Hi! I recently advertised for help on Craig's List. The position was in Bergen County, NJ. I require someone mature with their own car M-F to come to my home by 6:30 AM, get my 2 kids dressed and ready for school and drive them about 5 miles to their school. I was thinking it would take about 2 hours a day total adding up to 10 hours per week. I got many responses, the cheapest rate offered being $125.00 per week. This seemed outrageously high to me! As I have never hired outside help before can anyone advise me if I am right and current childcare providers are grossly overcharging or is this really the going rate for childcare now? Thanks.
Friday
Am I Being Grossly Overcharged?
Received Friday, February 6, 2009
Hi! I recently advertised for help on Craig's List. The position was in Bergen County, NJ. I require someone mature with their own car M-F to come to my home by 6:30 AM, get my 2 kids dressed and ready for school and drive them about 5 miles to their school. I was thinking it would take about 2 hours a day total adding up to 10 hours per week. I got many responses, the cheapest rate offered being $125.00 per week. This seemed outrageously high to me! As I have never hired outside help before can anyone advise me if I am right and current childcare providers are grossly overcharging or is this really the going rate for childcare now? Thanks.
Hi! I recently advertised for help on Craig's List. The position was in Bergen County, NJ. I require someone mature with their own car M-F to come to my home by 6:30 AM, get my 2 kids dressed and ready for school and drive them about 5 miles to their school. I was thinking it would take about 2 hours a day total adding up to 10 hours per week. I got many responses, the cheapest rate offered being $125.00 per week. This seemed outrageously high to me! As I have never hired outside help before can anyone advise me if I am right and current childcare providers are grossly overcharging or is this really the going rate for childcare now? Thanks.
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I wouldn't say you're being grossly overcharged. You might be able to find someone to do it for less, but in general, the less you pay, the lower quality of care you get.
You could try to offset the cost by finding another family nearby who wants to carpool in the morning, and do a nanny-share.
For those who don't know, "Bergen County ranked 18th among the highest-income counties in the United States in 2006 in terms of per-capita income."
(From wikipedia)
While $125/wk might be really high somewhere else, in that part of NJ it's probably reasonable, as most nannies there probably make more than average.
that equals about $12.50/hr for 2 kids, not bad. I am paid $12/hr for one child in ny (not the city).
I would say it's not a bad offer, the $125.
Sometimes employers offer such weird hours, it's hard to even find help. Your lucky the economy is the way it is, and that's probably why you had so many offers. I'd take it.
I live in nyc and have family in that area of nj. You are not being grossly overcharged. That comes out to $12.50/hour which is a reasonable (perhaps even on low end) for 2 kids. Not to mention you are asking someone to come very early and just work for two hours a day while using their own vehicle (and I assume you expect them to pay for the gas).
I am usually a dissenting employer opinion on here about feeling nanny salaries have gotten pretty inflated (since most people on here are nannies and, understandably, lobbying for higher pay). I have seen a *noticable* decrease in nanny salaries recently and a huge increase in those looking for work. However, the numbers seem to be going down from $15/hour cash to $12-13 and still not below what you are seeing. Though I'm sure a further decrease is yet to come as with salaries in all areas IMO.
If you can only afford a certain amount, I personally think it's fine to place a very specific ad stating the hours and salary you are offering. Then people can choose to reply or not if they want the job. I know people love to ridicule the low-ball CL WTF ads on here, but I don't think there is anything wrong with placing an employer ad. It's a market economy. People can either take the job or not and that will tell the employer more than any outraged "that's slave labor!" replies. So, OP, post what you are willing to pay and be honest about the job requirements. Then you'll only get replies from those in your range and if you get no applicants, you'll know you need to pay more. I ALWAYS think you should post a job with the salary though and not wait for people to make offers, especially in childcare.
$12.50 an hour is very reasonable. I live in Westchester County and pay my 20 year old babysitter (who works 6 hours a week) an hourly rate of $17/hour. Generally the few hours the job, the higher the hourly rate you pay. My nanny is on a full time salary and if you broke down her $600/week salary hourly it's $13.33 an hour. (Although since she gets paid the same amount whether she takes a few hours off to run personal errands while the kids are in school, or if she calls in sick or takes a personal day or if she's on vacation, it actually would be slightly higher.) I don't know of any babysitter who would do a few hours a day for less than $15/hour.
