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Nannies

Nannies: Career Profile

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.

What Tasks Do Nannies Perform?

The day-to-day responsibilities of nannies span:

  • 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.
  • Perform first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when required.
  • Instruct and assist children in the development of health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet behavior.
  • Regulate children's rest periods and nap schedules.
  • 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.

What Nannies Need to Know

Top nannies rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Social Perceptiveness  3.9 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  3.9 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.9 / 5
0
5
Service Orientation  3.8 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.8 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  3.6 / 5
0
5

Core Knowledge

English Language  3.8 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  3.6 / 5
0
5
Psychology  3.4 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  3.2 / 5
0
5
Public Safety and Security  3.2 / 5
0
5
Sociology and Anthropology  2.7 / 5
0
5

People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:

  • Baby Sitter
  • Babysitter
  • Care Attendant
  • Child Care Aide
  • Child Care Professional
  • Child Care Specialist
  • Family Assistant
  • Family Manager

How Many Nannies Are There?

There are roughly 269,489 nannies working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +6.8% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Nannies

How Much Do Nannies Make?

Statistic Value
Annual median $55,232
Hourly median $26.55
10th percentile $35,407
25th percentile $45,319
75th percentile $65,145
90th percentile $75,057

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Nannies

How Much Do Nannies Make in Different U.S. States?

State Annual median salary
District of Columbia $45,400
Massachusetts $39,290
Colorado $38,410
California $38,220
Vermont $37,830
Washington $37,800
New York $36,630
Hawaii $36,440
Oregon $36,250
Connecticut $35,290
Maryland $35,150
Arizona $35,140
Alaska $34,980
Rhode Island $34,920
Maine $34,720
New Hampshire $34,570
New Jersey $34,290
New Mexico $34,240
Minnesota $33,610
Illinois $32,860
Montana $31,440
Florida $30,880
Utah $30,860
North Dakota $30,390
Virginia $30,150
Delaware $30,060
Missouri $29,810
Wisconsin $29,670
Indiana $29,340
Michigan $29,290
Nevada $29,140
Idaho $29,110
Tennessee $29,030
Nebraska $28,860
Kansas $28,800
Kentucky $28,570
Texas $28,520
North Carolina $28,480
South Carolina $28,440
Pennsylvania $28,330
Ohio $28,230
Georgia $27,940
Iowa $27,930
Wyoming $27,560
Arkansas $27,180
South Dakota $26,870
Oklahoma $26,210
Virgin Islands $25,940
West Virginia $23,870
Alabama $22,420
Louisiana $22,100
Mississippi $21,760
Guam $21,350
Puerto Rico $21,150

Where Nannies Earn the Most

Earnings for nannies shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Far Western US $37,475 11.9% 0.74
New England $36,760 6.2% 1.37
Middle Atlantic $34,591 17.6% 1.26
Rocky Mountains $33,915 4.7% 1.29
Great Lakes $30,393 12.0% 0.91
Plains States $29,990 9.6% 1.59
Southwest $29,122 12.3% 1.04
Southeast $27,979 25.4% 1.15

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Nannies

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL FL $47,730 1,440
Ocala, FL FL $44,990 440
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $44,970 5,760
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $43,640 2,440
Boulder, CO CO $42,730 830
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA WA $40,180 2,220
Modesto, CA CA $39,610 490
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA CA $39,460 610

Which Industries Hire Nannies

Most nannies work in these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Health Care and Social Assistance 315,010 $31,000
Educational Services 118,900 $35,460
Other Services (except Public Administration) 32,340 $31,470
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 29,790 $27,920
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 9,710 $37,140
Accommodation and Food Services 800 $35,290
Management of Companies and Enterprises 790 $32,640
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 660 $37,440
Nannies sectors

Nannies work in the following industries:

Nannies industries

Tech Stack

  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

The Day-to-Day Environment

The on-the-job environment of nannies is shaped by the following characteristics:

  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Physical Proximity
  • Freedom to Make Decisions
  • Contact With Others
  • In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment

How to Become Nannies

Most nannies positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

About the Data

This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 39-9011.01 (Childcare Workers).

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