If you’ve narrowed down your choice of child care options and decided that hiring a nanny is the right option for your family, you’re probably wondering: How much does a nanny cost? As with any child care option a parent considers, it’s crucial to know up front what it may cost so you can look at your budget and plan accordingly.
U.S. parents posted nanny rates averaging $766 per week, or about $19.15 per hour, for one child, according to the Care.com 2024 Cost of Care Survey.
How much is a nanny?
U.S. parents posted nanny rates averaging $766 per week, or about $19.15 per hour, for one child, according to the Care.com 2024 Cost of Care Survey. You can find the most current posted nanny rates, depending on location and number of children, by entering your city and state into our Cost of Care calculator. But there are several other factors to keep in mind when discussing the proposed cost of a nanny.
What should I factor into a nanny’s pay rate?
The expected cost of hiring a nanny has many variables, including where you live, what the nanny is hired to do and how much experience they bring to the position.
Geographic area
One of the biggest factors in how much you’ll pay for a nanny is where you live. Hourly asking rates for nannies can vary widely from one community to the next. Those living in areas with a higher cost of living generally pay more for nanny services than in lower-priced areas. Competition can also be a factor. Cities with fewer experienced, well-qualified nannies may have higher asking rates than in places where competition isn’t quite so fierce.
Here are some examples of posted nanny asking rates based on location, according to recent Care.com data.
Current posted nanny rates in top U.S. cities*
| City, State | Hourly Nanny Rate |
|---|---|
| Atlanta, Georgia | $21.05/hr |
| Brooklyn, New York | $23.35/hr |
| Charlotte, North Carolina | $19.69/hr |
| Chicago, Illinois | $21.09/hr |
| Denver, Colorado | $22.03/hr |
| Houston, Texas | $19.50/hr |
| Orlando, Florida | $18.52/hr |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $20.71/hr |
| Phoenix, Arizona | $19.73/hr |
| Portland, Oregon | $21.66/hr |
| San Antonio, Texas | $17.65/hr |
| San Diego, California | $22.50/hr |
| San Francisco, California | $27.36/hr |
| Seattle, Washington | $25.44/hr |
| Tampa, Florida | $19.41/hr |
| Washington, DC | $21.79/hr |
Beyond cost of living, commuting can also play a role in nanny cost, says Emily Dills, CEO of Seattle Nanny Network. For instance, if the nanny has to commute, Dills says, “the nanny will be taking into consideration the cost of her time in transit and mileage, especially if the hours are part time.”
Looking up average posted nanny rates in your area is a good starting place — you can always go up or down based on expected duties or nanny’s experience.
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Types of duties and tasks
In addition to where you live, what you’re asking the nanny to do could also affect how much you’ll pay. Caring for more children, for example, usually means more work for the nanny, and therefore, a higher asking rate.
The specific tasks included in the job description of a nanny can change from one family to the next, says Los Angeles parent coach and nanny matchmaker Stella Reid. “[Hiring a nanny] is about making a family’s life easier,” Reid says. That can mean “things like party organization, grocery shopping, organizing, planning schedules — it can be a lot of hats for one person.”
Circumstances that might make the proposed rate of nanny services go up or down include:
- Number of children.
- Ages of children.
- Driving to and from activities — typically covered in the form of using a household vehicle or paying the nanny a mileage reimbursement if they have to use their own car.
- Household tasks, such as cooking, laundry, cleaning or dog-walking.
- Errands like grocery shopping or picking up the dry cleaning.
- Managing contractors or other household employees.
- Event planning.
How much more a nanny should earn for these non-child-care tasks is between the family and the nanny, Reid says, and it should be something that’s discussed during routine pay assessments and written down in a nanny contract or worker agreement.
For those at a loss for what would be appropriate, however, Gabriela Gerhart, founder and president of Motherhood Center in Houston, said in a prior interview with Care that it’s fairly standard to tack $1-2 onto the proposed hourly rate for common household tasks like meals or laundry for the whole family.