OP, think about what you require.
You need someone who is very prompt and extremely reliable to arrive very early in the morning. You also need them to use their own vehicle to drive your kids to their destination. That means you need someone with a reliable car; reliable cars cost money to maintain.
Also, it needs to be worth someone's while to get up that early everyday and provide the service. $125.00 per week seems reasonable, I wouldn't do what you are asking for less.
Good luck in your search!
$12.50 an hour is not being grossly overcharged. Would you really trust someone with your kids that would charge less?
OP, I'm not sure what you do for a living or your financial status. I do know there are some areas of Bergen County that aren't as affluent as others.
I don't know what the case is with you, but for what you need, $125.00seems very fair. If it's too high, please follow the sound advice given and place a new ad stating your requirements and the salary you can comfortably offer.
My 16 yr old neice makes $10 an hour in Michigan to babysit....so the rate of $12.50 an hour is pretty good....why is it people want to cheap out when it comes to their kids....this isnt where you want to "save" money. Give me a break.
I have never posted on here before.
I think I interviewed with you OP.
You live in a waterfront condo, with a vast view of NYC. Your two kids attend an exclsive, private academy.
You wanted me to prepare breakfast for your children, assemble and pack their lunches, help them dress and see to their daily hygiene, and then drive them to school.
If this was you, I am the one who asked for $125.00 per week and you called me outrageous. You said you were looking to pay around $75.00 cash per week.
If this was you, you can easily afford my rate you just didn't want to pay it.
If this was not you, please forgive me. I mean no disrespect .
I am not OP and have no idea if she interviewed with the prior poster. However, I hate when people assume you can pay a certain amount based on appearances. I think I'm in agreement with 99% of the readers on here in finding the occasional commenter Helaine (or something like that) comically ridiculous in her disdain for her employees and her intentional attempts at sounding oh-so-wealthy and stuck-up. However, she did make a comment recently that people sometimes try to charge her more than their regular rate after judging her wealthy and commented on how deplorable that is. I just have to agree with her on that.
We own a brownstone in Manhattan and have children in private school. When people hear that they make all sorts of assumptions about our level of wealth that are so incredibly inaccurate. I won't go into specifics, but suffice to say we too are just getting by like so many people. No, we didn't make a bunch of consumer overspending errors. We fell victim to a personal tragedy that has extended us beyond our means through no fault of our own. However, due to this event we need childcare more than ever. We have no support from family and need every bit of help we can get right now. No one who interviewed with us for a babysitting job would have any idea and if you judged soley by appearances I'm sure you'd be very wrong.
So, to May Be a Small World, perhaps you are right. Perhaps OP is wealthy and can afford $125. Perhasp she is being cheap. 12 bucks and hour isn't a lot for childcare. But, maybe, just maybe, there's more to her situation than you know and to judge that she "can easily afford my rate you just didn't want to pay it" is wrong on so many levels. Please try to think outside your personal sphere before making these kinds of judgements about someone you barely know.
That seems totally fair.
Don't look at it as just $12.50 an hour, think of the hours themselves. Very early, and not many! Families tend to offer/pay more when the hours are short because you need to make it worth it to the nanny to go there in the first place. When I was sitting in high school, a family might pay me $8/hr, but if I was only there two hours they would give me like $25 because $16 just doesn't seem like enough money for someone to split their day, drive over to your house, work, and drive home again... does that make sense? When you offer few/odd hours, you tend to have to pay more... and this isn't high at all in my opinion, and I'm not even in one of the areas where nannies make great money.
Oy, you're being mega cheap. You cannot judge this position by the hour. This is a flash in the pan, you have to pay more! I pay $50 a morning for someone to handle that and those hours. Why else would someone, except a poor neighbor even attempt to handle such a job?
Makes no sense.
Appearances and I miss austin both wrote very good posts (as did pretty much everybody here, actually.)
That seems like a very fair price to me. You may be forgetting that she has to also spend the time to get from her house to yours, spend money on gas, and put mileage on her car. That wouldn't be a big deal because people always have to get up and get to their jobs...but for such a short stint of work each day I think it does matter that you take into consideration the total time she will be spending making this happen for you, not just the two hours she is at your house. Not that you should have to pay her for commute time, but I think it would hardly be worth the time to take this particular job for much less. I haven't used babysitters in 10 years, when my oldest started sitting for the youngers, but I was paying $9.00-$10.00 per hour even back then and with no driving involved.
