Reasonable Australian wage for household cleaners?
June 30, 2010 7:27 AM Subscribe
What is a reasonable (Australian) wage for casual household cleaners?
A friend called an agency and they recommended a household cleaner. She says her rate is $25 an hour, and that the agency gets $10 of that. My friend thinks the agency's commission seems excessive. Is it in fact excessive, or is it normal? And is the overall rate of $25 within the normal range?
A friend called an agency and they recommended a household cleaner. She says her rate is $25 an hour, and that the agency gets $10 of that. My friend thinks the agency's commission seems excessive. Is it in fact excessive, or is it normal? And is the overall rate of $25 within the normal range?
When I was working casually at an agency, I was making about $18 per hour, the agency was charging about $34 per hour (premium Melbourne suburbs, branded products, large houses). I think $25 sounds pretty normal for an average agency.
posted by metaphorical at 4:14 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by metaphorical at 4:14 PM on June 30, 2010
When I was cleaning houses privately, I charged $20ph and expected the clients to supply their own products. The rates you quoted for agency cleaners, who have had checks done etc, doesn't seem excessive.
posted by Kerasia at 4:18 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by Kerasia at 4:18 PM on June 30, 2010
Yup that kind of commission is very much par for the course, as is the overall rate, if not cheapish - which is why people try to source private cleaners if they get them. The risk burden that an agency assumes is not worth $10-$25 an hour in many people's eyes.
posted by smoke at 5:10 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by smoke at 5:10 PM on June 30, 2010
When I move out at the end of a lease I hire a cleaner to finish up when I'm sick to death of it, but I don't have a regular housecleaner.
2 years ago I hired a local woman for $20 an hour. She supplied everything and only needed electricity for hot water. And she worked her butt off. Her fees may have increased since then, but not beyond $25 I wouldn't think.
I wouldn't go through an agency because I'd rather pay the middleman fee to the person getting their hands dirty. I'm in a small country town, though, we don't HAVE agencies.
I think $10 commission on an hourly rate of $25 is a ripoff. Tell her to advertise privately, get some good references as a reliable cleaner, and build up a clientele of a handful of people for whom she cleans once a week or a fortnight or however often she needs the income.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 6:42 PM on June 30, 2010
2 years ago I hired a local woman for $20 an hour. She supplied everything and only needed electricity for hot water. And she worked her butt off. Her fees may have increased since then, but not beyond $25 I wouldn't think.
I wouldn't go through an agency because I'd rather pay the middleman fee to the person getting their hands dirty. I'm in a small country town, though, we don't HAVE agencies.
I think $10 commission on an hourly rate of $25 is a ripoff. Tell her to advertise privately, get some good references as a reliable cleaner, and build up a clientele of a handful of people for whom she cleans once a week or a fortnight or however often she needs the income.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 6:42 PM on June 30, 2010
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I guess I personally would cut out the middleman and just directly hire one of the many, many uni students that would love a few hours' work a week. Your friend would have to provide the cleaning products themselves, and there is some risk obviously, but your friend can ask around for personal recommendations, which is how most of the people I know (from both sides of the equation) arrange cleaning work.
posted by lwb at 7:56 AM on June 30, 2010