| For most families it seems like deciding on a | | | | monetarily speaking, to delineate which |
| nanny salary can be just as tough as selecting the | | | | characteristics will 'up' your nanny costs, and which |
| right nanny in the first place! While there are | | | | will help drop it. For example, multiple children is a |
| hundreds of pages on the internet giving | | | | factor that will go in the plus column, as it is |
| recommendations on what factors to consider | | | | common practice to charge around 10% more |
| when paying a nanny, the question "how much to | | | | per child from the expected salary for a nanny. |
| pay" still pops up more frequently than any other | | | | Also, hiring a very experienced nanny should go in |
| on message boards. Part of the problem is that | | | | the plus column as an added expense. If you |
| there is no one answer for how much a nanny | | | | expect the nanny to do a lot of driving, add either |
| salary should be. Of course it will depend on what | | | | providing a vehicle or paying for travel expenses |
| tasks the nanny is asked to take on, the amount | | | | in the plus column. Factors that go in the minus |
| of hours the nanny will work, the number of | | | | column include offering room and board, not |
| children, the amount of experience the nanny has | | | | requiring the nanny to perform domestic chores |
| and a slew of other variables and factors. Instead | | | | like cooking or housekeeping, and even the |
| of trying to do the math on this impossible | | | | current economy. Look to the average salaries |
| equation, many families are turning to the | | | | for starting and experienced teachers or daycare |
| professionals and asking for assistance from a | | | | providers in your area for a good indication of |
| nanny agency. | | | | where your childcare provider's salary should lie. |
| Especially with the weakened condition of the | | | | Say, as an example, a family decides that it can |
| economy, finances around the house can be a | | | | pay around $500 per week for a nanny, but this |
| touchy subject. Working with a nanny agency | | | | only amounts to $10 per hour for the 10 hours |
| helps families know exactly how much they | | | | the family needs childcare each weekday, |
| should be budgeting in for childcare each week, | | | | spanning from when the children awake to when |
| month and year. Before approaching an agency, all | | | | both parents are home at night. If this is slightly |
| families should begin by looking at their full annual | | | | below the average nanny salary for a professional |
| budget. The family should then decide how much | | | | nanny in the area, the family will have to consider |
| of this budget, what percent, can be realistically | | | | what variables it can work with. For example, the |
| devoted to childcare. Taking the time to figure | | | | family may offer the nanny room and board, plus |
| out how much the family can afford per month, | | | | use of a vehicle, in exchange for accepting the |
| per week, and per day will help to understand, | | | | lower salary, and may even be able to drop the |
| realistically, how many hours and what kinds of | | | | weekly pay to $300, depending on the cost of |
| childcare options the family has to choose from. | | | | living in the area. Consider all that your family has |
| Going to a nanny agency with this information | | | | to offer before heading out to the agency. It's |
| already in hand can help your family find the | | | | likely that if you think you're a great family and |
| perfect nanny match quickly and easily. | | | | employer, prospective nannies will think so too! |
| Another important step to take before heading to | | | | Happy nannies are far more likely to be flexible |
| an agency is listing the specifics of your nanny | | | | when it comes to the delicate salary issue. |
| needs. Use a plus column and a minus column, | | | | |