Working as an au pair in Australia: pay, hours & visas

This is a guide, not legal or immigration advice.

Rules change, vary by region and depend on your exact arrangement and nationality. Everything here was researched from official sources and dated, but figures go out of date — check the official links on this page before you rely on any of it, and get proper advice on your own visa position.

Where you stand

The Fair Work Ombudsman says whether a nanny or an au pair is an employee depends on the individual relationship. Some au pairs are effectively live-in employees; some are here mainly for a cultural stay and give only small assistance. The test they offer is control — if the family has a lot of control over your day-to-day activities, you are likely an employee.

What makes Australia different: If you are an employee, the award that covers you is the Miscellaneous Award, not the Children's Services Award. That one covers day care centres and preschools, not private homes. Being put on the wrong one means being on the wrong rates entirely.

The numbers

If you are an employee

A$26.44 an hour

A$1 004.90 a week, from 1 July 2026

First six months

A$25.74 an hour

an entry rate may lawfully be lower

Casual loading

25%

but not paid on overtime

Your award

Miscellaneous Award 2020 (MA000104)

not the Children's Services Award

Can you go?

There is no au pair visa. Most people come on a Working Holiday visa.

Working Holiday makers normally cannot work for the same employer for more than six months, but au pairs can extend to twelve months with the right form. Confirm this is being handled before you plan a full year.

Three things worth doing

Two minimum figures exist, and both are correct

There is a national minimum wage for ongoing employment, and a lower entry-level rate that can apply for your first six months. That is why an award's lowest level can sit below the national minimum without anything being wrong.

Casual work pays a 25% loading — but not on overtime

And you must be engaged and paid for at least two consecutive hours every time you work. A twenty-minute school run still gets two hours.

Ask about control, honestly

The more the family directs your day — set hours, set tasks, little discretion — the more likely you are an employee with full entitlements. It is worth understanding which side of that line your arrangement sits on.

Check it yourself

Every figure on this page came from these. Rules change — if something matters to you, read it at the source.

FWO — Nannies & au pairs: employment status & award coverage → FWO — Annual Wage Review 2026 → FWC — Miscellaneous Award MA000104 →

Keep your own record

Whatever the rules say where you are, they only help you if you can show what you actually worked. NannyTank counts your hours as you work them, works out overtime at the legal rate where there is one, and turns the month into a claim your employer approves in one tap.

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