To think nannies are overpaid?

[Fr0thandBubble]

Inspired by another thread about how much people earn. Plenty of nannies earning £50-£60k per year apparently and one on £120k!

Our nanny has just left us (youngest about to start reception, thank goodness) and we were paying her nearly £50k for 8:30am-6:30pm Mon-Fri. She would also pick up quite a bit of extra money babysitting evenings and weekends L. She didn’t even have to do anything from 9-12 each morning while my youngest was at nursery - and then only had my youngest to look after until school pick-up time when she had my eldest too. And nannies these days are very reluctant to help out with any cleaning or ironing so she really was doing nothing much at all in those hours.

She was lovely but has no qualifications and is in her early thirties.

It seems wrong to me that nannies are getting paid more than most teachers when they don’t need any qualifications. What do you think?!

I had one. Nearly bankrupted me. YANBU

We’ve had Nannies for the last 5 years. Like any childcare, the painful part is having to pay out of taxed income!

I think Nanny salaries are also high to reflect the fact that most posts are relatively short term (often till youngest reaches school). Hours are usually very long.They usually don’t have the benefits other jobs have (sick pay (most will be on SSP)).

I don't know what you're talking about as I live in London and pay my nanny £10ph. Sure many will ask for £50k but will then come down when they see you aren't an idiot.

I've had two nannies who looked after the baby from 8 to 6pm and did cooking and cleaning at £10ph. Only the qualified ones charge more.

You pay her 10 cash or employ her and would be around £14/14gross

Ah yes because cheap unqualified childcare is the best option!

Well, as someone who do earn £120k as a Nanny,
am I overpaid? I would say anyone on £100k+ is usually overpaid in comparison to most other jobs (irrelevant of the jobs one does unless potentially jobs in which people either save lives or risk their life). That being said, I am paid £120k+/year in exchange of accepting to have no life of my own. Most people wouldn’t do that even if offered that price.

Many women at that salary range in this profession who have been doing it for a long time, end up at 50yo+ not having had their own kids or ever having gotten married because they dedicated their life to somebody else’s children and family and never had enough time off to build a life of their own.

I earn £120k+ because I work unsociable hours, have to deal with very high expectations and constant last minute changes and requests, and usually have very little time off, etc…

If you divide my salary in the amount of hours I work it wouldn’t feel like I am actually earning that well.

I do agree that most childcare professions are incredibly underpaid and that’s unfair. Having a nanny is a luxury though so I don’t necessarily think having exclusive care of your children, at your home, tailored to your schedule and needs should be cheap. I personally that if I asked for a raise I would get it because the family I currently work for sees the value in my work and doesn’t undervalue what I do and they 100% grasp that I am a big portion of what allow them to earn as much as they do and to work as well as they do (they don’t have to worry about childcare, they don’t go to work sleep deprived, they know if there is an emergency I am abilited to cope with it and sort it without normally needing them to drop everything last minute.) It’s a luxury to have that peace of mind and they know it and so they happily pay the price tag that come with it.

The Nanny market is a free market though, Nannies can ask for what they want and you can offer what you wish. Nobody is forcing you to pay 50k for a nanny, I have worked to the same standard (my standards of work are unaffected by my paycheck) for way under 50k, and I would do it again if a family valued the work of a nanny was in need but couldn’t afford it, but I would never work for a family who thinks Nannies have an easy job and that they shouldn’t be paid much more than peanuts for it as a result.

Treat your nanny like you want her to treat your kids is usually my advice. If you expect the best care for them, give her the best package you can afford to give her, if your only criteria is that they stay alive and everything else is free game then by all mean go ahead and pay the minimum.

So @VIPNanny are you single or have no kids or partner /husband

is the massive salary , also heavily taxed worth not having a life so to speak

Thats quite a bit more than either me or my husband earn! Maybe I'm in the wrong job... ultimately if that wasn't what the job was worth people wouldn't pay it, so it can't be overpaid?

I am single (in my late 20’s) and no kids.

It’s worth it for now because I am saving up to be mortgage free and invest some before I “retire” from the intense lifestyle. But I was definitely daydreaming of moving to Spain and working as a waitress or secretary the other day!

