. There expectations are unrealistic for your market and they may end up being a PITA rather than a good nanny.

4. Make your final offer decision based on the candidate your select. Nannies here have this impression that parents should just pay the most that they possibly can which is not how market economics work. If you have two great candidates, one who asked for 12 and one who asked for 15. There is nothing wrong with offering $12 to the one who asked for $15 if you liked her slightly better. If she declines, go with candidate #2.

Anonymous wrote:I work in Alexandria and I get paid $20 an hour.A fair salary would be $18 to $20 an hour for one child.Make the salary attractive so your nanny would stay with you and would not be looking for a new job after she starts with you.

FWIW, I live in Alexandria as well, and have had a nanny for 8 years there. No way is $18-20/hour "fair". That is almost unheard of. Not saying a few don't get it. But - trust me - it is VERY VERY rare. The reality is that there are a ton of good nannies looking for work in this area. $15/hour is spot-on.

Anonymous wrote:
You must be joking, 20:09.


Not at all actually.

$18-$20/hr for one kid in Alexandria is an extremely inflated salary.

Not in DC, PP, if you have only one child.

My current employer pays me $21 an hour and will be giving me a 5 percent cost of living increase

Anonymous wrote:I work in Alexandria and I get paid $20 an hour.A fair salary would be $18 to $20 an hour for one child.Make the salary attractive so your nanny would stay with you and would not be looking for a new job after she starts with you.

You are a rarity, if you're telling the truth. That is way too high for 1 child.

Anonymous wrote:You must be joking, 20:09.

Not at all actually.

You must be joking, 20:09.

I'm so glad that people are being honest here. Back on tbe other forum, the prices were so inflated it was insane!

I work in Alexandria and I get paid $20 an hour.A fair salary would be $18 to $20 an hour for one child.Make the salary attractive so your nanny would stay with you and would not be looking for a new job after she starts with you.

Most DC nannies negotiate for guaranteed hours.

OP, you should pay $13/hr at most for a nanny caring for one child with no additional responsibilities. Legal, with contract, and paying appropriate OT.

I don't know about others (those on the East Coast), but when I negotiate a rate, I don't mean average, I deal with base rate! UNLESS you are guaranteeing me 45+ hours per week, and will pay for all of it even if not used, I want to know what I am making for my 40 hours and then get OT for whatever amount is used. I do not want to get an average rate picked out so that you can pay me a certain weekly amount for 45/50 hours and then only use me for 40 and pay me even less.