Typical hourly rates
Across the US, a typical nanny rate in 2026 is about $20–30 an hour. That’s the gross rate, before any taxes come out. In the most expensive metros, such as New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle and Washington DC, experienced nannies often charge more than $30 an hour. In smaller towns and rural areas, rates usually sit toward the lower end of the range.
Always talk about pay as a gross hourly rate. It’s the clearest way to compare nannies, and it’s the number your payroll and taxes are based on. Our cost calculator and town pages show what families pay near you.
What changes the rate
Location. Cost of living is the biggest driver. The same nanny can charge very different rates in a city and in a small town an hour away.
Experience and training. Years in the job, strong references, CPR and first aid, early childhood education, and newborn or special-needs experience all push the rate up.
Number of children. Each extra child adds work. Many nannies charge a few dollars an hour more for a second or third child.
Duties. Childcare comes first. If you also want household management, family laundry, meals for the adults, or homework help for older kids, expect to pay more. If the nanny drives the kids in their own car, add mileage on top.
Nanny share. Two families share one nanny. Each family pays less per hour, and the nanny earns more overall. More on this below.
Live-in or live-out. A live-in nanny gets a private room and meals as part of the job. Some families pay a slightly lower cash rate because of that. But live-in days are often long, and you still need to track and pay for every hour worked.
Guaranteed hours and overtime
Most professional nannies expect guaranteed hours. You agree on a regular schedule, say 45 hours a week, and you pay for those hours even if you come home early, cancel a day, or go on vacation without the nanny. In return, the nanny keeps that time free for you. It’s the norm for full-time jobs, and it’s what keeps good nannies from leaving for steadier work.
Overtime starts with federal law. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a live-out nanny must be paid time-and-a-half for every hour over 40 in a workweek. A live-in nanny is exempt from federal overtime. But some states, including California and New York, require overtime for live-in nannies too, at their own thresholds. Check your state’s labor department before you set a schedule.
A 50-hour week at $25 an hour is not $1,250. It’s 40 hours at $25 plus 10 hours at $37.50, which comes to $1,375. Plan your schedule with the overtime rate in mind.
Paid time off and holidays
Paid time off is part of a full-time nanny job, and good nannies will ask about it early. A common package includes two weeks of paid vacation a year, often with the family choosing one week and the nanny choosing the other. It also includes paid major holidays, such as New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, plus a few paid sick days.
Some states and cities require paid sick leave for household employees, so check your local rules. And remember guaranteed hours: when your family travels without the nanny, you still pay. Write all of this into a work agreement so nobody has to guess.
Employer taxes
If you pay a nanny more than the IRS threshold for the year, you are a household employer. That means payroll taxes on top of the hourly rate.
Social Security and Medicare. You pay an employer share of 7.65% of the nanny’s gross wages (6.2% for Social Security plus 1.45% for Medicare). You also withhold the same 7.65% from the nanny’s pay.
Unemployment taxes. Federal unemployment tax (FUTA) applies to the first $7,000 of each employee’s wages and usually works out to $42 per employee for the year. State unemployment tax has its own rate and wage cap, which vary by state.
Some states add other items, such as disability or paid family leave insurance. Our nanny tax guide walks through all of it in plain English, including the forms you’ll need.
Agency fees and nanny shares
If you hire through a nanny agency, expect a one-time placement fee on top of wages. Fees are typically 15–25% of the nanny’s first-year gross salary. Ask what the fee covers, such as screening, background checks, and a replacement if the placement doesn’t work out. Our “Find me a nanny” service works with partner agencies, and they’ll explain their fees before you commit.
In a nanny share, two families split one nanny. The nanny usually earns a higher total hourly rate than for one family, and each family pays part of it. For example, a nanny who charges $25 an hour for one family might charge $32 for two, so each family pays $16. Each family is usually a separate employer with its own payroll. Agree in writing on whose home hosts care, who buys supplies, and what happens when one child is sick.
A worked example: one full-time week
Here’s a sample budget for a full-time, live-out nanny. Your numbers will differ, but the steps are the same.
One live-out nanny caring for two children. $25 an hour gross. 45 guaranteed hours a week. Paid for 52 weeks a year, including two weeks of vacation and paid holidays. State unemployment tax set at $400 a year for the example. No agency fee.
Wages. 40 hours at $25 is $1,000. The 5 overtime hours are paid at $37.50, which adds $187.50. Gross pay is $1,187.50 a week, or $61,750 a year.
Employer Social Security and Medicare. 7.65% of $1,187.50 is about $90.84 a week, or about $4,724 a year.
Unemployment taxes. $42 for federal unemployment, plus the assumed $400 for state unemployment. Check your state’s real rate.
Total. About $66,900 a year, or roughly $1,287 a week averaged across the year. That’s a little over 8% more than gross wages.
Not included: raises, a holiday bonus, mileage, or help with health insurance, which many families add. If you hire through an agency, add the one-time placement fee. At 15–25% of first-year salary, that would be about $9,260–15,440 here.
To run your own numbers, try our cost calculator. Then read our nanny tax guide before your nanny’s first payday.