Families seeking a nanny should carefully consider various factors when hiring one,
such as hourly rate, housing/food expenses if being covered by the family, health
insurance benefits and bonuses available to nannies.
Nannies must pay both state and federal taxes; families should use a tax service to
make this process simpler and ensure their nanny receives fair compensation.

How Much Does a Nanny Cost in
Boston?

Full-Time Nannies

Full-time nannies typically charge either an hourly or flat weekly or monthly rate for
their services, based on family needs, qualifications of candidate nannies and any
special transportation or skill needs your children might require.
Your nanny’s cost may also be affected by state and federal taxes, workers’ comp
insurance (if applicable), vacation pay if offered and payroll and tax services to
simplify paying their nanny and withholding all required taxes. Many families opt to
use payroll and tax services to ease this process and make paying their nanny
simpler while withholding all applicable taxes from your payment.
Full-time nannies are considered household employees and must pay social security
and Medicare taxes, along with state workers’ compensation insurance requirements
for them. Nanny insurance costs depend on your location and coverage limits
desired, while often your nanny will also need her own car policy in addition to
benefits like monthly healthcare reimbursements, cell phone and internet service
access, tuition reimbursement and merit-based bonuses.

Part-Time Nannies

Part-time nannies can be an excellent solution for parents who work during the day
and need someone to collect their children after school, drive them to extracurricular
activities and assist with homework help – they typically cost $20/hour.
Night nannies provide new mothers with much-needed restful nights after giving
birth, typically charging $214/week. Nanny-housekeepers provide household
assistance on an hourly or part-time basis at approximately $18 per hour.
As part of hiring a nanny, it’s essential to consider all expenses associated with the
job – such as taxes and car lease costs as well as benefits like health insurance and
mobile phone plans. Furthermore, employers with over 20 hours a week of nanny
services need to comply with state unemployment tax legislation by paying Social
Security/Medicare taxes as well as state unemployment taxes on time. Finally,
families should always create written employment agreements to ensure a mutually
beneficial partnership.

Live-In Nannies

Full-time nannies typically work 40 hours each week and charge either an hourly
rate or weekly or monthly flat fee that reflects their experience, education/training
level and/or job scope. Nannies who provide both childcare services as well as house
management usually earn higher than those solely responsible for childcare duties.
Live-in nannies can be an excellent solution for parents who travel frequently, have
early morning meetings, or work nights. In exchange for their duties as nannies, this
type of care provider typically charges around $652 per week including lodging and
meals.
Household employees such as nannies are required to have workers’ compensation
insurance, while families should create a written employment agreement outlining
minimum wage, meal breaks, vacation pay, sick pay and any other essential details
of their relationship with their nanny. For more information on these requirements
please see the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights.

Babysitters

Babysitters tend to cost less than nannies for occasional childcare needs. You can
find them through on-line child care networks, classified ads and word of mouth;
additionally using an app or website may incur a monthly subscription fee.
Nannies typically earn at least $15 an hour or a fixed salary covering at least 40
hours each week for live-out and 44 for live-in nannies; some offer additional
benefits such as paid vacation, holidays and personal/sick days.
Attracting and compensating your nanny should be beneficial to both parties
involved. Setting forth clear expectations can make this easier; signing a work
agreement can also ensure this. Babysitters that perform more extensive duties, like
transporting kids between activities or providing meals may charge higher rates and
should generally receive time and a half compensation on top of their hourly rates.