Average Nanny Wages in Houston

When parents and caregivers contact Morningside Nannies, one of the first things they ask is “What is the going rate for a nanny?”

Fortunately, our staff is well-equipped to answer.

Nannies in the Houston area placed through our agency typically earn $17 to $20 per hour in full-time positions and $18 to $22 in part-time positions.

How are those numbers determined?

We know from the International Nanny Association’s Annual Salary and Benefits Survey that the national average hourly wage rate for nannies in 2017 was $19.14.

We also know from our placement experience that the Houston average is slightly lower than the national average and the majority of our positions place in the $17 to $20 per hour range.

While each nanny sets her own wage requirements and each family sets their own childcare budget, we have found that $17 to $20 per hour is the range where most nannies will accept a position at and the range where most families are offering their position at.

But, like any other industry, there are factors that drive a nanny’s wages up. Nannies who have a college degree, teaching certifications, a specialized skill set or extensive experience can command a higher wage rate than those who don’t. Families who require the nanny to take on non-childcare related household responsibilities or a flexible schedule will have to pay a higher wage rate to attract and retain a quality provider than those who don’t.

Also, nannies can’t be paid a “salary.” As non-exempt employees, they are protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act and are required to be paid at least minimum wage for all hours worked and live-out nannies in Houston are required to be paid time and a half for all hours worked over 40 in a 7-day period.

While parents can certainly work backwards from their weekly childcare budget to determine a compliant base and overtime wage rate to come up with a weekly “salary” based on a set schedule where working hours are tracked week to week, if they require their nanny to work more than 40 hours per week and that base number gets too low, many nannies won’t consider the position.

It’s also important to remember that these numbers are provided in gross terms and that the nanny will take home less than these averages due to tax withholdings and that parents will have employer tax responsibilities as well, which can be estimated at 10 to 12% of the nanny’s gross annual wage. Fortunately, there are tax credits that can offset this amount.

The cost of employing or being a nanny is different from the going rate for a hiring a nanny. Our staff can walk you through the difference and ensure that you have a clear understanding of the financial considerations when hiring and working as a nanny.

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