Nanny salaries have fallen by nearly as much as five per cent over the last year, against a national average salary rise of 1.4 per cent, a new survey reveals.
Findings from the Nannytax annual survey show UK nanny salaries have generally fallen, with live-in nannies facing the brunt of cuts to their wages.
Live-in nannies in outer London and the Home Counties are the worst affected, with their annual gross income falling by £1,550 from £23,513 in 2011 to £21,963 in 2012, nearly a five per cent decrease.
In Central London, where wages tend to be higher, live-in nannies saw their annual income after tax and national insurance fall from £26,017 in 2011 to £26,870 in 2012, a loss of £853, while live-in nannies across the rest of the UK were £782 worse off a year compared to in 2011.
According to Nannytax, which surveyed 702 nannies, 1,145 families employing a nanny and 46 UK nanny agencies between December 2012 and January 2013, this is the first time since 2008 that there has been a nationally consistent decline in nanny salaries.
Daily or live-out nannies in central London also saw their annual gross income fall by £392 from £34,516 in 2011 to £34,124 in 2012.
However, the picture is slightly different outside London, with daily nannies in outer London and the Home Counties and the rest of the UK seeing a slight increase to their wages in 2012 on the previous year.
Despite a reduction to most nannies’ salaries, more nannies are having to work longer hours, with 14 per cent working over 60 hours per week, up from two per cent in 2010 and 11 per cent in 2011.
According to the nanny agencies surveyed, over half (55 per cent) of nannies work 51-60 hours per week. Data from the Office of National Statistics shows that the average UK working week is 37 hours.
The survey, which provides an overview of nanny working conditions, skills and salaries, also found:
- On average, nannies in the South earn more than nannies in the North, with the highest wages in central London and the lowest in Glasgow.
- Families are changing the way in which they find and hire a nanny, with nearly half (49 per cent) basing their decision on recommendations from friends, around double the number last year. A third would look at a nanny specific job website, up from 11.5 per cent in 2011.
- Nanny agencies remain the most popular route for finding a nanny with 59 per cent of families using them.
- Most nannies (46 per cent) are aged between 21 and 30, with a third (31 per cent) aged between 31 and 40.
- Half of nannies look after two children, with a quarter (23 per cent) looking after three and 9 per cent looking after four or more.
