One of the major benefits of living in China is the readily available pool of affordable help. They are mostly women of all ages coming from rural China in search of a better life in cities. Many middle class Chinese families and expat families in Shanghai rely on their ayi (阿姨/āyí) to clean their house, cook their food, wash their clothes and raise their kids. My life would be radically different without the help of 2 great ayis. One is a 钟点工(zhōngdiǎngōng), who comes in for 4 hours everyday to do household chores including cooking. The other is a live-in nanny who helps take care of my 1-year-old son.
Finding the right ayi can often be an ordeal for both Chinese and foreigners alike. Of course much more so for foreigners. I’ve heard many stories of expats paying US rates to their ayis in Shanghai. So I want to share some tips on where to find an ayi, how much you should pay and how to manage and work with them.
1. Where can you find an ayi?
There are plenty of 保姆介绍所(bǎomǔ jièshàosuǒ) or ayi agencies in Shanghai, mostly nestled in the cheap end of residential areas. Look for 6-story housing projects or a local wet market, you are likely to find an agency nearby. You can find all types of ayis, hourly ones, live-in child caretaker, live-in elderly caretaker and even one to clean your office.
You can also find ayi’s online on sites such as 58.com or baixing.com. Many agencies now list their ayi’s online. But some of these tech savvy agencies or individual ayi’s might charge you a higher premium, which brings us to the next point.
2. How much does an ayi cost?
Costs vary depending on the type of work they do and the type of arrangements you make, e.g. if you employ someone for 2 weeks or come in for a few hours per week, the rates will be higher than someone who comes more frequently.
- Hourly based (钟点工/zhōngdiǎngōng): this is the most common type of ayi. They come in for several hours everyday to do household chores. As inflation soars in China, the wages of lower end labor has increased significantly in the past year. Last year, the average salary of an hourly based ayi was around RMB12/hour. But this year, it’s at RMB15. The type of ayi who also cooks and cooks well could command an even higher salary to around RMB 20. My ayi who cooks for us gets RMB1700 for 4 hours everyday from Monday to Saturday. But some ayi’s who have worked for you for a few years and are in good terms with you might work for less. (The ayi who has worked for my parents for 10 years is working for RMB12/hour because she gets along with them very well). And if you are just looking for someone very short term or come in for a few hours every week, you could be paying around RMB20-25/hour.
- Live-in child caretaker: this is a highly sought after type of ayi as many Chinese parents both work and it requires more skills and experience than someone who just cleans. I have been very blessed with the nanny situation. My nanny, Xiao Wang was the first nanny I hired and she has been working for almost a year now. When she started in February this year, she asked for RMB2500/month. 5 months onwards, the market price has risen to about RMB2800 to RMB3000. So I gave her a raise. And next year, she will be getting RMB3200 because this is what the market price is. So I’d say anything between RMB3000-3500 is a reasonable number in Shanghai now. If you have more than one young kind, expect to pay around RMB5000. But sometimes the nanny would refuse higher rate and insist on you hiring a second nanny. I have to say though live-in nannies are no easy feat. They practically work 24/6 tending to your child and help with minor household work. (Usually they take a day off each week).
3. Job Responsibilities
This is a crucial issue to clarify with your nanny at the very beginning. The convention in China is that ayi’s are specialized. So the hourly based ones just clean and cook. The live-in nannies just take care of kids. If you ask one to do the other type of work, they are likely to refuse. My nanny made it abundantly clear that she would’t clean and cook, because they were not part of her responsibilities. And in the case of a small child, I doubt she would find the time to do those anyway. However, if your kids are older, aka. started going to preschool, some nannies transition their role to help you with more household work. There are more versatile type of ayi’s who multi-task. But those are slightly harder to find and they charge more (cheaper than to hire 2 though).
4. Age, experience and personality
From my experience, the hourly based ayi’s tend to be middle aged (40 and above). While the more experience the better, there’s no need to be over-obsessed with experience because it’s relatively easy to learn how to mop and vacuum. Live-in child caring nannies tend to be younger as the job requires more energy and a higher level of education. I also found that it is much easier to communicate with a younger ayi (my live-in nanny is 30) because they tend to be more open-minded, plugged into the world and more confident. My nanny loves eating pasta and has worked in Thailand. Another great benefit is that younger nannies tend to communicate with your kids better. My nanny treats my son almost like a buddy. When it comes to personality, it’s safer to go with someone not overly enthusiastic and confident. My mom once hired an ayi who was extremely affable and talkative at the interview. But 2 months into the job, she wanted a raise and threatened quitting.
4. Raises and Bonuses:
There was a time when wages stayed flat for 2 or 3 years for ayi’s. But not lately. The rising cost of living in China makes a compelling case for a raise. My experience is that ayi’s won’t be shy of asking for raises unless they’ve worked for you for many years. But often Chinese ayi’s raise request could come in the form of resignation. Don’t take it too literally or as an offence. It’s often their awkward way of asking for more money. Should you give it to them? Usually if you are paying the benchmarks I’ve given, it’s fine for at least 6 months to a year. And if an ayi asks for a raise within 6 months of employment, you have to find a compelling enough reason such as the market price is rising or she has done an amazing job (but even the latter doesn’t qualify for a raise so soon).
In general, you should give your ayi some bonus over Chinese New Year. If she’s only been with you for a few months, RMB200 would be fine. If she’s been with you longer and does an amazing job, you could max it out to an extra month’s salary. But that’s rare and not expected. I also give my live-in nanny a small bonus (RMB100) on Mid-Autumn Festival and Children’s Day (to buy gift for her daughter).
I’d also suggest giving your ayi’s some small gifts such as your hand-me downs if they are in good condition.
5. English skills:
This is an area that I don’t have experience in. But obviously ayi’s who can speak or understand some English or operate Western appliances and cook Western food could justifiably charge a premium. But I feel it should not be more than double of the rates mentioned earlier.
6. What if your ayi quits?
Understand the cause. Is it about money, workload, distance or personal circumstances? If it’s about money, keep it fair based on the market price. And should your ayi quits, don’t panic. It’s relatively easy to find hourly based ones. But if your nanny wants to quit (whom you like), try your best to make them stay. And you can always get ayi to refer their friends for you.
On a final note, many ayi’s would take up to 20 days or even a month off during Chinese New Year. Make prior arrangements. But bear in mind that it’s very hard to find a temp because almost all ayi’s go back.
