Start with local rates
Your rate should start from what families in your area actually pay. Across the US, a typical nanny rate in 2026 is about $20–30 an hour, and it runs higher in big, expensive metros. That range is wide, so look closer to home.
Our town pages show local rate ranges where enough providers have listed rates. Our cost calculator shows what a family near you would expect to pay. Also read current job posts in your area, and ask nannies you know what they charge. Pick a starting point in the middle of the local range, then adjust it for what you bring.
What justifies a higher rate
Experience. Years as a nanny, and strong references from recent families, are the clearest reasons to charge more.
CPR and first aid. Current pediatric CPR and first aid certification is something families look for. Keep it up to date and show it on your profile.
Newborn or special-needs experience. Caring for newborns, preemies, or children with medical, developmental or behavioral needs takes extra skill. Price it in.
Education. A degree or coursework in early childhood education or child development shows families you understand how children grow and learn.
Languages. Many families want their children to grow up hearing a second language. If you’re fluent, say so.
Driving. A clean driving record and a reliable car are worth more. If you use your own car for the job, ask for mileage on top of your rate.
Multiple children. Two or three children is more work than one. Decide in advance how much you add for each extra child.
Extra duties. Childcare is the job. Family laundry, cooking for the adults, household management, or tutoring older kids are extras, and they should be paid as extras.
You don’t need all of these. Each one is a reason to sit higher in your local range. List them on your profile so families see the value before they see the number.
Quote gross, not net
Gross pay is your pay before taxes. Net pay is what lands in your bank account. When you work legally as a household employee, the family withholds 7.65% for your Social Security and Medicare, plus income tax if you both agree to that.
Always quote a gross hourly rate. It’s how payroll works, it makes jobs easy to compare, and it avoids confusion when tax amounts change. If a family asks about take-home pay, you can show them both numbers, but agree on gross in writing.
At $25 an hour gross for 40 hours, you earn $1,000 a week before taxes. Social Security and Medicare take $76.50, so you’d see $923.50 before any income tax.
Being paid on the books also earns you Social Security credits, unemployment protection if a job ends, and proof of income when you rent a home or apply for a loan.
Guaranteed hours and overtime
Ask for guaranteed hours. That means the family pays for an agreed schedule, say 45 hours a week, even if they come home early, cancel a day, or travel without you. You keep that time free for them, so it’s fair that they pay for it.
Know the overtime rules. Under federal law, a live-out nanny earns time-and-a-half for every hour over 40 in a workweek. Live-in nannies are exempt federally, but some states, including California and New York, require overtime for them too. Check your state’s labor department. Quote your overtime rate up front, so families know that a $26 rate means $39 for each overtime hour.
Nanny share rates
In a nanny share, you care for children from two families at the same time. Each family usually pays less than they would for a nanny of their own, but your total hourly pay is higher. For example, if your solo rate is $25, you might quote $32 an hour for a share, split $16 per family.
Agree how the split works if one family has more children, and what happens when one child is sick or one family goes on vacation. Each family is usually your employer for its part of your pay, so each one runs its own payroll.
How and when to raise your rate
At an annual review. Ask for one in your work agreement, on the anniversary of your start date. Come with specifics: new skills or certifications, how the job has grown, and what nannies near you charge now.
When the job changes. A new baby, another child joining, or new duties like cooking or school runs are fair reasons to revisit pay right away, not at the next review.
Between jobs. When you start looking for a new family, update your rate. Your next job should reflect the experience you have now, not what you charged years ago.
How to ask. Plan the conversation instead of raising it at pickup. Explain what has changed, name your new rate, and give the family a few weeks before it starts. Then confirm it in writing.
Put it in writing
A written work agreement protects you and the family. Include your gross hourly rate and overtime rate, guaranteed hours and schedule, paid vacation, holidays and sick days, your duties, mileage if you drive, when pay reviews happen, and how much notice either side gives to end the job.
Both of you sign the agreement and keep a copy. If anything changes, such as hours, duties or pay, update it in writing.