Nannies: Best of the Best

I’m guessing no one gets rich babysitting.

I’m also guessing no one gets rich by working as a nanny, which to me is babysitting 24/7 with perhaps some added job duties. Boy, was I ever surprised to read last month that some of the highest earning nannies in New York City command salaries as much as $180,000 per year. A nanny!

A recent New York Times article by Adam Davidson suggested the “best of the best” – the truly elite nannies who are excellent chefs, great personal assistants and who often are multilingual – can command as much as $180,000 per year. Davidson wrote that for this elite level salary, such nannies basically sign their entire 24/7 life and life’s schedule over to the client family. That eliminates any parental concerns over their nanny’s schedule.

The article can be found online at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/magazine/the-best-nanny-money-can-buy.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=nannies&st=cse

Can you imagine?

Typically nannies charge $10 to $20 per hour for their services. Yes, there can be price variations, but 10 to 20 bucks seems to be the ballpark norm for most nanny fees. Baby sitting and pet sitting likely come in a bit less because there’s less responsibility. But I truly wonder at times, what would it cost to hire an elite nanny for our dog? What services would be provided and how might that affect our relationship?

Our dog (Bourbon) sleeps almost in the lap of luxury in a climate-controlled environment and on a queen-sized bed with his own pillow and nearby bowl of fresh water. He also has a TV to watch (HD and cable) and his own alarm clock. He has access to regular meals and is driven twice daily to his dog park in one of two SUVs and also in a 4-door sedan. He gets to socialize daily with his other dog friends and has Internet and email access if needed at home. He has regular vet care, a weekend cabin resort in the woods an hour outside the city and is spoken to regularly. He has HDTV, an allowance, his taxes and dog license are paid yearly, and our dog  gets to eat dinner in front of the TV.

Yeah, Bourbon needs a nanny.

There’s a lot I don’t know about, but it strikes me that if a person can earn up to $180,000 for being a nanny, then perhaps there are other niche markets out there to be tapped. I suppose there’s something to be said for having an ideal job and perhaps much more to be said in response to this axiom: “They couldn’t pay me enough to do that job.”