How much should I be getting paid?

[anonymous]

I'm a full-time live in nanny. I get my room and board paid for and on top of that I make $600/month. I work 7 days a week. From 8:30am to 6:30pm. I go with them on vacations when they go free of charge. Yet that is about all the benefits I get is this fare?
I babysit one child

[Miss Pink]

yes it is.

[Tony]

600 per month? and you work 7 days aweek? WTF.... I work a minimal job 7 days a week and I make 600 in a single week... you should be getting 600 per week not month... it's a full time job 8 -6...

[C Stevens]

To estimate the value of your room and board, I would take the price of an average apartment plus utilities (plus Internet and cable TV if you have those) in your area and add the approximate cost of what you eat per month.

So, if that came out to about $750 per month for the apartment (including utilities) plus about $300 in food, you would be making at least $1050 tax-free for room and board (and since this probably tax-free, you have to remember that it would cost you at least $1325 per month from a regular job to pay for lodging and food after taxes). So when you add $1325 per month to $600 per month, you arrive at about $1925 per month, which is about $23,000 per year.

Then you could add the cost of the vacations (although you are having to work during them, so I don't know what the real value of the vacations would be, although I might value them at $1000 per year), so I would say that you are making about $24,000 per year.

Then you say you are working 10 hours per day 7 days per week, which is 70 hours per week. Do you get your own vacation time or sick time? I am going to assume that you are working 50 weeks out of the year, so you are working 3500 hours per year, which comes out to $6.85 per hour. These are approximations of course, but it sounds like you are making less than minimum wage, for the number of hours you are working.

Only you can decide if this job is worth the pay and benefits you are receiving based on your age, education, the current job market, your future plans including financial security, and how happy you are in this job. It sounds like you are not totally happy based on what you have posted.

How long have been doing this, and when did you last get a raise? Also, do you have medical costs, since you do not have insurance? Does your employer cover the cost of a doctor visit if you get sick? Also, do you have your own car or do you have the use of their car in the evenings, when you are off?

And obviously, they are not paying for any kind of retirement, except they are supposed to be paying 1/2 of your Social Security on your $600 per month, and you should insist on this being paid, because you want to pay into Social Security for your future at the very least.

If you have been with this family for more than a year, you ought to gently approach the family about a raise to $700 per month, which would increase your approximate yearly earnings to about $25,000.

If you have an associates degree or a bachelor's degree, you should be worth a little more than that, depending on where you live, and so you might want to work on putting out a resume to see if you could make more money in another type of job that you feel you are suited for.

I think you should be making at least $800 per month as a nanny in addition to your room and board, and that the employer should also give you an allowance of $50 per month for a cell phone as well, so that you can save at least $100 per month for retirement in the very least from being paid $800 per month. Do you do housekeeping chores? That is another thing to consider that should factor into what you are making. If you are also cleaning house, you should definitely be making more money. And how is the child you are taking care of? Is the child pleasant or is the child a handful?

Our housekeeper works 15 hours per week at $9.50 per hour, and there is no childcare involved, just as a point of reference. And we live in a small town in the south, just so you know.

I hope this helps somewhat, even though I felt I had to use estimations. To me you are underpaid for working 7 days a week for 10 hours per day. But your job also has a certain amount of security, plus you are not having to put down rent deposits, utility deposits, etc. so there are benefits to what you are doing as well.

Best wishes in figuring it all out. Sorry I had to use estimations, but perhaps you can refine them, and come up with better approximations, and decide whether to stay in this job or not. Remember, there are many people in far worse situations, but there are also people in better situations. Only you can make any decisions about what you want to do. Once again, best wishes.