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Original poster

Nanny Salary Help

28 replies

Reinvent1yourself · 28/03/2015 19:43

I'm a nanny and about to start looking for a new job and can't for the life of me work out what I actually get paid currently.
I think they are underpaying me a lot... My own stupid fault I didn't work out my hourly rate just agreed on a gross annual figure.

When I try and work out my hourly rate it changes every time!

So I know my gross annual figure.
I know what turns up in my bank account each month.

What I thought you did was... Times your monthly net wage (what appears in bank account) by 12. Divide that by 52 to get weekly wage then divide that by the number of hours you work???

It is doing my head in! Please help!

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Original poster
Reinvent1yourself · 30/03/2015 20:24

ABroads I'm hoping it isn't difficult as I've only seen one job so far advertise below £10.
After looking at a lot of jobs today and joining quite a few agencies it seems £11-12 is what I am looking at for next job.
One agency told me to accept nothing under £13 net... I couldn't hold my laughter in! As if!

OP posts:
ABroads · 30/03/2015 15:15

Personally I think you might find it harder than you think to get more than £9.20 an hr net.. Even in London.. By the time you add on tax and NI, for 60 hrs a week your employer would be paying out a significant salary. Not many people can afford that...

Good luck!!

OutragedFromLeeds · 30/03/2015 15:05

£14ph is very central London. Usually with 'high profile' families or jobs that involve lots of travel. Often with families who are not English ime. Or shares or jobs with children with SN or triplets/big families.

I'm on the London/Surrey border and going rate here is definitely creeping up. I know several people now on £12ph, a few years ago everyone was on £10ph. I think maybe things are starting to look up after the recession. It is about time I suppose because £10ph has been the going rate for about 10 years

Blondeshavemorefun · 30/03/2015 14:44

Agree havnt seen jobs for £14nett unless a share Tho sure a few out there but average seems to be £10 nett reagtdkess of hours age and experience

Always work out salary before accepting a job :)

wickedwitchofwaterloo · 30/03/2015 14:38

Indeed! Grin

Well when you put it like that...
Although, I'm job hunting atm and I am yet to see any jobs that have quoted £14 ph, so I'd be really interested to see what the nannies that get this are like in terms of location/age/experience/quals etc!

OutragedFromLeeds · 30/03/2015 14:30

A pay rise is always a good thing Grin.

If the OP goes from what she gets now to market rate, she could be looking at an extra £2.80-£4.80 an hour!!

wickedwitchofwaterloo · 30/03/2015 14:22

Maybe, but in the current market, I always have room to get a pay-rise and always have done with every new job. Which after 15 years of nannying, I think is quite a good thing.

OutragedFromLeeds · 30/03/2015 14:14

Nanny wages are based on full-time hours though, so the £12-14ph that nannies in central London get is based on a full-time job. Part time jobs may pay even more I don't know. At £9.20ph the OP is getting a fair amount less than going rate.

I agree that there is no point in feeling bitter about it. It is not the employers fault that the OP is not very good at maths. I think it's foolish to not know your value in the current market though. It's silly to work for much less than you're worth and silly to ask for much more that you're worth, knowing market rates allows you to ask for what is a reasonable wage.

wickedwitchofwaterloo · 30/03/2015 14:06

For instance, I'm currently on x ph for 28hrs pw, but I recently went for a job that was 40hrs pw and worked out slightly less nett ph, but as it was more hours pw, I was happy with the wage.

I think the issue is when people 'compare' wages, if you accept a wage then I don't think it's helpful to feel bitter about what other people are getting or what 'the market rate' is. I actually don't know what the market rate for my experience is, but I've steadily worked my way up to my current rate and I ask for what I feel I'm worth, if they don't have a rate in mind that I feel is acceptable.

wickedwitchofwaterloo · 30/03/2015 14:02

It's slightly over £30,000 I think (maths is not my strong point) but my point was that I always assumed full time hours were slightly less per hour, as part time hours had a 'premium' to them.

OutragedFromLeeds · 30/03/2015 13:48

What constitutes a 'good' wage is quite subjective wicked. If the OP is in Central London then £30,000pa for a 60 hour week is significantly below market rates, in that sense it is not a 'good' wage.

wickedwitchofwaterloo · 30/03/2015 13:19

Apologies if I'm wrong but doesn't the hourly wage generally work out slightly less when you are full time? 60hrs a week would be £550 pw take home which is about £30,000 pa before tax no? Which... Is a good wage.

