Gardening and Horticulture - How Much Should I Be Paying My Landscaper?

How much does one pay a college kid to mow their lawn/do weeding? I'm in a lower middle class suburban area. I'm about a mile away from the center of town where there's always numerous migrant workers congregating. I've never hired one, but I'm pretty sure they're in the $6/hr range. I don't speak Spanish, though, and am not that comfortable with the legality. I know I have to pay my college student more, but how much? What's fair?

Oh, come on, this is not a complicated question.

If you have a kid doing your lawn, just type "I pay my kid _____."

You'd think I was asking for Coca Cola's secret formula :)

How much difference does it really make in the end, especially if it is a small job that does not take more than a couple of weeks?

It should not break you and it is obvious you do not want to do it yourself.

You are responsible for the description of what should be done and telling the peon you hired what you want and what to do.

The illegal may speak more languages that you do and may work harder than a college kid that could make more than what you mentioned by flipping burgers and may get at McDonalds.

A real contractor would charge you $30+ per hour for labor. Paying a kid going through college $15-20/hour would not be rediculous as long as you use him responsibly.

The other choice is to pay an illegal $6.00/hour and hope his brother or cousin is not an attorney or just do it yourself.

Dick