How do I pay a nanny to stay overnight with my kids?

If you travel for work or are taking an adult trip away without your kids, you may need a nanny to sleep at your house overnight and care for your children. We often get asked by parents how much they should pay a nanny to stay overnight with their kids. It is important to consider your children’s ages when determining a fair rate. If you have a baby who wakes during the night and needs to be fed and otherwise cared for before being put back to sleep, the nanny should be paid an hourly rate for all hours they are at your house (day and night). If your children are sleeping through the night it is standard to pay a flat rate for sleeping hours and an hourly rate when the children are awake.

For sleep hours, we typically see a flat rate of $100-200 per night. Most families pay $150 and up for a professional nanny and under $150 for a less experienced nanny or college-age sitter.

One thing to keep in mind is that a nanny’s working hours are not only the hours when your child is awake. They will often stay up after your child has gone to bed for the night to tidy up and prepare for the day ahead. Similarly, the nanny will often begin their work day before your child awakens in the morning. We recommend paying the nanny’s hourly rate for an hour before your child wakes up and an hour after they go to bed to account for the extra time needed to tidy up and prepare for the day. The overnight rate then kicks in and accounts for sleep time.

For example, if your child sleeps 7pm-7am, the nanny would be paid hourly from 6am-8pm. They would be paid a flat rate of $100-200 for the hours of 8pm-6am.

Another thing to consider is overtime pay. If the nanny works over 40 hours in a 7 day period, they are legally entitled to overtime pay (time and a half) for anything over 40 hours. Overtime pay only applies to daytime hours, not the overnight fee.

Your Happy Nest would be happy to answer any questions you may have about paying a nanny overnight! If you do not currently employ a nanny and need an overnight nanny for occasional use, we would be happy to help you find someone great for your family!