I am in the process of becoming group daycare provider. I will need an assistant on the days that my numbers allow me too. I am wondering what are the going rates for an hourly payment. Is it minimum wage, or a lot more? I don't want to sound like an idiot when interviewing. And what kind of "benifits" do they get from you? vacation. sick days? Thanks for your help!!

Reply

I would say it depends on where you live, their education, and experience.

I pay mine $8 per hour. No medical, No vacation or personal time.

I made the mistake of hiring a friend with a school aged child and an infant. BIG mistake. Nothing but problems from the start so be careful with your selections!

Reply

As far as I know, the going rates for assistants in daycares is minimum wage, or just above. I know some of the providers on this forum pay $10/hr or more for their assistants. But others are just barely above min wage. I can tell you what the owner offers me, though, if it would help. I'm paid just a bit over min wage (I think about $0.50/hr), and there are no benefits (unless you count the unpaid week off when daycare is closed). It's a home daycare, so I understand that in that type of daycare an owner wouldn't be able to give much in the way of benefits. However, I do think certain benefits would be a nice gesture and go a long ways toward keeping your assistant for a long period of time when it doesn't affect your usual income. Like paid holidays: if the parents pay regardless on holidays your assistants could also be paid these days, as it doesn't mean anything extra out of your pocket if the assistant would normally be working the day the holiday falls on. Or when you take a paid vacation and the daycare is closed: it would be the same income that week for you if you paid your assistant the usual number of hours. So in that aspect you could say you give one week paid vacation and paid holidays (both without being out anything extra than their usual weekly pay).
I think it's just all a matter of preference for daycare owners. There's no set law or anything that I know of, besides having to pay them at least minimum wage. As for benefits and all that, that's up to the individual owners.

Reply

I pay my employee just over minimum wage - but she is worth so very much more. So, I give her bonuses regularly. That way, if numbers drop, I can still afford the minimum wage, but as long as my numbers are up, I give bonuses.

Reply

thanks for the input. I was thinking minimum to start, and maybe some bonuses here and there. It is hard, because I have never had to pay someone reguarly, and I dont want to cut my self short. Thanks again.

Reply