How does anyone ever afford a nanny???

[bumposaurus]

Our current lovely nanny is leaving us to go and work part time. I have just called the agency we used to find her and have been informed that the average pay for our area (we are in SW London) is £400pw net (which by my calculations works out at £587 gross). I know that it is a responsible job and I know that many nannies are worth this amount and more, but this figure is being quoted to me for someone in a first job without experience - so if you don't mind me asking, is this really the going rate now?

not out in the sticks it isnt...........we pay 295 a week net for live in with bags of experience but its is essentially part time in term time and ft in hols as DC's are at school.

you need to wait for some othere to come along...squiffy , athena , nanny nick but I think ethey would agree thats quite high.

Hi.

I live in SE London/border of Kent (so prob similar enough area for comparison purposes) and pay £425 net p/w for a live-out qualified registered nanny with 6 years experience. Sole charge of 2 year old. 7:30-6.

HTH

G

We are in very rural Kent and our live-out costs 300 a week net for 40 hours. So I guess it would be slightly higher in London, and also higher if you are wanting someone for longer hours... but I would then expect money to be knocked down for any lack of experience and/or lack of qualifications.

I would say however that I have heard a couple of stories recently of nannies let go because of the credit crunch. I think the demand/supply levels that have kept nanny salaries on the up may be at an end.

I'm in Surrey, outside the M25, and in my area it is possible to get a nanny of my calibre for around £10 per hour gross - so £500 gross a week if a 50 hour week.

1dilemma recently started a thread about nanny salaries. Worth a look, as what nannies are actually paid, may well differ from what an agency feels is 'going rate'.

Market rates determine pricing and there seem to be quite a few nannies looking for work... so you may well find that you can negotiate the rate downwards. £587 gross per week for someone straight from college I feel is ridiculous. If you were to offer £300 gross, it is more than NMW and thus more than a lot of starter jobs in other professions pay.

If you are not in a hurry, I would try starting at a lower salary point and seeing what applicants you get.

We are in SW London and have just recruited someone with 6 years experience (but not a qualified nanny) at that pay. I have one child at school, and one at nursery 2 hours a day, and the role is 10 hours a day. If your children are younger, or more numerous, or the hours longer, I don't think that wage would be enough to get someone good.

You might want to look for another agency. Some of the agencies I registered with were completely relaxed about the pay; others told me it was the bottom end of the market.

fridays child this is interesting - I've just started investigating about fulltime nanny (am in sw london too) and was told I'd be looking at about 36k pa (Thats about 690 pw gross).. is this market rate (they were talking abotu qualified nannies presumably with some years experience)

bumposaurus - imo seems a lot of money, even in london for a nanny without experience - thats about 80nett a day

poppy24 - i would assume that salary of 36k would be for a qualified experiencd nanny

If you do your own recruiting, you can save a lot of money. Not all nannies expect £300 net per week. For a live in, I would say £200-£350 net is a realistic range. Some will have tons of experience (which you don't actually require) and charge a lot more. And some will offer to work for peanuts but won't really be up to the job.

Our current nanny comes from a non-English speaking Eu country and really didn't have many childcare qualifications at all. She has turned out to be fab. I lurve her!!!!! Just goes to show that formal qualifications are not necessarily value for money.

Thanks for all the replies...looks like there is a spread of opinion (and pay - I nearly gasped my last at £690 pw net!). I am going to recruit myself I think and aim for the £350 net mark. Thanks again!

I think you should talk in terms of gross. And can I ask... is that a live out wage? If so, sounds fair. If it is live-in, it is still pretty high. Not outrageously high, but you could certainly spend less -- yes even in SW London.

The market is declining in our pending credit crunch / recession / whatever you want to call it. There will be fewer jobs and more nannies so of course the forces of supply and demand will drive down nanny salaries. So you should be looking to pay a bit less, not a bit more than say last year's going rate.

We are in Surrey and have just recruited someone full-time for 5 days a week at £280 a week net to her (approx £20,500 gross I think). But this is her first ever nanny job - although she's worked in nurseries for a while - and I have agreed to review it after 6 months and then annually after that.

Yes, its a live out wage and I reckon comes in about £520 pw gross - spoke to one nanny who was interested in the job but when I mentioned salary told me that she was ruled out because she would not work for less than £450 net (although she did have experience)- I have no problem taking someone in their first job, and there do seem to be more nannies looking, so fingers crossed!