Cost of in-home full-time nanny care?

Gbseder

Hi ladies!! I live on Long Island, ny on the border between Nassau and Queens (location might help answer question).... I'm researching the idea of hiring someone for full-time in-home nanny care for my baby once I go back to work. Only one baby, 3-month old and will be asking her to do very light help with laundry or vacuuming occasionally. Can anyone give me a gauge of how much that should cost per week? What's reasonable to pay someone for this type of work vs paying for full time daycare centers? It'll be 8-6 each day which are def long days....

Any input is greatly appreciated! Don't wanna insult with low offers but also can't afford to pay someone more than me or my husband each bring in for salary!

k2k2tog

I actually don't know specific numbers, but I'm curious if anyone here does! I believe live-in help can actually be more economical than daycare since you're also provide room and board for the person. I know that, here in Ontario, it's possible to actually help someone immigrate, get all their papers, etc. by sponsoring them and hiring them as a live-in nanny at the same time. Of course, this can get a little sketchy and results in a lot of people abusing the system, and I'm not sure if it's an option in NY at all. 

Gbseder

@sempre_staccato... Sounds awesome... We're definitely not looking for someone to live-in.... We're in a tiny apartment! But I've heard of services that offer to set people up with au pairs accordingly

For those responding, FYI, mine will not be a live-in nanny! Thanks!!

almendarez

I'm thinking of looking into a nanny share in order to split the cost of a nanny with another family.. 

I think if you want perks like English as a first language, the nanny will be more expensive.

SecondTimeinMSU

I think it is hard since childcare varies so much around the country. Maybe check on the local board too to see if someone is from your area? Otherwise how are you going about finding a nanny? If you are using a service of some kind they should have an estimate for you otherwise you could check your local craiglist just to get an idea of what kind of rates people have posted. I wouldn't even know where to begin the process of finding a nanny so maybe friends, co-workers, family, etc that have had a nanny will be able to give you more local guidance.

Kc4mom

I have had a full time nanny since I had my first 9 years ago. We have paid between $15-$25 an hour, she also has use of one of our cars. It varies in what you expect of them, ie housework, cooking, etc.
the more you want the more you will pay. Some nannies will charge less if they can bring their own children as well. Which can be nice if yours is an only child. That way they get socialized as well.
We have been thrilled with having a nanny over daycare. It's nice to have the kiddos at home.

MamaDuck2013

I investigated this a few years back and want to say it was 12-14 dollars per hour. Daycare was 1,500-1,600 per month for reference. I really liked the idea of the convenience of having a nanny, but finally decided on daycare...I was unsure of my ability to pick a nanny and was worried about only 1 person being with my child that couldn't speak yet (but I do have plenty of friends that went the nanny route and were quite happy). I ended up being more pleased with daycare than expected...they just knew to do things that I would not have thought of (using tweezers to improve fine motor skills) and kept the messy crafts at school (I think dd finger painted nearly every day when she was 1). Happy to continue discussing pros and cons if you like:)

k2k2tog

@Gbseder Oops, sorry! I saw 'in-home', and for some reason jumped to 'live-in'.

I have done some research into nannies, because I expect that's what we'll need... I'm hoping to go back to school in September, so I was already behind when it comes to getting on wait-lists for daycares before we had even thought about having a baby. Our waitlists are 12-18 months here! Do a Google search for 'nanny Long Island NY' or something similar, and you'll likely find the local nanny agencies. The ones here in TO have really good nanny listings online which include the rates the nannies expect.

almendarez

I just did a quick search for "nanny" and my city and came across https://www.care.com/ and https://www.sittercity.com/nanny/

These sites estimate a nanny would be between $10-$25 per hour in my area but it doesn't really go into why each nanny has an hourly rate range... I am assuming it depends on the extra duties you require though.

Long Island seems to be around the same rate, $10-$25. 

1A

I used care.com as well. It definitely varies on where you live. But care.com i had a great response to my ad.

LadyMacaron

I have been a nanny for the past 8 years and have a group of friends that have all nannied. Industry standard is $15 minimum (I've worked in Los Angeles where it was $20, and TX where it's $15) for one child. You can expect to pay $15-$25 an hour, depending on if it's a nanny share, types of chores, if you provide a car, etc...Many of us also get our gas compensated if we aren't provided a car, specially if we are driving the kids to different activities. You will pay more for someone that has experience, references, speaks more than one language, and first aid/cpr certification. I would never hire a nanny that wasn't first aid certified.

I have been with the same family for a long time, so I am really inexpensive for them. I should've started charging $20/hr about 2 years ago, but they are my family now and I love working with them. I used to be full time until I started school, now I only work a few days a week, after my "real job", so I feel I am properly compensated. I charge $15 an hour, plus $2 extra per hour if there's more than one child (so, a nanny share or a playdate. I actually take care of 2 families at the same time ), I get $150 every 2 weeks for gas (they live incredibly far away). If I go with them on out of town trips, I charge a flat fee of $100 a day, and they pay for everything else. To give you an idea, I am bilingual, am cpr/first aid certified, have a clean driving record, can swim (yes, in TX this is a BIG request for a nanny), and have my own large car. When I first started, I was listed on Care.com, now I am only word of mouth. Don't be afraid to approach nannies at the park for recommendations, because there is always a great nanny looking for a job!