I don’t care much about the money so, no, for me the loss of life is never going to be worth it long-term, but I also understand that I currently have the ability to (financially) invest into my future and would be silly not to take it so as long as I still love my job, I will keep at it but I am also realistic that within the next 8 years I need to seriously think about whether I want kids of my own because I will have to change career if I do.

I don't understand why so many people are saying this - it's not how we describe anyone else's pay.

I say that my salary is 75k because that's what it costs my employer, I don't describe as really 50k as that's my take home pay

The thing that I roll my eyes about a bit with nannies is all the extras you're expected to pay for - e.g. Ofsted registration "oh the employer must pay as it only benefits them" when most people (thread on this very recently) pay for their own professional registration fees, when a nanny has their own child, often the employer is expected to provide things like a double buggy.

We did not go with a nanny as a result

Self-evident!

I would be reluctant to employ a nanny who was bringing her own child to work with her - I would think that I'd be paying her to look after her own child snd mine wouldn't be her priority. I'd imagine that quite a few parents would feel that way, so maybe that's why nannies can charge so much because their career window is very small if they become less employable once they have their own families.

Just the way it goes. I have a first class degree and earn around £30k per year. My boyfriend has no qualifications at all, not even at GCSE level, is pretty much illiterate and earns £80k per year in construction.

I think the confusion is the employers national insurance and pension contributions wouldn't be included in your salary. So if your salary is £50k that's your gross wage but then your employer has to pay more on top of that for the above things. I've never known those things included in your gross salary in a contract?!

Also as for ofsted... Yes parents are expected to pay as there is literally no point to a nanny being registered with ofsted otherwise. I've had plenty of jobs that haven't needed ofsted registration so I've not got it but then some that do so I'll apply for them. If you're inspected by ofsted as a nanny it's a real box ticking exercise that parents could do themselves.

Also the double pram thing... I've recently started taking my daughter to work and I've paid out the money for a double pram - I'd never expect my bosses to pay and I think any nanny who expects this is taking the mickey! When choosing a pram for my baby I even made sure I chose one that I could convert to a double especially for work

@VIPNanny did you use an agency to find your current job?

I did find my current position through an agency but normally also mostly work through recommendations from former families.

What did you ACTUALLY pay her for her 50 hour week? I get paid £60k+ for 35 hours a week in a not very demanding roll that doesn’t need official qualifications

Some nannies are worth this - some most definitely are not. It really really depends on the individual. It they are pro active, cook dinner, tidy, sort rooms, sort play dates etc etc - then this is good value for money.
if they sit there on their phones and throw some chicken nuggets in the oven for dinner - it’s not worth the money.
it’s very very hard to find good childcare.

Well, I am not qualified in childcare either. Does that mean I can't take care of my child? Use common sense, this isn't a role which requires qualifications.

I've never met any real life nannies who are on those wages. I think many on here are pulling your leg.
I've nannied before and it's not an easy job. You are solely responsible for the children, the parents can be a nightmare and it's not the most stable of roles.
As with all childcare jobs though, it is not met with enough credit or appreciation as to how important the role is.

Zombie!!!

But even if this thread is over 2 years old, the figures some people quoting are ridiculous. I've been a nanny for over 30 years and am now on just under 40k, I don't know anyone on £50k + and I know having a nanny is an expense, but would you rather leave your kids with someone cheaper who has no clue what they're doing? I've never understood that.

To add, nannies are NOT cleaners or housekeepers either. It really annoys me seeing expectations creep in such as these. I was responsible for preparing a basic lunch and snacks, tidying up after myself and kids and washing the dishes. I was not responsible for cleaning of the house. This is not a nanny role. If you want that you need to either pay the nanny more or employ an actual cleaner.

Bear in mind for that money you could employ an ex teacher who will improve your children's grades and broaden their educational horizons, tidy your house and make a lovely dinner. I would!!

You are being unreasonable. Qualified people should be earning more. Wages have been stagnating for 20 years. Except in the banking industry of course.