Nanny salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a nanny is $69,700 per annum, before tax, up $14,600 since 2018.
Pay is negotiated between you and the family, and there is no single national pay scale for private nannies, though agency placements often come with a set rate. Live-in roles usually trade some cash pay for board and lodging, while casual and part-time hours add up to less over a year than full-time work. A Certificate III or diploma in early childhood education and care, a driver's licence, or experience with children who have additional needs are the things that usually lift an offer.
Roles that pay more than nanny
The largest typical pay rise is $33,400 a year, moving into Childcare Centre Manager.
- Childcare Centre Manager+$33,400/yr
- Early Childhood Educator+$29,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher nanny salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time nanny salary is $69,700; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Nannys are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Personal care services and Pastoral care and wellbeing tend to command a premium over general nanny experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Childcare Centre Manager pays a typical $33,400 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Nanny salary questions
How much do nannys earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a nanny is $69,700 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is nanny pay rising or falling?
The median nanny salary is up $14,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than nanny?
Childcare Centre Manager pays a typical $33,400 a year more and draws on similar skills to nanny.