Working as a summer nanny can be a dream job for a lucrative and fun season: Demand tends to be higher, the mood is light, and the weather is ideal for outdoor activities. Families with school-aged kids need help with child care, so summer nannies can earn a competitive sum for a few months of work. And if you’re a regular nanny looking for work, summer is a good time to get started with a new family, too.
So what’s the going rate for summer nanny and how much does a summer nanny make? Well, that depends on many factors — including your location, experience level and the specific demands of the job. Here’s how to better understand your value in the marketplace in order to set your summer nanny rate and approximate your earning potential for the season.
What goes into setting a summer nanny pay rate?
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Based on the Care.com 2024 Cost of Care Report, the national average cost of a nanny for one infant child averaged $766 per week, or about $19.15 per hour, and $755 per week for one toddler child, or about $18.88 per hour. While that’s a useful benchmark, your own earning potential will depend on many variables related to you and the family you might work for.
“The tasks associated with the role, the number and age of the children to be cared for, the experience of the candidate and the location of the job” are all among the factors that go into a summer nanny pay rate, explains Shenandoah Davis, CEO and cofounder of the nanny recruiting agency Adventure Nannies.
Indeed, summer nanny rates depend on details like:
- Where you live (you can expect to earn more as a summer nanny in higher cost-of-living areas).
- How many children need your care (you can command higher pay for every additional child).
- The ages of these children (younger ones require more hands-on supervision).
- The scope of the role you will fill as the family’s summer nanny.
- Whether you will live in or out of the home.
- Whether you will travel with the family as part of the job.
- Your level of experience and any extra certifications.
In Los Angeles, for example, summer nannies command higher rates than the national average, explains Westside Nannies’ managing director Katie Provinziano. And that makes sense: You can expect to earn more in a city where the average cost of living is higher. Case in point: According recent Care data, the national average nanny base rate is $19.69 per hour while the nanny rate per hour in Los Angeles is $26.33. That’s quite a difference.
Current going rates for a summer nanny in top cities*
Here are some examples of the going rates for nannies per hour and per week (based on a 40-hour workweek), by location, according to recent Care data.
| City, State | Hourly Nanny Rate | Weekly Nanny Rate |
|---|---|---|
| National average | $19.69/hr | $788/wk |
| San Francisco, California | $27.03/hr | $1,081/wk |
| Los Angeles, California | $26.33/hr | $1,053/wk |
| Seattle, Washington | $25.02/hr | $1,001/wk |
| Brooklyn, New York | $22.99/hr | $920/wk |
| San Diego, California | $22.28/hr | $891/wk |
| Washington, DC | $21.96/hr | $878/wk |
| Denver, Colorado | $21.57/hr | $863/wk |
| Portland, Oregon | $21.32/hr | $853/wk |
| Atlanta, Georgia | $20.84/hr | $834/wk |
| Chicago, Illinois | $20.70/hr | $828/wk |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $20.65/hr | $826/wk |
| Charlotte, North Carolina | $19.61/hr | $784/wk |
| Phoenix, Arizona | $19.50/hr | $780/wk |
| Tampa, Florida | $19.04/hr | $762/wk |
| Houston, Texas | $18.93/hr | $757/wk |
| Orlando, Florida | $18.05/hr | $722/wk |
| San Antonio, Texas | $17.32/hr | $693/wk |
Of course, these are sample rates and your earnings will vary. For a real-world example, we spoke to Sydney, a nanny for three kids ranging in age from 8 to 13 in California’s Central Valley. Her responsibilities include preparing meals and snacks for the kids, transporting them to activities and appointments by car, assisting the family with light housekeeping and engaging the children in age-appropriate activities. She earns $22 per hour, with sick time, paid time off and paid holidays.
“I have 10 years of professional nanny experience and college coursework in child development, education and psychology,” she explains. She also has first aid and CPR training and passed background checks. With all these details in mind, she researched summer nanny pay rates before taking the job and felt comfortable that the rate was fair and competitive.
Indeed, Davis suggests researching the industry-standard hourly pay in your city to gain insight on the going rate for a nanny where you live and work. And she says, you should expect a competitive compensation package, paid legally and on the books, if you’re among the most qualified and highly skilled professionals in your market.
To get a better sense of the rate you can charge as a summer nanny, use our cost of care calculator to research the going rates for nannies in and around your city.
Other factors to consider when setting a summer nanny pay rate
Additionally, here are some other factors that may affect your pay rate in a summertime nanny job:
Taking on extra duties
In addition to providing straightforward child care duties, families may expect you to perform additional duties for the household — and for those duties, you can expect higher earnings.
The hiring family will generally outline the responsibilities they would like to delegate to you, Davis says. Based on the scope of those duties, you can then work with the family to figure out a fair rate and any other benefits.
For example, in your interview with a family, if you’re asked to plan activities outside the home, supervise summer online learning, run errands or drive kids to activities (more on that later … ), make sure to factor these tasks into your hourly rate.
Providing transportation
If you’re going to be driving for the role — such as transporting kids to camp or sports practices or tackling errands around the neighborhood — you can expect to be paid for your mileage. The IRS standardizes the reimbursement rate, which is 67 cents per mile in 2024, and is meant to cover all your car-related expenses (including gas and maintenance).
As a summer nanny, you are fulfilling a critical role in support of a family. And you should be compensated fairly for the important work you do.
Traveling with the family
Travel is another factor that should go into determining an appropriate pay rate, explains Provinziano, as a family may ask you to join them and extend your nanny role on their family vacation. She adds, “If travel is required in the role, we often see the rates increase 20% or more.”
If you are traveling with the kids in your charge, you can expect to be paid for all working hours, including any applicable overtime. Travel time is also considered work time and must also be factored in, says Provinziano.
How taxes affect summer nanny pay
If you make $2,700 or more during any portion of the year, the family employer will need to pay nanny taxes. That means that you can expect to have taxes deducted from your pay as well, just like any other on-the-books summer job.
It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with important tax and payroll tips for summer nannies.
How can I book more jobs to make more money?
To increase your chances of booking a summer nanny job, consider these tips for updating your profile. Families want to get to know their nanny, and adding your photo and sharing a glowing review can make all the difference.
For more information on finding, interviewing for and getting starting in a nanny job, check out The Professional Guide for Nannies. Looking to earn even more this summer? Consider a nanny share job.