Edit: I should also add that the only chores I did/do are child related. Kid's laundry, cook for them, etc. I don't do any housework for the whole family. Although I occasionally swiffer the floors, because the dogs shed like crazy.

kittenslove

I was a nanny in college, and I charged $18/hour. The family also paid for gas and any activities I did with the children, my first aid and CPR certification, and enrolled me in a class for care takers of autistic children. It was the same family I babysat for in high school, but this was two 8 hour days during the week and two evenings (they varied week to week).  The family had three children: an autistic 8 year old and twin 6 year old, one of which was special needs. Looking back, I could have charged more (my friend took over for my senior year and charged $25). However, $18 was a big pay raise from the $8/hour I got babysitting in high school, I thought I had it made. 

elsa1688

KrystaJ said:

I've looked into it. In the Seattle area, it's typically $20-$25 an hour, which I think is pretty high and is too close to what I make. I'd consider a nanny share, though. We will rely on my income to pay for insurance, our mortgage and child care.

This, except it is more than I make so I will be a SAHM.

mattanda2011

I used care.com to find our current nanny and absolutely loved it. We pay $15 an hour to watch our 1 year old, laundry, dishes, meal prep for the baby, and just keeping the house picked up.

Gbseder

Want to thank everyone for the responses! (Keep them coming!)

I actually did just join care.com and getting several responses already, which is why I'm asking for this input. While I totally understand the expectation of 15-20 per hour... Let's be honest... I'm a full time NYC teacher and when you break down my salary and the 11 hrs a day I work (literally), that's more than I even make... Not sure if this speaks really poorly for teachers or if I went into the wrong field in life!! Caring for 1 kid a day sounds a lot better than the 30 I teach!

So not sure I can afford it if you break it down like that... I was hoping to find someone who might take something like $1600 a month, which is comparable to the rates id likely pay for local daycare. Not looking for someone to take my infant anywhere other than walks in the neighborhood and this baby will be napping half the time she's here!

Also not sure I know of anyone to do a nanny-share with but I do have a friend having a baby a month later- maybe she's interested in sharing.... Who knows.

jacksoha

My sister was a nanny in rural VA and earned $11 and hour for one kid. The little girl was 2 1/2 and she did no housework, just lunch prep for the kid.

MNOpea

Nannies in my area are about $20 an hour and often have minimum hours they will work (which if you are looking for full time then that shouldn't be a problem)

juliajune

I live in michigan and am a nanny. I have 7 month old twin boys and their 3 year old sister. I work 8-6 M-F and make $375/week and feel underpaid. But this was the BEST offer i could find (i live in a very poor area)

Kburchie

Gbseder said:

So not sure I can afford it if you break it down like that... I was hoping to find someone who might take something like $1600 a month, which is comparable to the rates id likely pay for local daycare. Not looking for someone to take my infant anywhere other than walks in the neighborhood and this baby will be napping half the time she's here!

Also not sure I know of anyone to do a nanny-share with but I do have a friend having a baby a month later- maybe she's interested in sharing....

I'be worked as a nanny outside Boston and I wouldn't get out if bed for under $15/hour. That said, I actually think infants are some of the easiest to care for, because of all the downtime‪, so the approximately $8 you're aiming for isn't terrible.

I have a professional job now, but similar to you couldn't keep my job and hire a carer and have any income to speak of. One thing I'm seriously considering is taking a child into my house with my baby.... You still get the professional nanny but I would be willing to accept a much lower rate since I'm staying in my space and doing my own laundry etc when babies are asleep. That might be something to consider looking into too!

Cherylwang

My good friend is a nanny in Chicago. She does 4 full days. They pay her $350 for the 4 days. They also own a company and have her on the company insurance so she has a insurance plan through them as well.

MollySm

I'm a nanny in San Diego and here I make $10/hr for 1 child, with no cleaning or housekeeping, and reasonable, daytime, set hours.  I would expect more if nights or weekends were involved, or if the hours changed a lot.  I also get paid for the set hours even if I don't work them (for example today they didn't need me until noon, but I still get paid starting at 8am). I would expect it to be more on Long Island.  I love being a nanny (currently working for a family with 2 little girls and I bring my daughter).

StacyH0507

I was a nanny in the DC area for two children a toddler and an infant and I made about $33,000 a year. I would work from 7-5 and if I used my car I would get mileage or use their car if the dad biked to work. I also did the children's laundry and cleaned their rooms, but I really enjoyed it because it gave me something to do while they napped.

curlylocks3

Try looking at care.com. I live in a relatively high COL area (Chicago) and know what it is here but I'm sure its different in NYC. 

