I’ve done temp and part-time nanny work. At the time, I wasn’t fussy about salary because I was still working part-time at the school. I plan on only working for families with kids 5 and under as I am trained and certified for those ages, and I also enjoy working with that age range the most. I would like to work live-out, no less than 34 hours a week, and no weekends, for up to 3 children. I am having trouble setting my hourly rate, and I don’t want to charge too high even though I have experience, nor do I want to sell myself short. I also insist on being paid on the books.Is $15 to $25 an hour too high for the Massachusetts/Rhode Island area? Also, what chores if any, should be a part of my job. I have no problem keeping up after the children, but I do not want to be the family housekeeper or errand girl. Lastly, what are good sites to look for jobs. I am already using Sittercity.com and Care.com Thank you, and any other tips and advice would be greatly appreciated.
hi I know how you feel trying to find the right job and wanting to be paid competitively and do well in life. I was wondering how much experience you have? or any degrees or certifications since I think that can make a difference. I usually charge 12-20 an hour on average (i live in the philadelphia suburbs) and have a degree in elementary and special education and find Im in the average here. You might lower it to 15-20 per hour perhaps. I also have used sittercity and care.com which have worked out pretty good but have gone through nanny agencies as well which can work out well depending on your agency. The one I have been working with just found me my most recent job and the pay through the agency is slightly higher because they help negotiate the rate. I wish you luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna be honest, your never gonna make $25 a hour with no full time experience unless you are dealing with multiple kids, have a masters, are cleaning the entire house and cooking. If you find a job that is reasonable and pays $25, ask it they have friends and let me know. Right now the average range in Boston/Cambride is $12-18. 12 for 1 child, 16 for two and 18 for a share. If you have a related degree, years of full time experience, CPR/first aid, can drive and experience with special needs then the pay range is $15 for one, 18 for two and 20 for share. Again this is just a typical range; benefits and responsibilities will either increase the rate or drop it.
ReplyDeleteI think your better off starting at 13/14-18 per hour. Don't price yourself out of the market because trust me their are a lot of great nannies looking (like me lol). And your best bet to finding a job is through personal referrals and ads on local mom groups. Sittercity and care.com is to competitive.
Also, I put in my contract that I am only responsible for child related chores, cleaning baby equipment, bottles, their dishes/laundry etc. I also add that I will clean up after myself and the child each day. If I like the family I will add light housework (sweeping, unloading dishwasher) at my discretion. Every detail is written in the contract and I make sure I cover my ass.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know more about your experience, age and degree to give better advice about this area. If you are starting out it might be hard to find a quailty job.
I am also a nanny in Massachusetts. I recently had to leave a job in the Metrowest area and I was watching an infant at $13 an hour. I felt that this was a fair price as I am college educated and had a lot of experience. My experience, however, was not full time, mostly part time or short term as I have always been in college until I graduated this past May. SInce you said Mass/RI area, If you are looking down in the south coast, where I live, the rate is a bit lower. In this area, I would say $11 for one child, then $2 per additional child per hour after that. I may be wrong but this is what I would be looking for at minimum. It also depends on the family, of course. If the family actually knows that a nanny isn't also a housekeeper but they are still looking for someone to do some housework, they should be paying you more. As BostontNanny suggested, make sure you lay out all the details in your contract. I do not think you will get $25 per hour either, but close to $20 for 3 children seems about right.
ReplyDeleteOP Here thanks for all the help!
ReplyDeleteI'm considering just giving a weekly rate X amount of money for 40 hours of work. With a charge for anything over 40. Has anyone tried this before.
Also is it safe to say scrubbing the toilets should never be part of nanny contract?
Do you write your own contracts or use the templates on the nanny sites?
Do any of you have your own website to advertise your services?
Craigslist make me nervous and I don't want to rely too much on an agency or Sittercity.
Thanks.
