Whether you’re a seasoned pro or looking to break into the industry, nannies working during the summer months stand to potentially earn more than the rest of the year. While the hourly rate doesn’t necessarily increase due to the season, longer hours, increased duties and more can all contribute to bigger paychecks. <\/p>
“Summer nannies often do make more money, but it is less about a formal pay increase and more about how the role expands in the summer months,” explains Kaitlynn Blyth<\/a>, a New York City-based family life educator, who works closely with families navigating child care decisions, caregiver relationships and more. <\/p> Wondering what you can expect to earn this summer? Here’s everything you need to know about what nannies make during the summer months. <\/p> Find summer nanny jobs near you<\/a><\/p> If you’re doing the exact same job in the summer as you do in the fall, you may not see a higher hourly rate, notes Lydia Thibodeau<\/a>, founder of Sommet Nannies in Boston — but you still may make more. <\/p> “Summer nannies do not inherently earn more simply due to the seasonality of the role. Compensation is based on qualifications, experience and the scope of the position rather than the time of year,” Thibodeau explains. “Factors such as the number of children, additional responsibilities, hours and location play a larger role in determining pay.”<\/p> Put another way: Longer hours (due to school being out), more kids in your charge and more responsibilities can increase what you’re earning. <\/p> “Nannies who bring a strong understanding of child development or who can confidently structure a child’s day tend to be compensated at a higher level.”<\/p>— Kaitlynn Blyth, family life educator<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure> Blyth generally sees an uptick in nanny pay amongst the families she works with in New York City. “Kids are home all day, routines are less structured, and there is usually a greater expectation that the caregiver will plan outings, keep children engaged, and manage longer days,” she says, adding: “Because of that, families tend to value nannies who can step into a more active, enrichment based role and that often comes with higher pay.”<\/p> Something else to consider: If a family is looking to hire a nanny for summer only — meaning, you’re out of a job come September — they may offer more as an incentive.<\/p> “A short-term role may offer competitive rates, but it is not guaranteed to exceed typical market compensation,” says Thibodeau. <\/p> Nanny pay rates<\/a> are impacted by several factors, say Blyth and Thibodeau. The main ones include:<\/p> Experience and qualifications. <\/strong>“Nannies who bring a strong understanding of child development or who can confidently structure a child’s day tend to be compensated at a higher level,” notes Blyth.<\/p> Scope of the role. <\/strong>The more you have to juggle, the more you’re likely to earn. “Responsibilities such as household management, travel or caring for multiple children can increase compensation,” according to Thibodeau. <\/p> Guaranteed hours.<\/strong> Similar to a “summer only” job, nanny positions with fewer hours may command a higher hourly rate (again, as an incentive). “Fewer hours often require a higher hourly wage to offset reduced weekly income,” says Thibodeau. “For example, a 30-hour-per-week role may have professional nannies targeting $35–$45 an hour, while a 40-hour-per-week role may range from $30–$40 an hour.”<\/p> Location. <\/strong>Location and cost of living play a “significant” role in nanny pay, with areas with higher costs of living offering higher pay.<\/p> Here are some examples of posted nanny asking rates based on location, according to recent Care.com data<\/a>.<\/p> *Based on average posted starting rates from nannies listed on Care.com, as of March 25, 2026.<\/em><\/p> There are a number things to consider when setting your pay rate, according to Thibodeau. “Nannies should set their pay rate based on their years of experience, qualifications and the expectations of the role they are seeking,” she says, adding that “It’s important to consider guaranteed hours, as positions with fewer than 40 hours per week typically warrant a higher hourly rate.” <\/p> Thibodeau also adds that “setting a realistic, market-aligned rate ensures stronger alignment with prospective families.”<\/p> “When you position yourself as an asset, you’ll tend to earn more over time. Families are looking for someone who can keep their children safe, but also engaged, supported and thriving.”<\/p>— Kaitlynn Blyth<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure> Want to reach your full earning potential for your current role? Here are a few things to consider doing in order to make more, according to Thibodeau:<\/p> “Taking a proactive approach will help position you for higher-paying opportunities,” she says. <\/p> While certain factors historically always influence nanny pay rates, take care not to sell yourself short, notes Blyth. <\/p> “When you position yourself as an asset, you’ll tend to earn more over time,” she says. “Families are looking for someone who can keep their children safe, but also engaged, supported and thriving. Nannies who can create structure during unstructured summer days, plan meaningful activities and communicate well with parents about what children need are often viewed as essential rather than interchangeable.” <\/p> She adds: “That shift in perception makes a real difference in both pay and long-term opportunities.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Explore summer nanny pay rates and discover how longer hours and increased responsibilities can lead to higher earnings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1273,"featured_media":226946,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"enable_toc":true,"care_reviewed_by":0,"care_post_updated_flag":true,"care_updated_date":"2026-03-25 00:00:00","last_update":"2026-03-26","view_count":171,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1076,1119,1114],"member-type":[4],"vertical":[6,12,15],"platform":[2],"class_list":["post-226945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-nanny-pros","tag-pay-and-taxes","tag-summer","member-type-all","vertical-children","vertical-holidays-seasons","vertical-money-work","platform-resources"],"acf":[],"created":"2026-03-25","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1273"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=226945"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":226968,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226945\/revisions\/226968"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/226946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=226945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=226945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=226945"},{"taxonomy":"member-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/member-type?post=226945"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=226945"},{"taxonomy":"platform","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/platform?post=226945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Key takeaways<\/h3>
Do summer nannies make more money?<\/h2>
What factors impact nanny pay rates?<\/h2>
Current posted nanny pay rates in top U.S. cities*<\/h3>
City, State<\/strong><\/td> Hourly Nanny Rate<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> Atlanta, Georgia<\/a><\/td> $21.94<\/td><\/tr> Brooklyn, New York<\/a><\/td> $24.76<\/td><\/tr> Charlotte, North Carolina<\/a><\/td> $21.15<\/td><\/tr> Chicago, Illinois<\/a><\/td> $22.54<\/td><\/tr> Denver, Colorado<\/a><\/td> $23.85<\/td><\/tr> Houston, Texas<\/a><\/td> $20.11<\/td><\/tr> Orlando, Florida<\/a><\/td> $19.80<\/td><\/tr> Philadelphia, Pennsylvania<\/a><\/td> $21.72<\/td><\/tr> Phoenix, Arizona<\/a><\/td> $21.29<\/td><\/tr> Portland, Oregon<\/a> <\/td> $23.17<\/td><\/tr> San Antonio, Texas<\/a> <\/td> $18.84<\/td><\/tr> San Diego, California<\/a><\/td> $24.02<\/td><\/tr> San Francisco, California<\/a><\/td> $29.44<\/td><\/tr> Seattle, Washington<\/a><\/td> $27.14<\/td><\/tr> Tampa, Florida<\/a><\/td> $20.46<\/td><\/tr> Washington, DC<\/a><\/td> $23.18<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure> How should I set my summer nanny pay rate?<\/h2>
How can I set myself up to earn more?<\/h2>
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<\/li>A final note on summer nanny pay rates<\/h2>