The annual survey of nanny wages released today by Nannytax, the UK's leading payroll support service for employers of nannies, and Nursery World magazine, shows that nannies in London and the Home Counties have seen their salaries make a full recovery following last year’s dip.

Central London daily nannies earned an average of £32,316 in 2009, while their live-in counterparts received £23,949. Nanny wages have often been seen as a barometer of the economy’s health, so the new figures could reflect better times ahead for the UK.

Survey results of recent years have flagged up an imminent transformation of the nanny industry as a whole, and 2009 has been the year when we have seen this change begin in earnest. This is especially evident in the dramatic increase in the demand for nannyshares and part-time nannies. With the introduction of flexibility in the workplace, coupled with growing demands on the modern working family in the current economic climate, parents’ childcare needs have changed drastically and nannies have had to adjust accordingly.

Andrew Myers, CEO of Nannytax says: “It is especially interesting to note that whilst salaries in London and the Home Counties are yet again in line with the record figures of 2007, this recovery has occurred in tandem with the greatest increase in nannysharing (and part-time employment) the industry has ever seen. What this means in practice is that nannies who are willing to be flexible and work for more than one employer can expect to earn a good salary, and parents who team up with other families now have access to top-quality childcare that won’t cost the earth.”

That the industry is undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts is also evident elsewhere. Despite growing frustration with the government’s lack of commitment to middle income families, as seen in the Ofsted register, which remains a voluntary option for nannies (it is mandatory for all other childcare providers), the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) which will only require some nannies to be registered, and the threat to scrap Childcare Vouchers; nannies appear resolute in their commitment to be perceived as professional childcare providers. We can report that 45 per cent of nannies are now registered with Ofsted, up by almost one fifth on last year and 44 per cent of nannies now have public liability insurance, a figure that has also soared since last year.

Nursery World Editor Liz Roberts said, ‘It is to be hoped that whichever party wins the General Election, there will be progress on making registration for nannies compulsory, and a recognition that nannies should be fully included as members of the early years workforce.’