How much should you be paid as an au pair?

Know Your Worth · NannyTank

Pay is the conversation everyone wants to avoid and everyone worries about. Here's the honest version.

The real answer: it should be agreed, not guessed

There's no universal au pair salary — it depends on your country, your hours, your duties, whether you drive, and what you and your host family agree. What shouldn't vary is this: your pay should be settled before you start, and written down. If it's a vague "we'll sort it out," that's not an agreement — it's a risk you're carrying.

The pieces of a fair pay deal

Your base pay — either an hourly rate or a fixed monthly salary. Both are fine; just be clear which one you're on.
An overtime rate — a higher rate for hours beyond your normal hours. Extra work should mean extra pay.
Reimbursement for driving — if you use your own car for the family, your kilometres should be paid back (more on that another day).
A payday — a set date, every month, so you're not chasing.

How to know if your offer is fair

Talk to other au pairs in your area, check what agencies quote, and factor in your hours and responsibilities. A live-in role with light duties and a child who's at school all day is not the same job as three young kids and daily school runs — and the pay shouldn't be either.

Don't undersell the work you can't see

A huge chunk of au pair work is invisible until you track it: the overtime, the extra trips, the days you covered when plans changed. If you're only counting your "official" salary, you may be working for less per hour than you think.

Where NannyTank fits

NannyTank takes whatever pay model you're on — hourly or fixed — adds your overtime and fuel claim automatically, and turns the month into one clean figure you can send your host family. No spreadsheets, no second-guessing whether you've been paid correctly.

Start your 14-day free trial at nannytank.co.za.