State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Nanny Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Nannies earn a median of $34,980 per year ($16.82/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 2.9% through 2034, with about 160,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 39-9011Personal Care and ServiceLast updated August 23, 2026
- Median pay
- $34,980
- Projected growth
- -2.9%
- Openings a year
- 160,200
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Family Assistant, Family Manager, Governess, House Manager, Household Manager, Nanny.
How much do Nannies make?
10th percentile$24,260
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$29,360
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$34,980
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$38,570
Upper quartile
90th percentile$46,010
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $34,980 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $16.82/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $35,030 |
| People employed | 518,910 |
Versus all US occupations
At $34,980, Nannies earn 31% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $16,000 a year.
Versus personal care and service occupations
Inside the Personal Care and Service group, where the middle occupation pays $38,120, this is 8% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $46,010 or more while the bottom 10% earn $24,260, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 2% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $47,340, and still leads at $43,075 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Nannies the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $47,340 | $43,075 | 1,350 |
| Washington | $41,680 | $38,949 | 4,340 |
| Massachusetts | $40,900 | $38,674 | 13,140 |
| Colorado | $40,750 | $39,543 | 13,310 |
| California | $40,020 | $36,145 | 52,780 |
| Oregon | $38,650 | $37,393 | 5,240 |
| Vermont | $38,030 | $38,823 | N/A |
| New York | $37,590 | $34,831 | 44,020 |
| New Hampshire | $37,080 | $35,597 | 2,820 |
| Hawaii | $37,030 | $33,679 | 1,870 |
Is Nanny a growing career?
Nannies-2.9%
All US occupations3.1%
-2.9% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Nannies to change -2.9% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 29,200 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 160,200 openings are projected each year, 16.2% of the 991,600 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Parents or guardians who work will continue to need the assistance of childcare workers. However, slowing birth rates will result in fewer young children requiring childcare. In addition, the increasing cost of childcare is expected to limit demand for these workers.
How to become a Nanny
No state licenses a nanny. State child care licensing regulates programs and facilities, and care delivered in the child's own home is expressly exempt from it, which is why the honest framing is not "here is the licence" but "here is what employers and the law actually require". The parts that genuinely bind are federal employment law and tax law: the Fair Labor Standards Act's companionship exemption does not cover childcare, so a career nanny is entitled to the minimum wage, and the IRS treats a nanny as a household employee.
The credential path, step by step
- Expect a background check rather than a licence application
There is no board to apply to. California is the one state with a mandatory registration, and it is narrow: nannies and babysitters placed through an employment agency must be listed on the TrustLine registry, a Department of Justice fingerprint-based background check administered by the Department of Social Services, or be a current applicant. It is voluntary for direct private hires.
- Understand why no licence exists
State licensing attaches to the setting. California's Department of Social Services states that in-home care is legally license-exempt; New York's Office of Children and Family Services defines informal in-home child care as care provided in the child's own home and does not require it to be licensed or registered; Washington's Department of Children, Youth and Families treats non-relatives who provide care in the child's home as exempt from formal licensing standards.
- Get and keep pediatric first aid and CPR certification
This is the practical baseline rather than a legal one, and it is a hard prerequisite for the main voluntary credential: the International Nanny Association requires current First Aid and infant and child CPR certification before you may sit its credential exam.
- Know what the voluntary credentials are and are not
The INA Nanny Credential Exam is 75 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes, proctored, with 75 percent to pass, and 2,000 hours of professional in-home childcare experience recommended rather than required. INA is explicit that passing does not confer certification and does not make you a Certified Nanny; it grants use of the INA Credentialed Nanny logo. Weigh other nanny credentials against that standard: some carry no recognised accreditation and require as little as 20 clock hours of training.
- Settle the employment terms, because federal law is unusually specific here
The Fair Labor Standards Act regulations name nannies as domestic service employees, and 29 CFR 552.106 states that people who care for babies and young children without illnesses, injuries or disabilities are babysitters, not companions, so the companionship exemption is unavailable. 29 CFR 552.104(d) states that individuals who babysit as a full-time occupation are not employed on a casual basis. In practice a live-out nanny is entitled to the federal minimum wage and to overtime after 40 hours a week; a live-in nanny is entitled to the minimum wage, and only the family, never an agency, may be exempt from paying overtime.
- Expect to be paid as a household employee
IRS Publication 926 lists nannies among household workers and turns on control: the worker is an employee if the family controls not only what work is done but how it is done, and it does not matter whether the work is full time or part time or whether the worker was hired through an agency. For 2026, Social Security and Medicare taxes apply once cash wages reach $3,000 in the year, and federal unemployment tax applies once cash wages reach $1,000 in any calendar quarter. Federal income tax withholding is not required unless the employee asks and the employer agrees.
- Continuing education
Set by each state
There is no licence to renew. The credentials that exist set their own cycles, and CPR and first aid certifications expire on the issuing organisation's schedule, which is what most families and agencies actually track.
Licensing and state variation
Not a state license
No state issues a nanny licence, because state child care licensing regulates the program or facility rather than the individual, and care in the child's own home is exempt. What varies is the background-check requirement layered on top: California requires TrustLine registration for agency placements only. State minimum wage, overtime and domestic worker laws also vary and can be more generous than the federal floor, so the federal rules described here are a floor rather than the whole answer.
