Nanny.org (AKA The International nanny Association) does a salary survey every year, and nannies/agencies work together to put the word out and get as many responses as possible.

The issue is that it is generally a "word of mouth" set of responders, so nannies who aren't in the loop for whatever reason may not see the pleas for responders.

It has it's faults, but is a generally decent guide, just like the Park Slope Parents survey.

Anonymous wrote:It all depends if your idea of a nanny is a custodial caregiver , or an educator. The two are vastly different. For instance, the former allows for tv time; the latter understands that children do not learn best from a tv.

Something to reconsider.......

Anonymous wrote:I would check out nanny.org. They do a salary survey every year.

Any idea how they gather their nanny surveys?
Seems a bit odd that you'd have no clue.....

Is that true?

Isn't the salary survey done mostly through the agencies and the nannies that they place...?

OP here. Thank you, 16:16. The salary survey of nanny.org (for 2010) is here: http://63.128.2.87/document.doc?id=7

Could it be that contractors and nannies who represent themselves (no middleman with an invested interest in low-balling fair value of services) are in the better position of securing fair compensation?

I would check out nanny.org. They do a salary survey every year.

"Is there any other profession where you are expected to earn less, ONLY because it's a new job, or would you say this phenomon is unique to nannies?"

Well, it isn't accurate to say that the rate changes only because the job is new. No two nanny jobs are alike. Working conditions and benefits change, number of charges, location. The rate reflects the requirements necessary for the job, not necessarily the person.

And, no, this is not unique to nannies. There are a lot of industries like this. Contractors in many fields have the same issues.

Any proactive advice by MBs, PNs or even agencies?

Agencies tend to lowball the true cost of top nannies.

Most of the highest paid nannies that I know, get their jobs by word of mouth.

It all depends if your idea of a nanny is a custodial caregiver , or an educator. The two are vastly different. For instance, the former allows for tv time; the latter understands that children do not learn best from a tv.

Needs updating. But I suspect, given the bad economy over the past few years, that this is not terribly off:

http://www.4nannytaxes.com/index.cfm/resources/news-and-updates/dc-area-survey-results/

I know several nannies making $25-30 dollars an hour in the Los Angeles area. The catch is most of these nannies have several years experience and most of these jobs that pay in this range are very demanding (example- triplet babies, 24 hour shifts)

My suggestion would be to find salaries for comparable jobs in your area. Maybe find out what an elementary school paraprofessional makes, or what daycare salaries are. Those are the salaries that are going to be competing with what you offer to a prospective nanny. I nanny for one infant, and I make just a bit more than an infant assistant at a daycare center. I do not do housework in addition. Hope this helps.