A great nanny can leave a positive impact on your entire family. From helping with homework and general childcare to keeping a home running smoothly, domestic professionals are a great asset for any family that could benefit from an extra set of helping hands.
While ZipRecruiter reports the national average hourly rate for a nanny is $16, this varies by region. It may come as no surprise that in major cities, like Los Angeles, CA, the cost of childcare is greater, and so is the average salary of a nanny.
In Los Angeles, the average base salary for a full-time nanny is $22.52 per hour, nearly 40% higher than the national average, reports Indeed. Of course, the hourly rate is also dependent on other factors like their education background, experience and how many children are needing care. It’s not uncommon for some nannies in L.A. to receive $35/hour for their services. Depending on the following considerations, you should expect to pay an hourly rate anywhere between $18-$35 for a nanny in L.A.
Live-in Nanny vs. Live-out Nanny
When it comes to the role of nanny, there are two distinctions that can affect salary. Live-in nannies, as the name implies, live with a family. Because they usually work a full 40 hour week (and sometimes overtime) you should expect to pay more in the long-run for a live-in nanny than you would a live-out nanny. They can double as a night nanny, but distinctions between their work time and free time needs to be made clear.
On the higher end of the spectrum, Zip Recruiter reports live-in nannies in L.A. can make $70,395 a year, while live-out nannies in the city average $61,926 annually. You may also want to budget in extra costs for a live-in nanny for food, room and board.
Experience and Duties
An experienced and/or educated nanny can reasonably request a higher salary for their services. Additionally, requesting duties that are outside the scope of a typical childcare provider’s role means you should be compensating your nanny accordingly.
Typical nanny-duties, outlined by Better Team, include mostly child-related tasks, like supervising and engaging play, managing personal care and some housekeeping and meal preparation. Any other unique duties should be included in the job listing and reflected in the salary. This could be anything like a pet sitter charge to added compensation for driving long distances.
It’s also important to note that the number of children needing care can affect prices. While watching one or two children is the norm reflected from the average salary, a nanny caring for more than two children should receive a higher salary.
Hiring Costs
Some additional costs you should budget for hiring a nanny include money for a background check and payroll service. During the interview process you may be evaluating a candidate to see if they have the qualities every nanny should posses, but conducting a background check is always recommended. This ensures you’re hiring a reliable nanny for a highly personalized, hands-on job.
As SitterCity explains, skipping nanny tax obligations and failing to pay employment taxes can cost you $25,000 in penalties and interest. Consider using a payroll service to handle payments and keep track of these expenses.
Another consideration is contributing to your nanny’s health insurance. While not mandatory, a family can contribute to their employee’s policy. Also, if your nanny is constantly running errands for the family, it may be in your best interest to give them a debit or credit card so you can track expenses.