Op,
ReplyDeleteI have my own nanny website and am registered with each nanny website. I even have great reviews on those sites but do you know where I found my last two full time positions that lasted 3 years each...craigslist. Like i said earlier the best place in Boston to find jobs is on mom groups, like somerville moms, south boston moms group etc. The catch is you need a mother who has hired you in the past to put up a recommendation. You could join an agency like beacon hill nannies or boston nannies but i'm not sure you have the experience they would want. They would prob send you to some of the "difficult families" or the ones on the lower end of the pay scale.
I would not set up a salary wage, I'd do hourly because salary could bite you in the butt. Look at a few templates of contracts then write up your own. When you interview you can present it after they say the want to employ you. Some parents may have a contract set up, just make sure to read it over and don't be shy to ask for changes. Know what kind of benefits you want, how much you need to make and what your actually capable of. Do not agree to a job with a newborn if you don't have experience.
I do you know what area you want to work in? Do you know the playgroups, free sing a longs/ story times in the area? What special skills related to children do you have? What is that you have that can set you apart from other nannies?
You really need to know what your worth because your gonna be up against a lot of college educated nannies, nannies who have been in this profession for years. If you want a high paying job, you need to be better then all the other qualified nannies. Just having an education isn't gonna cut it.
OP. I think your expectations are unrealistic. You want a top salary, but you don't want to work weekends, run errands etc. Nannies who make top salaries work hard for it. Multiple children, long hours and high expectations on the part of families. They often require you to stay late at night, be available to travel with the family, and be very flexible about coming in on occasional weekend days.
ReplyDeleteIf you love working with children and really want to make this a career, take a job with an average pay rate, and a nice family. If you go above and beyond as they say, pitch in and do more than is expected, you should receive raises every year or two. You will have a strong recommendation for your next job. Eventually you will work your way up the salary ladder.
1) No matter what people say, you really don't need "Full time" work. You can play up your experience without lying and provide multiple child-care related references, then you will be just fine. I have never had trouble earning toward the higher end in my area, and I have only had part time jobs though.
ReplyDelete2) I use my university's job networking site, Care.com, and personal connections and find that they tend to have the highest pay offered. Steer clear of craigslist.
3) I have found that the people who offer the lowest wages are the most likely to try and exploit you, so pay attention to that. My comfort level is "child related duties". The families I've worked for in the past have house keepers. At the end of the day, I make sure the house was in just as good condition I left it in. I always go above and beyond, and I think I'm just lucky, but the families I've worked for never ever push it. I do dishes and start laundry and clean the kitchen and the kid areas.
4) As for salary and on the books, that should always be discussed last after the family decides they really want you. Always let them make an offer first. If there are things you want that are essential to your happiness for a job, then be firm on them and ready to walk unless you get them. And as usual, always have a contract.
Yes, your salary expectations are unrealistic, as Bostonnanny and others have explained. Have you checked the care.com salary calculator? Plug your numbers in there and see what the salary range is for your experience, your area, and the number of children involved. 55 hours a week (with OT) at $25 per hour is more than $1500 a week/more than 80K a year, and you will be doing a LOT more than pure childcare for that much money.
ReplyDeleteAlso, nannies are, in IRS and FLSA and other federal program standards HOURLY employees. That means you figure your weekly salary based on an hourly rate, including OT. I'll explain further and add my contract language if anyone wishes!
As far as chores and such, if you know what you are and aren't willing to do, then that's your list right there. There have been some...spirited ...discussions here about what should be expected of nannies, and the basic truth is that every family has different needs. I do the following: Child's laundry, including linens, keep child's room/bathroom tidy, keep kitchen and family room tidy, sort through clothes seasonally, organize child's toys as needed, grocery shop, run errands related to the child, let dog out and be sure it has food/water, on-line shopping as needed, prepare and serve child's meals, cook for child. Most of that is done with the child's "help", and takes maybe 10 hours a week.
As far as your job search, the days when a nanny could register with an agency and have 4 job offers in the next 2 weeks are long gone. Nannies today need to use every available avenue when job hunting: Brick and mortar agencies, on-line matching sites, craigslist, word of mouth, networking...