Free Tool
A nanny pay calculator estimates a fair hourly, weekly, monthly, and annual rate for a household nanny using your state, number of children, weekly hours, experience, and the responsibilities of the role. It helps families answer how much to pay a nanny without guessing.
Compare nanny pay by state, weekly hours, live-in vs live-out status, and household responsibilities so you can offer a fair rate that attracts a great nanny in your market.
Hiring an occasional sitter instead? Try the Babysitter Rate Calculator.
Build a faster answer to how much to pay a nanny, then sanity check it against the national live-out and live-in benchmarks.
Step 1
Pick the national average or your state to start with a local nanny pay baseline.
Step 2
Set the number of children, infant care needs, and how many hours per week the nanny will work.
Step 3
Live-out nannies are paid by the hour with overtime; live-in nannies typically have a lower hourly rate plus room and board.
Step 4
Select extras like cooking, driving, infant care, tutoring, or travel that justify a higher nanny pay rate.
Step 5
See an hourly range plus weekly, monthly, and annual gross pay with overtime if hours go above 40.
These rates are modeled as gross household pay. Live-out nannies receive overtime for hours above 40 per week under federal law.
Recommended hourly rate
For 2 children, 40 hours per week, with some experience experience.
Low
$24.75
/ hour
Midpoint
$26.50
/ hour
High
$28.25
/ hour
Based on the midpoint hourly rate. Pre-tax — nanny taxes, payroll, and benefits are extra for you as the household employer.
Other free planning tools for parents and household employers.
Common questions about nanny pay rates, overtime, and live-in compensation.
A typical full-time, live-out nanny in the U.S. earns around $22 to $30 per hour, with higher-cost markets running closer to $30 to $40. Pay should reflect state cost of living, the number of children, the nanny's experience, weekly hours, and the responsibilities of the role. Live-in nannies are usually paid a lower hourly rate because room and board is part of the compensation package.
Live-in nanny pay is usually $15 to $22 per hour for typical markets, since the nanny receives free housing, utilities, and often meals as part of the package. In high-cost cities or for specialty live-in roles (multiples, special needs, traveling families), live-in hourly pay can run higher.
Yes for most live-out nannies. Nannies are household employees under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires 1.5x overtime pay for any hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Live-in nannies are exempt from federal overtime under FLSA but a few states (including New York and California) still require overtime for live-in domestic workers, so check your state law.
In a nanny share, two families employ the same nanny to care for both sets of children at the same time. Each family typically pays 60-75% of the nanny's normal hourly rate, so the nanny earns more (often 1.2x to 1.5x their solo rate) while each family pays less than full-rate solo nanny care.
Yes. State cost of living plays a big role. California, New York, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Washington D.C. typically pay 10-13% above the national average, while many southern and midwestern states pay 10-15% below. Always benchmark against your local market, then adjust up for experience, child count, and added responsibilities.
Ready to find a great nanny or sitter after pricing? Visit the main Sitter Rank homepage.