Anonymous wrote:Agree: $14-16/hr for 1 child, room for $0.50 annual raises and reassess when if there is child #2, 3-6 hours of preschool, regular school etc.
You are constantly redoing the job specs as children need more or less time, or adding more cooking, cleaning to fill up a 6-10 hour day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Let her list the position at this rate and see the applications come in. If she finds a number of good candidates who are happy with this rate, here's your proof.

Agree. The nannies on this board are ridiculous in their rate claims. OP -the other thing to keep in mind is that you should negotiate. Nannies have their rate that they hope to get, the rate that they pragmatically think they will get, and the rate that they will accept. If a nanny asks for $20, just politely tell her that this is beyond your budget and you are only offering X. Every nanny who initially asked for a higher rate, quickly came back and said she was interested in the rate that we were offering.

Its not nannies, its nanny if she's even that. She makes the same claim on every rate thread. Please don't think she represents us all.

Anonymous wrote:

Let her list the position at this rate and see the applications come in. If she finds a number of good candidates who are happy with this rate, here's your proof.

Agree. The nannies on this board are ridiculous in their rate claims. OP -the other thing to keep in mind is that you should negotiate. Nannies have their rate that they hope to get, the rate that they pragmatically think they will get, and the rate that they will accept. If a nanny asks for $20, just politely tell her that this is beyond your budget and you are only offering X. Every nanny who initially asked for a higher rate, quickly came back and said she was interested in the rate that we were offering.

Let her list the position at this rate and see the applications come in. If she finds a number of good candidates who are happy with this rate, here's your proof.

Anonymous wrote:$16 or $17/hour isn't a wild claim. It's a good rate in DC.

Why are you so offended by the truth?

Anonymous wrote:In NW DC, the going rate is anywhere between $12-18/hr.

Personally, I would offer $16-17/hr for one child with only child related duties involved.

The person who told you the starting rate of $20/hr is nuts. Very rare for a single child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Right, benefits are included. Generous vacation and health insurance.

We already have a nanny. I'm trying to get a sense of whether the rate I am paying is competitive, and when someone recently told me that the rate for one child is $20, I was shocked, so I wanted to get a sense of whether that was the rumor mill or really true. It will help me benchmark.

College educated, 10 years experience.

What are you paying her currently? You don't have to pay $20/hour to be competitive, but less than $18/hour and she has more options/potential better offers. I have a degree and 5 years of full time experience, and I have no problem finding an $18/hour job, $20 is more difficult.

We pay comfortably above $20/hour. To me, the question is whether the additional money is worth the additional work of two kids, driving to activities, etc. I guess it just depends on what the nanny wants/likes to do. And if the going rate is really truly $20/hour for one infant, then I would say that I need to reevaluate compensation.

If you pay "comfortably above $20/hr", you are at the higher - very much higher end of nanny compensation that usually implies special skills or unique disadvantages to the position (like very few hours or inconvenient hours). Bluntly speaking, you are paying above market.

The starting salary for an infant, even for an experienced nanny, is not $20/hr, it's closer to $15/hr. Infant care doesn't really require much from nannies. You get into needing more from nannies when kids are preschool or elementary age (more of a governess type), but at that point they are usually in preschool or school long enough to make full-time nanny care less than practical. If you have two children or other complications, that's different.