salary for an au-pair in Finland (live in or live out)

rose289 · Post by **rose289** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 3:39 pm

Hello everyone,
I was offered a job as an au-pair. This is the first time I've in the job like this so I'm not sure about the average salary which an au-pair can get in Finland for both live-in and live-out au-pair. If anyone know about, I hope that you'll reply here. Thank you very much for your time !!!

**Sponsor:**

Illiniguy · Post by **Illiniguy** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 5:21 pm

I've met a couple of au-pair's and the live-in rate is only a couple of hundred Euros from what I heard. I don't know what the live out rate would be. Basically, the compensation is horrible for the amount of work that you do.

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 5:59 pm

rose289 wrote:Hello everyone,
I was offered a job as an au-pair. This is the first time I've in the job like this so I'm not sure about the average salary which an au-pair can get in Finland for both live-in and live-out au-pair. If anyone know about, I hope that you'll reply here. Thank you very much for your time !!!

No you havent since au-pair is not a job so you wont get salary.

Jeanne88 · Post by **Jeanne88** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 6:43 pm

onkko wrote:No you havent since au-pair is not a job so you wont get salary.

What do you mean?? Of course au-pair is a job! And if you wouldn't get money from it, nobody would do it!

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 6:50 pm

Jeanne88 wrote:No you havent since au-pair is not a job so you wont get salary.

What do you mean?? Of course au-pair is a job! And if you wouldn't get money from it, nobody would do it!

No its not, its cultural exchange where you get minimal pay to get "what is needed". Its intended to teens to look how things are done in different countries, not as job.
Even by law it isnt job.

Jeanne88 · Post by **Jeanne88** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 9:52 pm

onkko wrote:No its not, its cultural exchange where you get minimal pay to get "what is needed". Its intended to teens to look how things are done in different countries, not as job.
Even by law it isnt job.

Alright then! But my 26 years old friend who is not a student has been an aupair in the same family for about 2 years now in London (no exchange)...and it is considerate as a job...Well it might be different in Finland then.

CH · Post by CH » Sat Jun 04, 2011 10:16 pm

Cory wrote:Reality is that someone who's been hired to mind the health, safety and well-being of a child is hired in to a job. One of the most important jobs that there are, actually, if a Mother isn't able to look after the child herself. I would never hire a teen and trust him/her to look after my child well just so that he/she could "look how things are done in Finland". That's a ludicrous statement.

No, Onkko is correct. It's not a "job", you are thinking of a nanny (oh, and my husband is perfectly capable of looking after our child!!!). Check out what Migri says about it: http://www.migri.fi/download.asp?id=au% ... 51FEB3EA81}

Au pair on ulkomaalainen 17–30-vuotias henkilö, joka tulee Suomeen opiskelemaan suomen tai ruotsin kieltä ja kulttuuria tai tutustumaan siihen. Au pair asuu perheessä ja korvaa kevyellä kodinhoitotyöllä ylöspitonsa. Au pair ei ole kokopäiväinen lasten- tai kodinhoitaja.
Au pair ei tarvitse työntekijän oleskelulupaa. Pelkkä oleskelulupa riittää. Jos henkilö tulee Suomeen kokopäiväiseksi
lastenhoito- tai kotiapulaiseksi, hän tarvitsee työntekijän oleskeluluvan.

Emphasis mine.
and

Au pair osallistuu perheen jokapäiväisiin toimiin. Koska hänen asemansa on perheenjäseneen verrattava, hänen työmääränsä ei saa ylittää muiden perheenjäsenten tekemää kodin- ja lastenhoitotyötä.

and

Jos au pairin työmäärä on suurempi kuin muiden perheenjäsenten, hänet katsotaan työntekijäksi. Tällöin hänen on haettava työntekijän oleskelulupaa, hänelle on maksettava työntekijälle kuuluva korvaus työstään ja hänestä on maksettava työnantajamaksut.