That's $12.50 an hour and you're asking someone to come over really early in the morning and to use their own car. i don't think it unreasonable.
"this isnt where you want to "save" money. "
so true. I dont know your financial situation, but if you can afford $125 a week then why not? Its not an absurd rate and these are your children. Cut back on some other spending if it will get them off to school safely.
$125.00 isn't alot. I live in Bergen County, too (Fort Lee). Most sitters here get about $15hr. I guess cause the cost is so high for everything.
Plus, you want someone to come in very early, just for two hours. And if they have to use their car (gas) (wear and tear) its not unreasonable.
Taxi service would be at least $15.00. So thas $75.00 right there. And then this person is at your house getting your kids ready in the morning and making breakfast.
And no offense but do you know how hard it is to get two kids out the door?!
You can always get the kids ready yourself. If your still home. What about a carpoole? Any moms in the area going that way?
Umm, at $125.00 per week-that is only paying $12.50 an hour, which in some parts is considered cheap for 2 children! And, you are asking the person to use their own car and gas and to be at your house rather early. i think $125.00 a week is cheap for your area!
I think you are getting an awesome deal there! I am a nanny in a upper middle-class area of Baltimore and I get $14/hour, plus gas money to drop the family's two childre off at preschool in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. I keep their infant with me all day, plus I take my infant along.
"And no offense but do you know how hard it is to get two kids out the door?!"
LOL.
LOL
I wrote that, because I have trouble getting one out the door!
: )
Ericsmom, I get 4 under 5 out the door...its a lot to juggle and it takes 15 mins (with bundling everyone up in the winter). But, its what I do for a living.
It cracks me up when parents who can't do the "job" themselves expect others to do it for pennies.
ericsmom,
I feel you, honey - I've got a slow one, too! LOL
omg I have TWO slow kids to get up and out in the morning, combined with a toddler who refuses to sit in his high chair! No matter how efficiently we plan the night before, it still takes my 3rd grade daughter 45-55 mins to get ready with all her obsessive little hair needs, matching clothes (despite picking them the night before), wanting to "rest" for a few minutes before getting up. Oh and then there's my lazy, messy, 1st grade, future husband in training, son who doesn't really care how long it takes, but would I PLEASE dress him because he's too tired to do it himself.
I understand it CAN be easy to get out the door quickly if you have kids who are relatively compliant, but certainly not with challenging kids who are not morning people. Kind of like moms who can't relate to picky eaters or bad sleepers until they have one of their own. Sorry to go off topic . . .
LOL Another Dawdler
My son is at that age. Everything is No. I am not a morning person, either. I guess thats why I want to work at nite. My son is like me a nite owl. And to top it off I have a husband that doesn't get home until midnite. So its just a family thing : )
Another Dawdler and I Am a Mom are you guys are your third cup of coffee by eight in the morning : )
Juggling nanny:
I hope you weren't directing your ending sentence towards me. I never thought $12 an hour was over the top. I mentioned in my area the nannies get at least $15per hour.
Wow, your boss must have been busy busy! Four kids under five.
Did you lose any hair yet?
I give you credit
ericsmom said....
Another Dawdler and I Am a Mom are you guys on your third cup of coffee by eight in the morning : )
At least! I'm a huge coffee drinker. It's really my only vice, and I entertain at least 5-6 cups through-out the day, LOL!
I do not think you are being grossly overcharged at all. Again, you are not offering many hours and besides gasoline, there are many other factors that this person you hire must deal w/. Wear and tear on the car, extra mileage, etc. I would hope you would not only pay her the salary, but add in some for gas/mileage reimbursement along w/your rate.
Please do not think of cutting costs w/your children. To get them to school on time, every day, fed and dressed and safe and happy is worth its weight in gold.
OP--should have thought of this in my earlier post, but one of the ways I determined what to pay my babysitter was to look at the rates families were posting on job boards on local college websites. I know you are lookiing for someone older than a college student, but it will give you a good feel for what people are paying in your area.
Just pay her what she wants. If you go lower you'll be sure to get someone unreliable, a thief or both.
