What a nanny costs in 2026
Updated October 25, 2026
Short answer
In 2026 the US average babysitting rate is about $26 an hour for one child, $30 for two and $32 for three, and full-time nannies typically earn $20 to $35 an hour depending on the city, so a 40 hour week costs about $800 to $1,400 before taxes. Big coastal cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York sit at the top of that range. As a household employer you add roughly 8 to 10% for payroll taxes, and a nanny share cuts each family's cost by about a third.
Typical rates in 2026
| Type of care | Typical rate | What a week looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Babysitter, one child | $20 to $30 an hour; US average $26.24 | A 4 hour Saturday night: about $80 to $120 |
| Babysitter, two or three kids | US average $29.87 for two, $32.33 for three | A 4 hour night: about $120 to $130 |
| Full-time nanny, one or two kids | $20 to $35 an hour by city | 40 hours: about $800 to $1,400 |
| Nanny share, per family | About two thirds of a solo rate | 40 hours at a $33 share rate split two ways: about $660 each |
| Experienced newborn or twins specialist | $35 an hour and up | Often booked by the week |
Ranges are Nanny's reading of 2026 survey data (UrbanSitter's national survey puts one child at $26.24 an hour, two at $29.87 and three at $32.33, with rates up 4.9% in a year and highest in San Francisco, Seattle and Honolulu; payroll firms report Los Angeles nannies near $26 an hour) and of the rates caregivers set in the app, as of October 2026. Your quote depends on the factors below.
What moves the price
- Number and ages of kids. Infants and each extra child add a few dollars an hour.
- Hours and how steady they are. Guaranteed full-time hours usually earn a lower hourly rate than scattered evenings.
- Experience and extras: CPR and first aid, a second language, a clean driving record if they will drive your kids, newborn experience.
- Neighborhood and commute. Westside and long cross-town drives tend to cost more.
- Duties beyond childcare, such as cooking for the family or household errands.
Nanny cost in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles most full-time nannies charge about $25 to $35 an hour in 2026, and sitters about $22 to $30 for one child. Westside neighborhoods and long cross-town commutes push rates up; steady full-time hours bring the hourly rate down.
The legal floor: minimum wage and overtime
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but most states and many cities set higher ones, and nannies are covered (casual, occasional babysitting is exempt under federal law). In Los Angeles it is $18.42 an hour from July 1, 2026. Under federal law, live-out nannies earn overtime after 40 hours a week; some states go further.
In California, under the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, a nanny who spends at least 80% of their time supervising, feeding or dressing children is a personal attendant and earns time and a half after 9 hours in a day or 45 hours in a week. A 50 hour week therefore includes 5 overtime hours, and a 10 hour day includes 1 even in a 40 hour week.
The full monthly cost of a full-time nanny
Take a nanny at $28 an hour for 40 hours, $1,120 a week or about $4,853 a month. As a household employer you also pay 7.65% for Social Security and Medicare, federal unemployment on the first $7,000 of wages, and California unemployment and training tax on the first $7,000. Together that is roughly $4,700 a year, about $395 a month on average and more in the first months while the unemployment taxes apply. Payroll services for household employers often cost another $50 to $100 a month.
On Nanny, a regular schedule like this stops paying booking fees at $59 a month per caregiver on Free, or $39 on Nanny Plus. The caregiver keeps 100% of their pay plus tips.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change, so check with a tax professional or the agency linked below before you file.
Questions
The 2026 US average is $26.24 an hour for one child, $29.87 for two and $32.33 for three, by UrbanSitter's survey. Pay more for late nights, short notice or infants, and never less than your local minimum wage.
At $20 to $35 an hour for 40 hours a week, a full-time nanny costs about $41,600 to $72,800 a year in wages, plus roughly 8 to 10% in employer payroll taxes.
Usually yes. A nanny who spends at least 80% of their time caring for children is a personal attendant under the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights and earns time and a half after 9 hours in a day or 45 hours in a week.
Yes, for each family. The nanny earns more per hour, usually 20 to 30% above a solo rate, while each family pays about two thirds of a solo rate. Each family is usually a separate employer for tax purposes.
Sources