What Does a Nanny Cost in Portland, Oregon? A Breakdown of Nanny Rates
One of the first questions many parents ask when they want to hire a nanny: “What does a nanny cost?” It’s a good question, and there are many factors to consider when figuring out what you can expect to pay a nanny. Rates for nannies vary widely based on their experience and education. Logistics of a position play a part, too – location, schedule, job responsibilities, and scope of the role all impact rates. In this article, we’ll cover each of these topics so you can form a better idea of what it will cost to hire a nanny in Portland.
Understanding the Pay Structure for a Nanny
The first thing to know: nannies are always paid an hourly rate for their services. By law, nannies cannot be salaried employees. The industry standard is to pay your nanny a guaranteed weekly rate, often referred to as “guaranteed hours.” Guaranteed hours ensure a stable paycheck for your nanny, even when their services are not needed, like when you go on vacation or decide to take a day off work to spend time with your kids. Guaranteed hours are calculated based on the number of hours worked in a standard workweek – so if your nanny works 9-5, Monday-Thursday, your nanny would receive pay for 32 hours each week. If your nanny works an extra day on Friday, they’re compensated for each extra hour worked on top of their guaranteed weekly rate.
Hourly Rates for Nannies in Portland
Nannies set their own hourly rates based on their experience, education, and skills. A base rate is what a nanny charges to care for one child and perform child-related tasks, like maintaining common areas and child spaces, preparing child meals, and curating activities. Nanny rates in Portland typically start at $25-30 per hour. Rates increase for additional children ($2-$5 more per hour per child) and additional tasks, like household management, education support, pet care, meal preparation, or any other agreed-upon tasks to meet your family’s needs. Increasing the scope of your nanny’s role increases hourly rates variably.
Other factors that can influence hourly rates:
Full-time vs part-time: If you want an experienced professional nanny but you only need childcare for 25 hours per week, you may need to compensate the nanny with a higher hourly rate to make it worth their while. One option for families who only need part-time care is to consider what other responsibilities a nanny could do to increase the scope of their role or the hours they work. For example, if your child is in preschool in the mornings, your nanny could do household management tasks or child-related chores while your child is at school.
Special skills or certifications: If a nanny has special skills that are in high demand, like extensive infant experience or fluency in a second language, you can expect a higher hourly rate.
Another thing to note about hourly rates for nannies: Overtime pay is legally required for any hours worked beyond 40 hours in a week. Overtime pay is calculated by multiplying the standard hourly rate by 1.5.
Additional Costs to Consider When Hiring a Nanny in Portland
In addition to paying your nanny for their services, there are other costs associated with employing a nanny.
Employment taxes: If you pay your nanny more than $2,800 a year, you must pay federal and state employment taxes. However, there are tax breaks to help families offset the cost. You can read more about taxes in our complete guide.
Payroll service: Employers have to provide a pay stub each pay period that details wages earned and taxes withheld. Many household employers opt to use a household payroll service that will both pay your nanny and manage taxes for you. Our choice payroll partner is HomePay (This is an affiliate link). Their service is $75 a month, but you can receive your first month free using our link.
Agency fee: For a full-service nanny placement, Pearl Nannies charges a one-time placement fee equal to 10% of your nanny’s annual compensation. We simplify the nanny search process by matching you with highly qualified, hire-ready nannies who are excited to work with your family. You choose your favorite and we help finalize hiring.
Worker’s compensation or homeowner’s insurance: While it’s not legally required in Oregon, we highly recommend families to carry a worker’s compensation or homeowner’s insurance policy that will cover your nanny in the event of an on-the-job injury.
Activities and outings: If you want your nanny to take your kids on fun outings, factor that into your nanny budget. We love memberships to save on costs, like to the Oregon Zoo or OMSI.
Transportation: If your nanny will be driving your children in their own car, they will need to update their auto insurance policy to cover your children in the event of an accident on a work-related drive. Any increases in the cost of the policy would be covered by you. Additionally, any miles driven in your nanny’s car need to be reimbursed at the current IRS mileage rate (70 cents per mile in 2025).
What does a live-in nanny cost in Portland?
Live-in nannies should be compensated the same rate as live-out nannies. Living in your employer’s home is not generally considered to be a perk. In Oregon, you must provide “adequate facilities for uninterrupted sleep,” but most professional nannies will expect a private furnished bedroom and a private bathroom. Oregon has some other mandatory stipulations for live-in nannies – you can learn more from the Oregon BOLI Domestic Workers Laws.
Most live-in nannies do not pay rent or utilities, because having a live-in nanny is typically to the benefit of the employer family. Keep in mind that if a nanny does pay any form of rent, they may legally be considered a tenant with tenant’s rights, so it would be difficult to enforce moving out in the event of termination. If you and your nanny agree to some deduction for rent or living expenses, consult with a legal professional to find out the best way to do so.
What does a night nanny cost in Portland?
When you have a newborn, a night nanny can be a huge help. They stay in your home with your infant overnight so you can get some uninterrupted sleep. These shifts can be taxing for a nanny, and the hourly rate reflects that – $40-$60 an hour is typical. Most night nannies will require a minimum shift length of 8-9 hours to prevent coming and going in the middle of the night. Along with handling the all-night wakings and feedings of the newborn stage, night nannies can also assist with sleep training as your baby grows if you want some support during the process.
Why Working With a Nanny Agency in Portland Can Be Worth the Cost
Hiring a nanny is a big decision, both financially and emotionally. At Pearl Nannies, we simplify the nanny hiring process to make it easy to find the right nanny for your family. We work with you to define your family’s needs, provide ideal candidates, and walk you through the hiring process with dedicated support at every step. You’ll only spend your valuable time meeting highly qualified and hire-ready candidates – we’ll take care of the rest. Schedule a consultation with our Placement Director to get your nanny search started.