Looking for a nanny on CL means you have to be extra diligent.
If it helps you feel more comfortable with paying someone for 125 per week think about this. You are also paying someone to wake up really early in the morning to be at your house by 630 am, you have to pay something that makes it worth their while for only 10 hours a week. also 125 is very reasonable if that includes gas. 5 miles to school so there and back is 10 miles...5 days a week- thats 50 miles and that adds up quickly in gas. so i think 125 is very fair. just my thought :o)
You are totally on the wrong track here Bergen County Mom. You should not be thinking about an HOURLY rate for those times and days but a DAILY MINIMUM.
An hourly rate is for someone who works an entire day. When I babysit at night, I always have a $50 minimum. Many people I know charge more than a $50 minimum.
Ericsmom:
I definitely wasn't aiming that to you! When I was looking for a new position it cracked me up at parents that wanted to pay next to nothing for loads of work.
I should add, that one of those 4 kids under 5 is mine. My husband and I have been talking about downsizing my vehicle for gas purposes, but I have to have my tahoe because I have 4 car seats, two of which are rear facing.
I watched a child for 2 hours a day 5 days a week and I got paid $25 for the whole week. I think $125 is a bit much, but I also live in Kansas City, MO. I'm sure things are alot pricier out your way!
Well heck Hollie
Why don't ya'll just move here. I would hire you for $25.00 a week.
Ummmmm...all kidding aside. Why would you settle for a little over $2.00 hr.
when i posted an ad before, people were giving me insane prices..so i learned my lesson. next time i placed an ad, i said x hours x amount...got a huge response as well. this way i dont have to complain about people giving me what they want instead i state what i can offer.
OP, what were you expecting to pay?
$100/week is only $10/hour
$75/week is only $7.50/hour
honestly, i wouldn't work for either of those. the lowest i will go is $12/hour. someone offered me $9 the other day and i was flabbergasted!
i suppose with the economy right now you might find someone to take it, but you get what you pay for. all the good nannies, the ones you want watching your kids, cost AT LEAST $12 (depending on area).
that's my opinion anyway.
I know the economy is bad. But I think some families try and take advantage of that. And offer lower wages.
What everyone else said. OP, you need someone who is responsible enough to drive safely and get your kids to school on time and fully prepared. I can only assume that you yourself have never had to get them out the door to school on time if you think it's a snap. And yeah, were you hoping someone would be willing to do it for $3/hr, minus the $2.50/gallon cost of the gas, and just never mind the cost of insurance and maintenance on their own car? In other words, you'd get free taxi service for your kids plus breakfast and lunch prep?
I charged $10/hr. for one child when I started nannying five years ago, also, if the nanny is driving her own car you need to account for gas milage.
For 10 hrs/week work I would say the least I would consider acceptable would be $100/month.
Appearances....are you kidding me?
While I agree people sometimes take advantage of those that seem well to do, the well heeled often take advantage of those they hire to work for them. Such would be the case if someone truly expected their babysitter to get to their house at 6:30 in the morning, prepare two meals, motivate two kids to get dressed and then play taxi, all for a whopping $7.50 per hour. Tell me Appearances, would YOU perform that duty at that rate?
I would never work for less than fifteen an hour.
I wouldn't want to have a five day commitment, traveling to and fro for just two hours a day.
I think you really need to consider that last part. You're taking up prime morning hours, I hope you aren't demanding a commitment?
Wow. Grossly overcharged? At $12.50 an hour? That's unbelievable! I live on the other side of the country (Seattle) but I make $18 an hour. And that's for one kid. Most of the nannies I know over here make about the same as me. I'm glad I live here and not Bergen County
Well $15 is the average. Alot of nannies make more than $15per hour.
Doesn't it always rain in Seattle?
Well, not always, but often. This time of year actually get really depressing, because we haven't seen sun for five months or so. Do you think that's why we get paid more? :)
Because of the time you need someone, the small number of hours, and the amount of work involved, I think you're lucky people haven't asked for $250minimum.
In the nanny industry, fewer hours = higher hourly rate. It's that simple.