Original poster
Reinvent1yourself · 30/03/2015 12:46

Stubbed she knows what market rate is.
I am already leaving.. Not because of the pay I was already going and only worked out hourly rate so I can get around the same in next job.. Obviously now I'm going for higher lol.
I am going to bring it up with her. Not that it changes things for me but for the next person.

OP posts:
Stubbed · 30/03/2015 09:50

Why not explain that you want a rise? Show her job adverts looking for nannies at market rate so she knows what it is. Tell her you would like to earn that much, with her or elsewhere.

If you don't want to leave, or don't think you could get a job earning more, then, well, there's not much you can do about it.

Original poster
Reinvent1yourself · 30/03/2015 09:36

Blondeshavemorefun

It's terrible isn't it! I was trying to explain it to my boyfriend yesterday cause he was mortified that all the agencies quoted you a net wage I was saying that's normal for nannies and you have to agree gross wage for contract so you can benefit from tax cuts blah blah blah.
Was also explaining about the once you hit a certain level you can't go any higher.
It's certainly not a job you get into for the money.
Don't get me wrong it's better than a lot of people can get paid and I'm greatful but it isn't the best career.., nothing else I would love more though.

OP posts:
Blondeshavemorefun · 29/03/2015 23:34

Sadly if you earn £10 nett Tho should discuss gross - with 10yrs exp - you will be at top end of salary and no amount of extra experience will gain you much more unless a very rich/HP family

I say this bitterly with 24yrs sole charge exp and have been at top whack for past 8yrs - I won't ever earn more then what I do now - or very unlikely

Original poster
Reinvent1yourself · 29/03/2015 20:18

I know not everyone earns a top wage.
But I am Central London, fully qualified and over 10 years of good experience with great references so it's not an hourly rate I would have accepted if I had worked of out properly. Oh well certainly won't make that mistake again.

You are right though it is worth having a better family than huge amounts of money.
I'm just slightly bitter that I give my heart and soul to this job give up my life working 60 hrs a week and lots of travel and knowing that she can afford more that she pays be below average (for the area I'm in)

OP posts:
OutragedFromLeeds · 29/03/2015 18:33

Depending on where you are £9.20 net really isn't that low. I'm in London and going rate is around £10 net. Unless you are in very central London where going rates are more like £12-14 net, £9.20 is ok. It's not top end, but you're not being taken advantage of or anything.

Oly4 · 29/03/2015 17:17

Yep, my nanny is on £9 per hour gross and happy with it. Not everyone earning £12ph net

eeyore12 · 29/03/2015 16:42

Depending on where you work in the country I would say £9.20 a hour net is a good wage. I am about to start a new post where I will be getting just over £8 net a hour in Surrey with 18 yrs experience, but the hours work well for me and the amount I will get each month is enough to cover my bills plus a little to save, so if you are happy with the amount you take home each month then I personally don't think the hourly amount should matter, yes nice to earn more but the right job and family is more important in my mind (esp just having left a better paid job but one I knew after two weeks wouldn't work out, stayed 5 months)

sleeplessinderbyshire · 29/03/2015 15:47

Our nanny got £8 an hour gross til we recently gave a payrise. Locally most get £7-8 gross per hour and nursery workers get min wage

Blondeshavemorefun · 29/03/2015 15:32

Tbh that a good salary - £10nett isn't the average and what all nannies earn - tho many always state on sites that what a job should pay

Original poster
Reinvent1yourself · 29/03/2015 14:46

I'm on £9.20 an hour net ?? and that's after the pay rise she gave me about 6 months ago.
Can't blame her... Well I can cause but I more annoyed that I was sooooo silly!

OP posts:
Blondeshavemorefun · 29/03/2015 12:32

Gross is right

Payslip should say what you earn - as you said times monthly by 12 and divide by 52 - that your weekly - and then divide that by the hours you do

What is she paying you?

Hanl30 · 29/03/2015 09:55

You did the right thing agreeing a gross salary as nannies really should discuss salary in gross like the rest of society! Mr Anchovy tax calculator www.mranchovy.com/calc/ is fantastic for working out salaries.