ETA: I understood nanny shares to be a way to share the cost between families but I recently saw someone else on a board (2nd tri maybe?) commenting that when they worked as a nanny they wouldn't have given a family a break on prices. So who knows. I had asked about nanny sharing on the Multiples board too and was advised that its not great for newborns/infants but better when kids are older, which makes sense.

SarahSmile01

I was a nanny in NYC I had a weekday family where I Was paid $24 an hour (2 kids) did fix dinner each night. I now live in LA and it seems the going rate is similar, $20-$30 per hour. Note: I was with an agency and thus CPR certified along with other training. I imagine going with someone outside of an agency would be cheaper.

I was also a live in nanny on the weekends for twin girls. I know you said you won't need a live in, but just for reference, I got $1000 cash each weekend for Friday evening till Monday Morning then the weekday live in nanny would arrive. She got $2500 per week for Monday-Friday afternoon. However it was a large estate. I had a 'nanny credit card' for whatever the girls wanted. We had a personal chef, chauffeur, 4 maids (2 who lived in) and house manager who would coordinate our schedules. When they say it takes a village- they aren't kidding!

Cindy Thomas

Hmm..I am a nurse. I should consider being a nanny. I mean I am already an RN, so CPR and all that jazz is covered plus some. I can swim and who wouldnt want a nurse watching their kid? Ha, I could probably make more doing that then I do at my real job. Plus I will have my own kid to watch so it would be like constant play dates.

purtz

We had a nanny for DD from the time I went back to work at 12 weeks until she was 12 months old. I interviewed multiple candidates I found on care.com. Tip- don't just consider those that reply to your posting; reach out to the candidates that are available on the site that meet your criteria. Before I selected my top candidate, I had 3 come and spend 1/2 days at my house so I could get to know them and see how they interacted with DD. Top candidate we hired was $17/hr (Denver) and the others were asking $14-15. Go with whom you feel most comfortable! That's why you are hiring them! We had a great experience and are looking into hiring a part time nanny for baby #2.

Breff

I'm currently a nanny in Florida. I make $11 a hour plus bonuses ( both parents work from home so they said if I'm doing my job they can do theirs and they give me part if their bonus) look at the website sittercity.com. This is how the family found me. The website does a background check on the nannies/babysitters and it has what people charge etc. You can go on the website type your zip code in and see what people would charge to get a good idea

anordstrWed114947

Cindy Thomas said:

Hmm..I am a nurse. I should consider being a nanny. I mean I am already an RN, so CPR and all that jazz is covered plus some. I can swim and who wouldnt want a nurse watching their kid? Ha, I could probably make more doing that then I do at my real job. Plus I will have my own kid to watch so it would be like constant play dates.

I'm a nurse thinking the same thing.

anordstrWed114947

I thought 120/ week for daycare was crazy.

melaneejo

I live in Salt Lake City Utah and I just stopped nannying. I did not live with them. I was paid $13 an hour for a 3 and 1 year old. The mom was a SAHM and lots of the time she would go work out or make dinner while we played. I had full use of their car and did grocery shopping. I worked for them for 2 years and it was amazing. I am now a registered nurse but am still their "on call" sitter. Hiring a nanny (if you can afford it) has amazing benefits and I strongly recommend it!

lizok22

Gbseder we live in the same area! what hospital are you delivering at?  i am at North Shore LIJ.

afk2013

I think you may have to try splitting the cost with someone. At $1600 a month they wouldn't even hit 20K per year...and being a nanny is hard work. I imagine it would be tough to find someone trustworthy in that expensive of an area for that price range. Best of luck! I know how stressful child care can be. You may want to put your name on a waiting list for a center just in case. It took us six months to get a spot with our daughter.

Gbseder

lizok22 said:

Gbseder we live in the same area! what hospital are you delivering at?  i am at North Shore LIJ.

@lizok22... Yay for local mom!! I'm delivering at LIJ in new hyde park cause that's where my docs deliver but heard both hospitals have really nice maternity wings that are pretty newly updated! Are you a FTM?? We should stay in touch for mommy and me stuff! Could use a local mom friend!!

Gbseder

Want to continue thanking everyone for the advice!!!


Update: newest prospect seems to be that I found a local woman only a few blocks from my apartment through care.com who already babysits for another young child in her home (will be about a year and a half in Sept) that is willing to take in my baby in Sept as a second. She seems soooo nice and professional so far and is willing to accept my $300 a week with crazy long schedule of 10 hours per day! I'm feeling very lucky and we're going to go to her house for interview and to check the environment tomorrow (then ref and background check after) but so excited because I may have figured this all out with tons of time to spare!!!

I completely understand the rates people are asking for on a private basis and per hour... But when it got to a point where nannies were requesting a higher salary I watch my one baby than I even make teaching 30 kids all day, I got a bit skeptical. Having someone who takes in two incomes from two families was the best compromise. Yay for this nanny share!!

beachmamaNY

I am on LI, Nassau/Suffolk border. I have a friend in Nassau paying $825 a week for 12 hour days. I will be doing daycare, $325/week includes up to 12 hours a day.