Ha!,
No, I would not take OPs job offer for $7.50 an hour. Nor would I take it for $15 an hour, but that's because I am an anti-morning person and wouldn't take any job starting at 6:30am. However, that really has nothing to do with the point of my post. My point was that it is ridiculous to judge what someone "should" be able to pay based on their house, car, or where their kids go to school. You should charge a rate you feel comfortable with as a childcare provider (or in any profession) and if someone cannot or chooses not to afford your services, then it is not a good fit. It is inappropriate and unethical in my opinion to try to essentially shake someone down for money just because you think they are wealthy, when in reality it is impossible to know someone's true financial means based on a brief interview.
I would find it equally deplorable if an employer tried to lowball a nanny because she thought she could take advantage of someone due to youth, legal status, or other disadvantage. I don't see a difference between an exploitative employer or nanny, though I do agree that the former is a more common occurrence. I actually do not find it evil if OP wants to advertise the job at $7.50/hour and does so honestly. I don't buy into the slave labor theory because if there is no market for what she is offering (as I doubt there would be at that wage) then OP will have no applicants and will learn she needs to pay better. As you can see from her post, this is exactly what is happening. I also agree that in general you get what you pay for and even if OP finds someone to work for a lower wage that person has a pretty small chance of doing a great job. And if they are great are likely to get better job offers shortly.
Exploiting someone based on wealth or poverty or any other issue is pretty nasty. Offering to employ someone or work for less than stellar wages is much different than adjusting the pay scale (as nanny or employer) based on how much you think you can take advantage of the person who happens to be sitting in front of you. These are very, very different concepts.
Im not sure what your area charges. i am a babysitter, but i dont drive. i only charge $25/day, but for two hours and two kids, i would probably charge about 60-70 a week.
Really? Thats terrible Seattle Nanny. I thought we had it bad with all this cold and snow. Here it gets depressing too when the weather is like this. But hopefully by March we will get some nice days.
I am sure the pyschiatrist are doing well in your city!
With all due respect, Appearances can be deceiving, I can make a pretty good assessment of a potential client's financial situation based upon various factors such as the neighborhood they reside in, the type of home they have, the vehicles in the garage, the clothing they wear and the jewelry on their person. If someone in residing in a 3 million dollar home, driving cars costing upwards of $75k a piece and is wearing a gold and diamond Gerard Perigaux watch, I can be fairly certain they are quite well off. Appearances can't be that deceiving! :D
I didn't do the math, but 12.50 an hour for two kids is good.
I just started a job and I am making $10 an hour for one kid, and a raise is due in a month when my hours go up as well.
Sounds pretty good to me.
That's not a lot of money. Even though it's not a lot of hours. You have to think, this person will need to work around your schedule to work another job and probably has to drive more overall.
Usually the fewer the hours, the higher the hourly rate. Out here in Southern California it would probably be $18-20 per hour or $180-$200 per week.
No, you cannot break this down by the hour when the total hours are two. Any nanny agency or sitter agency will tell you about MINIMUMS.
How desperate are you folks anyway?
I wouldn't drive two block to drop my boss of a coffee for $25.00, I sure as hell wouldn't attempt to wrangle a mess of children at some God forsaken hour. Thank God no one has ever asked me such a thing!
I make $18.00 an hour in Westwood. I work 8 hour days 4 days a week and a 10 hour day on Wednesday. If my boss needs me on a Saturday or a shorter amount of hours, she always, always pays me more- usually $25 per hour for say 2 hours on a Monday instead of a whole day. Have some respect for your nanny!
OK so you want someone to wake up super early, drive to your home, hustle your kids to get ready, drive them to school and then be done, and all for less than $125 a week?
What were you thinking? $50 dollars or something?? You've got to be kidding me. You have to make it worth it. If you want someone who will show up late, call in sick, not remember to make sure lil Johnny has his lunch, then find someone cheap. If you want someone opposite, pay them at least $125 an hour.
I'd be asking for at least $15 an hour plus gas money.
Oops not $125! While that would be nice I know that is quite steep.
The minimum I would ask for in my area is $15 an hour but it depends on how far away they live as well. Honestly it's 6:30am! They would have to get up probably at 5am and leave their house by 6am. I'm thinking $50 a day is fair.
I get $75 just to spend the night with the Mother there and taking care of her kids....just in case she gets called into work. So basically $75 to sleep away from home. So $50 would be very fair.
