School’s out for summer — but work isn’t — so there’s a good chance you’re going to need help with summer child care. A summer nanny might be just the type of care you want. Finding the right summer nanny not only requires finding a qualified, reliable caregiver with a personality that fits with your family, but it also means creating a budget to pay for the hire. So, how much does a summer nanny cost?
The cost of a summer nanny will vary depending on many factors. These include: “geographic area, schedule of the position, experience and education of the nanny and duties in the role,” explains Katie Provinziano, Westside Nannies’ managing director.
There are many more details to consider, too. This primer will help you go into your search with a general understanding of the asking rates for a summer nanny so you can set reasonable expectations upfront and plan accordingly. Here’s what to know.
What does a summer nanny do?
Before diving into the cost of a summer nanny, it’s important to understand what you can expect from a summer nanny. Similar to any dedicated professional nanny, a summer nanny works in your home and prioritizes your child’s growth and welfare, creating daily schedules, offering meals and snacks and organizing stimulating activities or outings to foster their holistic development. In other words, a summer nanny is much more hands-on in planning your child’s summer day-to-day than a summer babysitter is.
How much does a summer nanny cost?
Find a summer nanny.
According to the 2024 Care.com Cost of Care Survey, parents posted rates for nannies that average $766 a week for one infant child. That is based on an average rate of $19.15 per hour for a total of 40-hours per week. But this figure should be considered as only a rough estimate of what you can expect based on your family’s specifics.
As Provinziano mentions, summer nanny rates depend on variables like:
- Where you live (higher cost of living areas typically correspond with higher pay rates for summer nannies).
- How many children you have (more children typically means higher pay).
- The ages of these children (younger ones require more hands-on supervision).
- The scope of the role you expect the summer nanny to play.
- The candidate’s level of experience.
Provinziano notes that in Los Angeles, for instance, the cost of a summer nanny per hour is higher than the national average, which is what you might reasonably expect given the higher cost of living in that city. In fact, recent Care.com data shows that the asking pay rate for nannies averages $20.04 per hour nationwide, while the asking pay rate for a nanny in Los Angeles is $25.11.
Current posted nanny rates for top U.S. cities*
Here are some examples of posted nanny rates by location, based on a 40-hour week, according to recent Care.com data.
| City, State | Hourly Nanny Rate | Weekly Nanny Rate |
|---|---|---|
| National Average | $20.04/hr | $802/wk |
| Atlanta, Georgia | $21.05/hr | $842/wk |
| Brooklyn, New York | $23.35/hr | $934/wk |
| Charlotte, North Carolina | $19.69/hr | $788/wk |
| Chicago, Illinois | $21.10/hr | $844/wk |
| Denver, Colorado | $22.03/hr | $881/wk |
| Houston, Texas | $19.50/hr | $780/wk |
| Los Angeles, California | $25.11/hr | $1,004/wk |
| Orlando, Florida | $18.52/hr | $741/wk |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $20.71/hr | $828/wk |
| Phoenix, Arizona | $19.70/hr | $788/wk |
| Portland, Oregon | $21.66/hr | $866/wk |
| San Antonio, Texas | $17.65/hr | $706/wk |
| San Diego, California | $22.49/hr | $900/wk |
| San Francisco, California | $27.36/hr | $1,094/wk |
| Seattle, Washington | $25.44/hr | $1,018/wk |
| Tampa, Florida | $19.42/hr | $777/wk |
| Washington, DC | $21.79/hr | $872/wk |
Of course, these are sample rates, and your costs will vary under real-world conditions, including the supply and demand for qualified nannies where you live. The good news for parents and nannies alike is that teaming up for a consistent, reliable summer relationship is mutually beneficial.
“Being able to provide a consistent schedule or a guaranteed number of hours every week will be important to ensure you are able to attract a great candidate,” explains Shenandoah Davis, CEO and cofounder of the nanny recruiting agency Adventure Nannies.
Research the “industry-standard hourly pay in your area,” Davis adds. “We advise hiring families to offer a competitive compensation package paid legally, on the books, to attract the most qualified and highly skilled professionals.”
For a more precise idea of what your summer nanny cost could look like, enter your city and state into our Cost of Care calculator to see the current posted rates for nannies nearest to your location.
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Other factors affect the cost of a summer nanny
Additionally, here are some other factors that may affect the price you’ll propose for a summertime nanny:
Requiring extra duties
What duties will you expect your summer nanny to do? Do you expect your nanny to plan educational activities or fun, summertime outings outside the home? Will your nanny be supervising summer reading or online learning or providing tutoring on a certain subject? Is your nanny driving your kids to summer sports or camps (more on this later … )? These specifics all factor into how much to pay a summer nanny.
“Hiring families have the opportunity to determine the responsibilities they would like to delegate to their household employees,” says Davis. “And the scope of these duties will be an important aspect of identifying a fair compensation package.”
Reimbursing a nanny for transportation costs
Another budgetary factor to consider? The cost of transportation. If your nanny will be transporting your kids by car or driving for errands or other obligations while on the job, you’ll likely need to budget for gas and mileage.
Fortunately, it’s easy to determine the proposed reimbursement cost because the IRS standardizes the rate. The 2024 rate of 67 cents per mile covers all of the expenses a nanny could incur from using their car, including not just gas but also maintenance and depreciation.
Traveling with your nanny
Travel is another factor that goes into determining an appropriate pay rate for a summer nanny, according to Provinziano. “Families are often looking to take vacations during this time and hope to take their nanny with them,” she explains, adding she often often sees rates increase 20% or more when travel is required.
When traveling with your nanny, it’s important to factor in pay for all working hours, including any applicable overtime. “Travel time must also be factored in and is also considered work time,” she says.
How nanny taxes affect summer nanny rates
If you plan to pay a summer nanny $2,700 or more during the year, you will need to pay nanny taxes. Paying on the books is not just important as a matter of legality and liability, but it works out in your favor financially, too.
Let’s take a look at a sample case study from HomePay. Let’s say you and your partner both work, so you hire a summer nanny for 12 weeks at an agreed upon rate of $800 per week to watch two kids, ages 9 and 10, while school’s out. In this scenario, you could expect to pay the nanny $9,600 in total wages by the end of the summer. But with taxes included, here’s an example of what the full cost breakdown might look like:
Budgeting example for summer nanny
| Gross Wages Paid to the Nanny | $9,600 | |
| Social Security Taxes | + $595 | |
| Medicare Taxes | + $139 | |
| Unemployment Insurance Taxes | + $250 | |
| Total Employment Taxes: | = $984 | + $984 |
| Total Cost to the Family (before tax breaks) | = $10,584 |
By paying your nanny on the books, your family can qualify for tax breaks because the parents both work and the kids are under 13. If one of you is able to enroll in a Dependent Care Account through an employer, you can pay up to $5,000 of child care expenses tax-free. Let’s take a look at an example of the total out-of-pocket cost for a summer nanny when the cost is partially covered by a Dependent Care Account:
Example out-of-pocket cost for summer nanny
| Cost Before Tax Breaks | $10,584 |
| Savings from FSA | -$2,000 (based on our sample tax bracket) |
| Total Cost of Summer Nanny | $8,584 |
That’s right, it’s possible to actually save money by paying your summer nanny on the books and taking the tax break! And that’s a win-win that sets the stage for a fun, safe and stress-free summer.
For more information on finding, interviewing, hiring and managing a nanny, check out The Complete Guide to Nannies. Looking for even more potential cost savings? Consider a nanny share.
