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Agencies, Apps, and Au Pairs: One Job Title, Many Realities

When I first joined a nanny Facebook group, I expected job listings. What I found instead were walls of text: age of children, schedule, driving requirements, sometimes live-in. But one thing was almost always missing: pay.

Unlike agencies or apps, Facebook jobs rarely list rates. You apply, maybe DM a parent, and only then talk money. That silence speaks volumes about how fragmented and informal the nanny market really is. Because nanny pay doesn’t follow a flat rate. It depends on how you find the job, who hires you, and what system you're stepping into.

Three Worlds, One Role

While the job title is the same: “nanny”, the conditions change dramatically depending on how you're hired.

• Apps like Sittercity and UrbanSitter offer wide access and flexibility. Parents love them for speed and affordability. Many nannies choose them for freedom. But with that freedom often comes informality: no contracts, no PTO, and pay that varies from $10 to $30/hour. Jobs are frequently off the books and found by word of mouth.


• Agencies cater to high-income families who pay placement fees (often 10%+ of a nanny’s yearly salary). In return, they get vetted professionals. Nannies working through agencies usually have 5+ years of experience and strong references. Contracts are standard. So are benefits. And so is higher pay, often $30–50/hour.


• Au Pairs come through visa programs. The weekly stipend (~$200) seems low, but they receive room, board, and a cultural exchange experience. Families in the suburbs often use this option, especially when they have an extra bedroom but not a $70K nanny budget. Still, many au pairs leave the program hoping to find better pay, offering live-in help under-the-table, not for flexibility, but survival.

Three Different Paths - Three Different Tradeoffs

Childcare Apps: Apps offer unmatched flexibility. You choose your hours, your families, your rates. But that freedom comes with risk. Without contracts, there's no job security. You can be let go with no notice and no backup income while looking for your next job. Most jobs are off the books, so there's no unemployment insurance, no PTO, and no legal recourse if you're underpaid or mistreated. Reputation matters: one bad reference can make it hard to get hired again.

Nanny Agencies: Agencies bring structure, but also pressure. The families hiring through them often expect full-time availability, frequent travel, and a high level of professionalism, often in exchange for a higher paycheck you compromise on your personal life. For some, this means long hours, weekends and holidays away, often spent inside fenced mansions in quiet, wealthy neighborhoods. You're protected by contracts, but you're also expected to be "on" at all times. It’s a career track, but not always a flexible one.

Au Pair Programs: Marketed as a cultural exchange, au pair programs promise language immersion, travel, and bonding with an American family, all while providing childcare. But in practice, many au pairs find those experiences out of reach. With a stipend of just ~$200 per week (and no ability to take on other work legally), even small personal expenses can quickly eat through their earnings. What’s left often isn’t enough to explore the country, go out with newly met friends, or afford travel during their "cultural month." Some families push the 45-hour weekly limit, further reducing free time. The result? A program designed to be enriching can sometimes feel isolating, with little room or money for the cultural discovery it promised.

How Much Does a Nanny Make? It Depends Where and How You Work.

After sorting through dozens of job posts on Sittercity, I started noticing patterns. The same job title meant something very different in Seattle than in Miami. Rates shifted not just by city, but by expectations. Some roles were part-time and playful. Others? Closer to personal assistant, housekeeper, tutor, and chauffeur in one.

So, I made a map. Just a snapshot - one platform, one slice of the market. But it shows what many nannies already know: your zip code matters.

Of course, this doesn’t include everything. Care.com has no public API and is mostly mobile-only. Facebook is a black hole of informal, often off-the-books arrangements. And word-of-mouth? Still how most jobs happen. Additionally, the low pay in some cities like New York may reflect the popularity of agencies, and other forms of employment.

Why It Matters

There isn’t one nanny market. There are many, and they don’t just shape what caregivers are paid. They shape how we live. The hours we keep. The housing we accept. The healthcare we go without. Behind every pay rate is a tradeoff, not just of money, but of time, safety, and belonging.

Understanding these different systems isn’t just about choosing a job. It’s about knowing what kind of life you’re building around it - and what kind of support you’ll need to make it sustainable.

Interested in growing your career across different caregiving markets? Check out the Certification Guide to boost your credibility and increase your earning potential.