Who governs the credential
- US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (DOL WHD) — Administers the Fair Labor Standards Act rules for domestic service employment at 29 CFR part 552, which determine whether a nanny is owed the minimum wage and overtime.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — Publishes the Household Employer's Tax Guide, which classifies nannies as household employees and sets the annual wage thresholds at which Social Security, Medicare and federal unemployment taxes apply.
- International Nanny Association (INA) — A trade association that administers the voluntary INA Nanny Credential Exam. It states plainly that passing does not make the holder a certified nanny.
- California Department of Social Services, TrustLine Registry — Runs California's fingerprint-based background check registry, which is mandatory for nannies and babysitters placed through an employment agency and voluntary for private hires.
Credential detail for nannys is researched by hand from the bodies that issue it, not derived from BLS or O*NET. Sources last checked August 23, 2026. Requirements change: confirm with your own state board before enrolling in anything.
- eCFR: 29 CFR part 552, Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act to domestic service · checked August 23, 2026
- DOL Wage and Hour Division: Direct care workers and domestic service · checked August 23, 2026
- IRS Publication 926, Household Employer's Tax Guide (for use in 2026) · checked August 23, 2026
- IRS Tax Topic 756: Employment taxes for household employees · checked August 23, 2026
- International Nanny Association: Credential Exams · checked August 23, 2026
- California Department of Social Services: In-Home Care (license-exempt) · checked August 23, 2026
- California Department of Social Services: TrustLine Registry · checked August 23, 2026
- New York Office of Children and Family Services: legally exempt child care · checked August 23, 2026
- Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families: Family, Friends and Neighbors care · checked August 23, 2026
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Childcare Workers · checked August 23, 2026
What the federal data says
Education and training requirements vary by setting, state, and employer. They range from no formal education to a certification in early childhood education.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as nannies.
- High School Diploma60.0%
- Some College Courses16.0%
- Post-Secondary Certificate8.0%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)8.0%
- Less than a High School Diploma4.0%
What does a Nanny do?
Care for children in private households and provide support and expertise to parents in satisfying children's physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs. Duties may include meal planning and preparation, laundry and clothing care, organization of play activities and outings, discipline, intellectual stimulation, language activities, and transportation.
Childcare workers attend to children's needs while helping to foster early development. They may help younger children prepare for kindergarten or assist older children with homework.
Day-to-day tasks
- Instruct children in safe behavior, such as seeking adult assistance when crossing the street and avoiding contact with unsafe objects.
- Remove hazards and develop appropriate boundaries and rules to create a safe environment for children.
- Instruct and assist children in the development of health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet behavior.
- Teach and perform age-appropriate activities, such as lap play, reading, and arts and crafts, to encourage intellectual development of children.
- Help prepare and serve nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children.
- Model appropriate social behaviors and encourage concern for others to cultivate development of interpersonal relationships and communication skills.
- Organize and conduct age-appropriate recreational activities, such as games, arts and crafts, sports, walks, and play dates.
- Observe children's behavior for irregularities, take temperature, transport children to doctor, or administer medications, as directed, to maintain children's health.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Childcare workers’ schedules vary, and part-time work is common.
Childcare centers usually are open year round, with long hours so that parents or guardians can drop off and pick up their children before and after work. Some centers employ full-time and part-time staff with staggered shifts to cover the entire day.
Working with people
- Face-to-face discussions every day
- Little or no dealing with customers or the public
Autonomy
- A lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
Where nannies work
| Child daycare services | 31% |
|---|---|
| Self-employed workers | 21% |
| Private households | 18% |
| Elementary and secondary schools; local | 8% |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | 7% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Monitoring3.9/5
- Speaking3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.6/5
- Learning Strategies3.3/5
- Reading Comprehension3.0/5
- Writing3.0/5
- Active Learning3.0/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.9/5
- Service Orientation3.8/5
- Persuasion3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Coordination3.5/5
- Time Management3.5/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Instructing3.3/5
Tools and software
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Computer based training software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Nanny?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic2.9
Investigative2.2
Artisticprimary3.5
Socialprimary6.3
Enterprising2.7
Conventionalprimary3.3
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Nanny: frequently asked questions
How much do Nannies make?
Nannies earn a median of $34,980 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 31% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $16.82/hr. The middle half earn between $29,360 and $38,570. The top 10% earn $46,010 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Nanny?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Nannies. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 60.0% hold high school diploma.
Is Nanny a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 2.9% over 2024–2034, a loss of 29,200 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 160,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Nanny do?
Childcare workers attend to children's needs while helping to foster early development. A core O*NET task: instruct children in safe behavior, such as seeking adult assistance when crossing the street and avoiding contact with unsafe objects. Employers most often ask for Spreadsheet software, Word processing software.
Which states pay Nannies the most?
The highest state medians for Nannies are District of Columbia ($47,340), Washington ($41,680), Massachusetts ($40,900) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Nanny?
O*NET scores Nannies highest on the Social, Artistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ESFP, ENFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.
Do you need a license to work as a Nanny?
Not a state license. No state issues a nanny licence, because state child care licensing regulates the program or facility rather than the individual, and care in the child's own home is exempt. What varies is the background-check requirement layered on top: California requires TrustLine registration for agency placements only. State minimum wage, overtime and domestic worker laws also vary and can be more generous than the federal floor, so the federal rules described here are a floor rather than the whole answer.