Nanny Salary and Rate of Pay, UK

I’m looking for a full time nanny’ ‘Great, we can help you with that, we have plenty of incredible nannies. What salary are you looking to pay?’  - This is a shortened version of how some of our client nanny searches start.

We, the nanny agency, will find out everything you are looking for in a nanny, and all about your children and your nanny requirements. This just leaves the question of the nanny pay. Our family clients often do not know what level of salary or rate of pay they should be offering and as this is a very critical point for the nanny, we are happy to advise on this and help you decide what is fair and affordable.

What nannies look for in a nanny job

Nannies are employees, and will consider the same criteria as you did when you were last job hunting. They are looking for a particular annual salary, and rate of pay, which reflects their skills and experience; something which is also worth their while. Most people need to earn a particular salary in order to cover their weekly expenses, rent/mortgage and also put something aside for the future. Living in London is not cheap.

By far the majority of good nannies are looking for well paid, full time work. They are often very flexible and in order to be able to cover their employers’ very long working days, a nanny will often work a 12 hour day, however more and more are turning down these jobs. Over 5 days this is 60 hours per week. On top of that they have a commute, most commonly of about 40 minutes (each way).

A nanny will consider the salary being offered, the rate of pay and the job spec. This includes, how many children they must care for, children’s ages, what the role encompasses (nannies are not keen on doing housework which is not related solely to the children).

Nannies are also very selective about employers. They, like you, are looking for a happy long term position and they will choose a family with whom they feel at ease, they trust and where they agree broadly with their child-rearing philosophy. Nannying is not merely a job, and a salary; though very important, it is not the only factor in their job-acceptance.

What is a fair nanny salary

If you require an experienced nanny to work a very long day (12 hours) caring for very young children (2 year old twins?) you will need to pay them a good rate. This is not only to accept the job, but to keep the nanny long term.

As an agency we are very mindful of making long term happy placements. It is key to not only place a good nanny into a job, but it is important that she or he, the parents and the children, are happy and that this is a stable long term position.

Nannying is not your average job. It is far more personal. Yes, the pay and the hours and employment terms have to be correct, but there are real emotions involved here. If it is a good placement, the nanny will genuinely bond with and love the children and the children will also become emotionally attached to the nanny. It is therefore most important that the job with its salary, hours and conditions keeps the nanny happy and employed by you for as long as possible (for as long as you wish).

Employing a private nanny is not cheap, but if you choose this bespoke route for your children’s care expect to be paying a good salary for some years. Remember, the early years with children do not last forever, so you will not be paying a nanny’s salary forever, just for the years when it’s needed.

So, what rate do you pay a nanny?

In London area Nanny pay starts at £15 (gross) per hour, which for anyone still working with net figures, is marginally over £11 net per hour. At Kinder Nannies we work with predominantly well educated and qualified nannies, so our salaries start at min £16.50 per hour, usually £19.

For a nanny with a few years of experience their hourly rate starts at £16 gross.

Most of our Kinder Nannies earn £17-£20 gross per hour (which equates approximately to £12.24 - £14.28 net per hour)

Many of our nannies are degree educated and occasionally even have Masters degrees in early years education, or child psychology and are earning over £20 per hour.

Nannies with skills or an experience which is in high demand, will naturally charge a slightly higher rate of pay than others. This includes for example :

  • the world-renowned Norland Nannies
  • bilingual/ multi-lingual nannies, such as German or French speaking nannies
  • nannies who have previously worked for a VIP family (high profile, high net worth or in a multi-staffed household)

When considering your nanny’s rate of pay, remember that you generally expect nanny to be more skilled than and take on a higher degree of responsibility than your cleaner, and they therefore need to receive a higher pay than a cleaner. Cleaners in London earn approx. £15 per hour.

If you only require part time help from a nanny, then the hourly rate tends to rise. Most nannies are looking for full time, or nearly full time work. 40-50 hours per week is most common, but nannies will work 60 hours for the right pay, or 35 hours - again for the right (slightly adjusted!) pay.

Considerations and options when deciding on nanny's salary

It might and does appear to be a lot for the family to pay, and that is why families should carefully consider if they can afford a nanny before embarking on this bespoke childcare route. But when you are choosing a nanny to look after your baby, young or even older children, we do not think it wise to ‘scrimp’ on this. Don’t pay the lowest salary, as only the least experienced or least skilled nannies are likely to accept that. If you wish to have full confidence that your nanny is experienced, trained or qualified, hire through an agency which does all the necessary background checks and engage a vetted nanny with the appropriate experience and skills for your children’s care.

If you have budget constraints, and everyone does at some level, we recommend paying a good hourly rate for a good nanny, and, if possible, requiring slightly fewer hours. Another idea is to change the job spec. if you are requiring nanny to do general housework – drop that and your position will be more attractive. Alternatively you can offer more weeks of holiday, rather than the standard 28 days. Or throw in some added benefits, which might help make the position more attractive.

Our Kinder Nannies range from Junior to very experienced Nannies, and the nanny salaries vary accordingly.

Kinder Nanny agency service includes:

All our Kinder nannies are interviewed and vetted by nanny recruitment experts.

We provide you with nanny's :

  • Full CV
  • Enhanced DBS (criminal background check)
  • ID and proof of address
  • Paediatric First Aid certificate
  • References for previous nanny jobs and other childcare work
  • Any certificates for training or education which they say they have
  • Copy of Driving Licence (where applic)
  • Copy of work permit, if applicable (eg. settled or pre-settled status)
  • Covid vaccination status, if known.

We will usually provide you with :

  • a cover letter written by the nanny
  • a Video or Audio introduction which the nanny prepares for you.
  • A specific Assessment – answers to questions relating specifically to your job, why they are keen and why they believe themselves to be the most suitable nanny for your job.

Our placements come with free replacement guarantees or refunds and unlimited advice, both before and after you select your nanny.

If you would like to discuss any of this in further detail, any member of the Kinder Nannies team will be delighted to hear from you.

Ready to find out more?

Book your free consultation with one of our nanny recruitment experts.

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