hiring a live-in nanny - what's a fair rate? (insurance, how much)

[notsellingathing]

Hi,

We are considering hiring full-time help in-home for our 2 girls (ages 4 & 6) this fall. It could be a live-in position because we have a large extra bedroom with separate entrance & bath.

Does anybody have experience with valuing this sort of arrangement? Room + board + how much of a weekly wage extra?

I've checked craig's list, glassdoor.com, care.com etc for ideas but don't see anything similar offered. I really wonder how to value it besides just working it out with the individual caregiver... but need to know if we can even cover the cost before going through the interview process.

[StilltheSame]

Call Nanny Services and check online. It depends on a variety of factors -will you pay salary or by the hour? whether they drive; weekends off; do you provide a car and insurance?; Cellphone? How many weeks of vacation? How does sick leave work? What about summer? Any additional chores (meals/laundry). A live in can be great, but get the rates and rules down and make sure everyone is on the same page - or it gets ugly - FAST!

[notsellingathing]

Thanks StillTheSame. Is Nanny Services an actual company name? I looked this up in Google and don't see exactly that name.

We plan to cover their room and board, and add a weekly salary. We'd have a set # of hours they would work. Yes, they'd drive to 3-4 activities a week. Weekends off. We'd provide the car and insurance. We would not provide a cell phone. Vacation we'd negotiate... we don't take time off so it's hard to allow for someone else to Sick leave would have to be made up on another day. Summer's the same as any other season as we homeschool year-round. Only additional chore would be to ensure the kids pick up during the hours when they are working, and the nanny would do their own laundry and keep their own room clean.

Does that help in figuring the weekly wage?

Thanks for the advice about rates & rules, etc. It certainly makes sense to lay it all out in advance.

[welshlady64]

Hi, I'm a nanny and I can tell you this much I would not be making up a sick day and I would be having vacations just because you don't doesn't mean your nanny doesn't lol . A nanny is just that a nanny not the cleaner not the cook not the slave lol . I can tell you what I charge and that's $29 an hour for first 8 hours of the day and $34 an hour after that . I don't live in though . I live in PA so I know wages are higher here than Fl . And before anyone says wow that's a lot to charge a nanny earns every dime of her money and I have people begging me to work for them . Notsellingathing I would ask yourself what you think is a fair wage to pay to look after and take responsibility for you most valuable treasure . You get what you pay for its like everything on life you pay cheap you'll get cheap . You pay a decent rate and be fair with your nanny and I'm sure you'll get a great nanny .

[Harbor Hopper]

Originally Posted by welshlady64

Hi, I'm a nanny and I can tell you this much I would not be making up a sick day and I would be having vacations just because you don't doesn't mean your nanny doesn't lol . A nanny is just that a nanny not the cleaner not the cook not the slave lol . I can tell you what I charge and that's $29 an hour for first 8 hours of the day and $34 an hour after that . I don't live in though . I live in PA so I know wages are higher here than Fl . And before anyone says wow that's a lot to charge a nanny earns every dime of her money and I have people begging me to work for them . Notsellingathing I would ask yourself what you think is a fair wage to pay to look after and take responsibility for you most valuable treasure . You get what you pay for its like everything on life you pay cheap you'll get cheap . You pay a decent rate and be fair with your nanny and I'm sure you'll get a great nanny .

please tell us how you "earn every penny" of your $29/hr when all you are is a babysitter. A nanny DOES cook & clean up, and teach & guide them. I'm sorry, but that exorbitant rate is severely taking advantage of parents. Many bachelor degree hoders don't make that much. And what is your education???

[welshlady64]

Lol I didn't say I don't teach or guide them ? I said I don't clean or cook that's not my job . If your nanny cooks and cleans your taking advantage . I am responsible for these children when their patents are not there , fully responsible in every way and to you , that alone should be worth $29 . You make me laugh harbor sure you've paid a lot more for say a plumber, electrician , carpenter, appraiser but yet you say someone who cares for someone's children is not worth it lol . I work for lawyers and doctors you really think I could take advantage of these people ? The people I work for value their children's safety health education and general well being that's why they employ me and don't moan about the rate they understand my value . Your ignorance shows when you call me a babysitter . Now if you had wanted to be polite instead of trying to insult me I would have told you I currently homeschool 5 children for 2 doctors and to give you an example of why I get paid the big bucks I do my 4th grade child just got tested at a 10 th grade level . Oh and yes I have a masters degree .

[welshlady64]

Oh and out of curiosity who told you a nanny cooks and cleans ? You ever watch nanny 911 ? You ever see Jo Jo go in and say hi before I correct your children. Let me do your dishes and cook you dinner ? Lmao oh and before you say that's just TV believe me I know lots of nannies all I add with masters degrees and doctorates and NONE of them clean and cook .

[HarborRat]

Geesh..I should become a nanny .

I'd guess between $50 and $100 a day is what most would expect if they get FREE room, board, food, and the use of a car (down here of course, not the NE). They should feel like part of the family....not an employee.

For $29 an hour you better not even sit on the couch, once. And cooking and cleaning should be a no brainer for that much...who's feeding the kids all day if you don't cook? 8+ hrs with no food and the house is a mess?...you're fired .

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by welshlady64

Oh and out of curiosity who told you a nanny cooks and cleans ? You ever watch nanny 911 ? You ever see Jo Jo go in and say hi before I correct your children. Let me do your dishes and cook you dinner ? Lmao oh and before you say that's just TV believe me I know lots of nannies all I add with masters degrees and doctorates and NONE of them clean and cook .

It disturbs me when people use television shows as examples of reality. They're not, you know. I expect that some nannies do and some nannies don't (cook and clean), it depends on the agreement between the parties. Nothing is written in stone.

20yrsinBranson

[welshlady64]

I don't cook but of course I feed them what they mum or they mums cook has prepared and the cleaner cleans the house not me . $29 an hour really isn't a lot I'm surprised so many of you think it's a lot I know other nannies that charge more than me and actually don't think I charge enough but I do know American nannies don't earn as much as British nannies but that's because they are not as educated and qualified usually . 20yrsinBranson nanny 911 is pretty accurate . If you call a nanny in to deal with particular problems in a family the only difference being is I've never left cameras there and it usually takes a lot longer than the week or 2 that they say on the show . Oh and the parents take a lot longer to adjust and accept what the nanny tells them but the basics are there . Of course there a nannies that cook ,clean take the garbage out ,cut the grass ,paint the house and earn 7 bucks an hour but they usually don't come with a masters degree or a doctorate and wouldn't teach your children to the level my kids are taught . As I've said you get what you pay for . I will say no more on the subject . You can all sleep well knowing you are not my employer and don't have to pay me anything lol.