How do I pay my nanny?

September is a time for change, new beginnings. As you can imagine, the number one question we get at CanadianNanny.ca is “What do I pay my Nanny?” For obvious reasons, this is an important question to Canadian families. As a nanny service, we always have to ask a few questions ourselves before we can give an accurate answer.

If you’re thinking of hiring a nanny, read the following. If we've missed anything, please let us know, and we’ll address it in an upcoming blog.

What do I pay a nanny?

The answer depends on so many factors. We recommend that you do some homework before you start interviewing nannies, as this will be a topic covered in the interview. What one might pay in Chatham, ON is very different than what one might pay in Vancouver, BC. You want to talk to friends, neighbours, co-workers, and other families in your area to find out what the average rate of pay is in your city.

You also want to ask yourself what responsibilities the nanny will have. A nanny that looks after three children, cleans the house, and walks the dog will have an above average rate to compensate for the duties she is performing. A nanny who is there to assist you while you are home may be less qualified and therefore the rate will be lower.

Many nannies we hear from say they are negotiable on their wage. This is because some jobs may require a higher rate than others, so they don’t have one flat rate that applies to everything. For some, if a job is closer to home, they will charge less. For others, if they are caring for one infant their rate will be lower than caring for three older children. For those nannies that have more qualifications, you can expect that they will charge a higher rate. From there, you can determine if her qualifications are required for your position, and if you are comfortable paying the higher rate for that.

If you find a nanny that is willing to accept a very low rate, proceed with caution. There is likely a reason for it, and you want to be sure that you get the best care possible – not necessarily the cheapest.

Generally, we find the wage falls between $10-16 per hour across Canada, but this is not specific to any one city, position, or individual. Remember the pointers we've listed above when considering the cost of a nanny to your family.

Coming in the next entries:

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