Experience and background of the nanny
If families are looking for someone with a lot of training or background in a specific area, they should be prepared to pay more for that experience.
“Nannies with a bachelor and master’s degree, especially related to early childhood education, typically have a higher earning potential,” says Michelle LaRowe, lead educator at CACHE-accredited Global Nanny Training. Nannies with specialized training or experience with niche circumstances, such as caring for multiples or children with special needs, also earn more.
Part-time nanny cost vs. full-time nanny cost
The main difference between a part-time nanny and a full-time nanny is the number of hours they work. Generally, a part-time nanny works for 35 hours a week or less, whereas a full-time nanny usually works 40 hours a week. That means, the expected cost difference between hiring a part-time and a full-time nanny can be pretty significant.
Here’s an example of the cost comparison between a part-time nanny and a full-time nanny, based on the posted average nanny rate of $19.15 per hour ($766 per week) from the 2024 Cost of Care Survey:
| Hourly Rate* | Weekly Rate Part-time nanny (15 hours a week) | Weekly Rate Part-time nanny (20 hours a week) | Weekly Rate Part-time nanny (30 hours a week) | Weekly Rate Full-time nanny (40 hours a week) |
| $19.15/hr | $288/wk | $383/wk | $575/wk | $766/wk |
What extra costs are not included in a nanny’s asking pay rate?
Your proposed nanny pay rate is only part of the equation. When you’re budgeting for nanny services, you should also take into consideration other costs, like nanny taxes, background checks and supplemental care when your nanny is sick or on vacation. These additional expenses include:
- Nanny taxes: According to the Internal Revenue Service, nannies (full-time or not) are employees — not independent contractors — meaning families are responsible for not only withholding state and federal taxes for the nanny, but also covering the costs of taxes typically paid by other kinds of employers. For tax year 2024, “nanny taxes” kick in when a nanny makes more than $2,700 in a calendar year, and how much taxes are varies by location. If you aren’t sure how much nanny taxes are in your state, this nanny tax calculator can give you an idea of what you’ll need to pay. Note: These taxes apply even if you hired your nanny through an intermediary, like a service or website.
- Payroll services: Some families opt to use a payroll service or accountant to manage the nanny’s paycheck and nanny taxes, which can also be an added cost.
- Intermediary agencies: If you hire a nanny through a referral agency or nanny service, these organizations will generally charge fees to vet and recommend nannies for you.
- Periodic background checks: Background checks for nannies prior to hiring them on, as well as on an annual or routine basis, are also an added cost. Typically, the more in-depth the background check, the higher the fee. Note: Care.com provides an enhanced caregiver screening called a CareCheck, which is included with membership. CareCheck is a good place to start, but it does not replace the safety precautions that families should take on their own.
- Additional certifications: Families insisting that their nannies be up-to-date on CPR and first aid certifications will often pay for them to be renewed every few years.
- Raises, bonuses and overtime: Like many different types of employees, nannies expect to receive routine raises and/or bonuses and are entitled to overtime pay (time and a half) if they work more than 40 hours per week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. How much you should give in raises or bonuses is between you and your nanny, but LaRowe says a 2-3% cost-of-living raise, in addition to a 5-7% merit increase, is fairly standard.
- Supplemental child care: Many families choose to give their nannies paid sick leave or vacation days. During that time, families might need to pay for supplemental, short-term child care, such as an emergency babysitter or drop-in child care, if family members are unable to fill in.
How much a nanny costs can differ widely from one family to the next, based on circumstances, expectations and experience levels. Families interested in hiring a nanny should start by looking into the posted rates of nannies in their area and taxes for their state, and then adjust their budget from there.
For more tips and advice about interviewing nannies, setting up taxes, payroll and more, check out The Complete Guide to Nannies for everything you need to know about hiring a nanny, start to finish.