I pay my dog walker $25 for a 20 minute walk in the afternoon. $125 a week is not much at all.
MetroNanny:
I completely agree with you! I interviewed for a family with 2 children + housekeeping duties and they offered me $9/hour! The catch is they owned 3 homes that were priced at $2 million or more EACH and owned 3 vehicles! I turned them down on the spot - the interview didn't last longer than 30 min.
If you own that much and are going through SUCH a difficult financial time - I think you should sell. And if you don't, I don't want to work for you because who knows if you are going to have any money in the next year! Your financial instability has a direct result on my job security.
And also OP, if you are collecting bids on ANY project, and all of them come in within the same ballpark, then that tells you clearly that that IS the going rate for the service. If one of them gives a high bid that is twice the price of all the others and you can't discern any variable factors that would account for the difference, THEN you know that that particular one was an attempt to grossly overcharge you. But if you get one quote that is substanially lower than all the others, you should be asking yourself why the price is coming in so cheap, and which corners are being cut to allow this low bid? You come off as just sounding like a clueless cheapskate.
Sounds like dog walking is more profitable than child raising. What's with our society anyway?
I'm also in Seattle, Nanny in Seattle!
I get paid 20 dollars an hour for 2 children and cannot wait for the sun to start shining!
I think that the OP is not being grossly overcharged, and as many have already said, because the nanny would only be working 2 hours a day, she should be making MORE per hour. How inconvenient it is to be there at 6:30 and have to schedule another job or school around your position for minimal pay?
12.50 an hour is VERY reasonable.
$12.50 an hour is grossly overpriced? No, no, no, and no.
I nanny for ONE child and get paid $19.50 an hour. When I baby-sit, I get paid $15 for one child ($17 for two), but only because I am not being expected to do other tasks such as children's laundry and Target runs.
I live in NYC and would not do that job for $125 a week, even if I lived in NJ. Sorry.
If you pay them any less than 12.50 per hour, that person will be doing you a favor, not working for you. If you want to pay less than that, find a relative with nothing to do that wants a little extra cash not a stranger who needs employment.
Strangers don't do people favors.
I once was hired at an Indian restaurant as a watiress at lunch shift. It seemed cool when I got hired, a two hour shift for 7.50 per hour...plus tips (I assumed). After my first shift was over I asked for my tips and was told that the kitchen staff (probably illegals) was paid by the tips and I just recieved the base wage. I worked two more shifts before realizing that getting all dressed up and driving accross town to work my butt off for 15 bucks was just not worth it. I quit.
Do you really want to hire someone who thinks it might be okay to make 75 a week only to have them quit a week into it when they realize its just not worth it? Then you will have to go through the hiring process ALL over again?? Think about it.
I think the OP went to hide in the closet.....
You are being cheap.
I can't stand those parents who have so much money but they want to pay the lowest possible to a nanny - but pay a lot for wines and designer clothes. I bet those stories of children being hurt by their nannies here on this website are of wealthy children.
They don't deserve it but are paying for their parents's actions.
STOP BEING SO CHEAP!!!!
I disagree. Those children who are mistreated by nannies in some sort of twisted vendetta against cheap parents are not paying for their parents' actions. They are paying for their nannys' actions. No matter what anybody does to you...no matter what...it is never acceptable to mistreat a child. If you do that, for any reason, it is on YOUR SHOULDERS, not the parents. Stand up and accept responsibility for your own actions. For gosh sakes, quit your job if your employers are not good...and if you EVER find yourself wanting to exact your revenge through a child...make sure your next job is not in childcare...PERIOD.
quittin time.Your statement was a bit broad and not all together true. I once watched a set of 2 yr old twinboys for a stranger who advertised on CL. I saw the ad begging for help..literally.
I watched those babies for 3 months,M-F from 7-8am until anywhere from 5-8pm. For free! Why,because a mommy truly needed help and it was a nice thing to do. MY boss had no problem with it and I felt fabulous doing it!
Strangers DO indeed,do people favors!!
I hope someday one does something nice for you,it is a wonderful thing that we all deserve to experience.
Strangers do favors too,
What an uplifting sentiment! I guess I was feeling pessimistic the other day! I know there ARE kind hearted people out there, unfortunately sometimes few and far between. You seem like one of them...you put a smile on my face!
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