Top Chinese nannies in US make up to US$150,000 a year
Staff Reporter 2013-10-26 10:54
A Filipino nanny trains Chinese students in Hefei, Sept. 17, 2012. (Photo/Xinhua)
Some Chinese nannies working for wealthy families in the United States can earn US$100,000 a year or more if they are experienced and have good recommendations, the Shanghai-based First Financial Daily reports.
Anna, from south-central China's Hunan province, has worked as a housekeeper in the US for more than 10 years. Speaking fluent English and trusted by her employer, she is paid around US$100,000, with insurance coverage and vacation allowance. She also has her own residence.
Seth Norman Greenberg, vice president of the Pavilion Agency, a high-end housekeeper agency in New York, said high-end nannies are typically paid between US$50,000 and US$150,000 a year, with the salaries of many of his company's housekeepers exceeding US$100,000. "Of course, this requires lots of experience as every family has different demands. The key is to have good recommendations," Greenberg says.
On entering the industry, doing well on the first job is very important, the report said.
Anna, introduced by an agency similar to Pavilion, got her first job with a wealthy New York family and her employer was renowned for her fastidiousness. The family owned a lot of cats and dogs but her employer couldn't stand to see animal hair on the ground. Anna had to figure out which food in the refrigerator should be thrown out and which should be kept.
Anna's diligence when it came to housework swiftly won her the trust of her employer, and her salary soon doubled from an initial US$50,000.
Anna's current employer is an African-American movie star who is reportedly a little more laid back than her previous employer. However, working as a high-end nanny is not easy, as about 80% of the applicants to the Pavilion Agency are rejected.
Fluent English is a must, but now if applicants can speak Chinese, especially Mandarin, they will be seen as competitive; with China a rising world power, rich families often hope their children can learn Chinese as early as possible to give them an advantage, Greenberg said.
Most normal families cannot afford to hire these high-end nannies. In New York, the typical nanny charges US$15 per hour.
When rich families hire housekeepers, they usually employ them as part of their business to allow them access to social security, healthcare coverage and to resolve tax issues. Some employers prefer to pay their housekeepers under the table, however. In December 2004, Bernard Bailey Kerik, a former New York City police commissioner, was nominated by then president George W Bush to head the Department of Homeland Security, but a week later Kerik withdrew his nomination, explaining that he had employed an illegal immigrant as a nanny.
If they cannot speak English, Chinese nannies work for Chinese employers, typically charging only US$80 per day, or about US$1,700 per month in cash.
