The Highest Paid Babysitters are in San Francisco

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that S.F.’s babysitters and nannies charge the highest rates in the U.S. (though not that much more than New Yorkers do), but some of the city’s moms and dads don’t seem to mind the cost so much. Amy Graff, the reporter for this story, surveyed some parents to find out how much they paid, and if they think they’re paying too much:

I heard from over 30 different parents and while everyone had varying opinions on whether the rates are too high, nobody seemed surprised that San Francisco is higher than New York. Also, everyone agreed that for the actual city of San Francisco $14 an hour is low. The parents I heard from are paying anywhere from $15 to $22 for one child and $18 to as much as $30 for two or more.

“Our nanny took home $18 an hour post tax for one kid, $24 an hour for two kids post tax (nanny share),” Simona shared. “She got two weeks paid vacation, sick days, paid holidays, and year-end bonus.”

“I do not think this rate is ‘high,’” she added. “It is a living wage for San Francisco.”

Other parents chimed in similarly, with the basic idea being: The cost of living is high in San Francisco, so why wouldn’t childcare be? A refreshing, reasoned perspective!

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