Guide · Pay
Babysitter vs. nanny: pay, overtime and taxes
Per hour, they cost about the same. What changes is everything around the hour.
Short answer
In 2026 data, nannies and babysitters earn similar hourly rates (Sittercity: $25 vs. $23/hr). A nanny costs more because of guaranteed weekly hours, overtime after 40 hours, and household-employer taxes once wages pass $3,000 a year.
Side by side
| Babysitteroccasional | Nannyregular | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical hourly rate, 2026 | $23/hr (Sittercity) | $25/hr (Sittercity) |
| Typical weekly cost | $175 for 8 hours (Care.com) | $870 for 40 hours, one infant (Care.com) |
| Schedule | As needed: evenings, weekends | Regular weekly hours, often guaranteed |
| Federal minimum wage and overtime | Exempt if casual (usually 20 hours a week or less, not their vocation) | Covered: overtime at 1.5× after 40 hours, unless live-in |
| Household-employer taxes | Rarely: most occasional sitters are paid under $3,000 a year, and sitters under 18 who are students are excluded | Almost always: Social Security, Medicare and federal unemployment tax |
| Paperwork | Usually none | Form W-2, Schedule H, often a written agreement (required in some states) |
- Base pay8h × $23/hr
- $184.00
- Weekly
- $184.00
About $9,568.00 over a year at that pace, if every week is the same.
- Regular40h × $25/hr
- $1,000.00
- Overtime5h × $37.50/hr
- $187.50
- Weekly gross
- $1,187.50
Annual $61,750.00 gross, plus the employer's share of payroll taxes.
SitterRate for iPhone
Sitters and nannies in one app
SitterRate handles a babysitter's night and a nanny's week with the same rules you see on this site.
- Babysitting calculator with tips, extras and history
- Nanny gross pay with overtimePro
- Overnight sessions, itemizedPro
- No account; your records stay on your iPhone
Get SitterRateFree on the App Store · iPhoneFree download. Pro is a one-time in-app purchase, with no subscription. What’s in the app
Questions people ask
Do nannies make more than babysitters per hour?
A little, if at all. Sittercity's 2026 typical rates are $25 an hour for nannies and $23/hr for babysitters. Care.com's 2026 weekly costs work out to roughly the same hourly rate for both. The bigger difference is the number of hours.
Is a nanny an employee?
Usually, yes: a household employee if you control how and when the work is done in your home. That brings minimum wage, overtime (unless they live in), and household-employer taxes once you pay $3,000 or more in cash wages in 2026.
Does a babysitter get overtime?
Casual babysitters (occasional, usually 20 hours a week or less, not their vocation) are exempt from federal minimum wage and overtime. A sitter who works regular, longer hours is treated like a nanny.