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NEW YORK ― I recently discovered a new lucrative job that's not in finance or banking. It's being a full-time nanny in the U.S. Yes, you read correctly, a nanny.
Those in Korea may not understand what I'm saying because parents in Seoul can easily hire a live-in nanny for 1.5 million won a month. Now if you think this is a lot, compare it to $4,000 (4.3 million won) a month as that's apparently the going rate here for a single child household.
For someone with multiples (like me), $6,000 is the starting price and nannies still label this a ''bargain.'' I'm not pulling these numbers out of nowhere as I spent most of last week interviewing a dozen potential live-in helpers from California to New York in hopes to get an extra hand around the house.
A $6,000 monthly paycheck is, by industry standards, paid in cash without tax deductions. So if we were to apply average state and federal income taxes, the annual salary goes up to a whopping six-figure income.
Wow, right? It took me a while to accept the fact that nannies in the U.S. are paid more than average office workers with a bachelor's and, sometimes, even a master's degree.
So who are these nannies and why are they making so much?
Most of the women I spoke to are experienced Korean nannies aged between 45 and 55. They provide live-in help five days a week with a guaranteed two days off, but the word ''help'' is strictly pre-defined.
Unlike nannies in Korea, who generally do most of the work around the house, including laundry, cleaning and light cooking, helpers here have a long list of things they don't do. For example, cleaning is something an employer would have to pay extra for.
After speaking to about the eighth person and hearing her detailed needs, I felt brave enough to ask her bluntly why on earth people in her business ask for so much money.
The answer was surprisingly simple.
'It's the U.S., the land of high labor costs,'' she said, sounding sort of annoyed, like ''duh.''
I had nothing to say to that. We all know how anything involving labor gets expensive in America.
Getting a pair of pants shortened and hemmed in Korea costs 5,000 won, but I'd have to pay triple the price here. That's just how it is.
We're talking tiny human beings, not pants, so I guess they think it's reasonable to mark up the price so high.
After getting this reality check, I did a little online research and it was then when I was officially introduced to the world of six-figure nannies in the U.S.
So it is not an uncommon deal here after all.
But these nannies aren't the typical passive grandma style ladies like the ones I spoke to. They are well-educated, bilingual and physically fit young professionals who obviously do more than just feed and change the babies they're responsible for.
They bring the best education to the kids and will usually do almost anything their employer wants. All for up to $200,000 a year in some of New York's wealthiest homes, according to the city's high-end nanny agencies.
For me, this is just jaw-dropping, but it's no wonder that some college graduates in the United States look for top shelf nanny jobs right after graduating.
This is a whole different world from where I live so I'll never see such an elite nanny at work during my lifetime.
But as for the middle-aged Korean nannies here who don't have any of these extra assets, I just wish they'd come up with a better reason for their price besides the one they have now.
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