You don't get paid a salary as an au-pair, you get paid pocket money which is a minimum of 252e netto (you do have to pay taxes, but the pocket money has to bee so high that after taxes you get at least the minimum). If you are doing actual whole day child minding and house work then you aren't an au pair but a nanny, and need to be hired as such. As far as I know they have become more stringent in checking on it, as people used that as a loop hole to get child minder cheaply and easily from abroad.

silk · Post by **silk** » Sun Jun 05, 2011 3:58 am

To the OP: Pay attention to what onkko and CH are saying. The fact that you are asking about your "salary" as an au pair suggests that you haven't done your homework. Before accepting a position as an au pair, make sure you familiarize yourself with what being an au pair means. Here is a link to the English web site that CH provided, but it is easily found with some googling.

http://www.migri.fi/netcomm/content.asp ... anguage=EN

Being an au pair doesn't mean working full time as a salaried nanny, but to do light house work in exchange for full board and "pocket money" while you acquaint yourself with the local language and culture. You are considered to be "part of the family", not an employee. And, hence, you are not required to have a residence permit for employed persons. The rules are there, as CH mentioned, to ensure that you are not exploited as cheap labor.

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Sun Jun 05, 2011 10:11 am

I am not sure about the exact details, but the OP should also consider insurance, KELA is unlikely to help out in any way.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sun Jun 05, 2011 2:12 pm

The semantics is in your residence permit. Au-pair is not a "worker".

CH · Post by CH » Sun Jun 05, 2011 2:14 pm

Cory wrote:Semantics I think. The OP is not a native speaker and many non-native speakers might get "salary" and "average hourly wage/rate" confused.

No semantics... if she gets "salary", "average hourly wage/rate"... anyting like that, then she isn't an au pair but a nanny! It really is important to understand that!!! As an au pair you get pocket money, and that is the only thing you are allowed to get. As soon as you start talking about something else she needs to be hired through other channels than an au pair. Au pair is a way for young people to experience another country, a bit like an exchange student. The family gets someone to do some light houswork and child minding in exchange for food, board, and some pocket money.

Lisa 15 · Post by **Lisa 15** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:32 pm

Hi,
The minimum "pocket money" you get should be 252€/month for a maximum of 30 hours /week. Make sure your contract with the family states the number of hours /day or week. The family should also find another solution n case they have kids younger than 3 years old, so that if the kid get sick while you're in a löanguage class for exeample, you don't have to drop your class to take care of the sick child.
You will need some kind of paper from your home country to prove that you are covered in case of accident/ illness (if you're from EU, it is the european sickness insurance card). You can also check if your family is willing to offer you the monthly ticket to take the bus/train depending on where you live. Make sure that the timetable they propose you allow you to follow some classes,a nd discuss yhe week-end arrangmeent: some families are super nice, other are really !"#¤% and might try to use you as their private housemade...
It is a great experience when everything goes well.
I think that if you don't live with the family, then you are a nany, and it is a totally different status: you need to register, work permit if not from EU, find a place to live, ect..
Good luck!

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 3:36 am

Cory wrote:
onkko wrote:No its not, its cultural exchange where you get minimal pay to get "what is needed". Its intended to teens to look how things are done in different countries, not as job. Even by law it isnt job.
I just had to chime in here.

Semantics re is it a job or not.

Reality is that someone who's been hired to mind the health, safety and well-being of a child is hired in to a job. One of the most important jobs that there are, actually, if a Mother isn't able to look after the child herself. I would never hire a teen and trust him/her to look after my child well just so that he/she could "look how things are done in Finland". That's a ludicrous statement.

Then you hire a nanny, au-pair isnt for your.

majasi · Post by **majasi** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 9:48 pm

Ok. I have been working as Au Pair and nanny in London and in Finland. You are not employed, you are not paying taxes, that means it is not a job. I think that is clear. I also worked as a nanny. Then I was employed, payed taxes and was registered with national insurance number.
Such thing as live out Au Pair doesn't really exist because in that case you will live on your own and they need to pay a salary of a nanny.

In Finland is about 300 euros per month.
You need to have own room and food provided in return. Some families are really helpful and they take you to places with them they pay hotels , language classes and so many opportunities to experience their country. In return you do housework and look after the kids, the money you get are pocket money.
I think this is a good definition what is Au Pair and everyone who is willing to be need to know.
But of course you can end up in strange families , there is everything out there so must be cautious and some families do provide luxuries accommodation if you are lucky.

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