What do au pairs & nannies expect to earn?
A guide to what most of our candidates are currently looking for. Weekly figures are an estimate based on a 25-hour week — expect more for longer hours. Pay must always meet at least the National Minimum Wage — check with the calculator below. Live-in pay expectations reflect that accommodation and meals are provided.
1Check the legal minimum
Since April 2024, live-in au pairs and nannies are entitled to the National Minimum Wage. Where you provide free accommodation, the accommodation offset (£11.10/day from April 2026) is the only benefit that counts towards it.
| Minimum wage for hours worked | — |
| Less accommodation offset (£11.10 × 7 days) | — |
| Minimum cash pay per week | — |
| Equivalent per month | — |
| Effective minimum cash rate per hour | — |
2Estimate take-home pay & your total cost
| Gross pay (annual equivalent) | — |
| Income tax (standard 1257L code) | — |
| Employee National Insurance | — |
| Estimated net (take-home) pay | — |
| Net per week / per month | — |
| Employer National Insurance (payable by family) | — |
| Total annual cost to family | — |
2026/27 tax thresholds at a glance
Why does the take-home figure look the way it does? These are the thresholds behind the calculation — useful context when agreeing a gross salary.
| Personal allowance — tax-free | First £12,570 / year (£242 / week) |
| Basic rate income tax — 20% | £12,571 – £50,270 / year |
| Higher rate income tax — 40% | Above £50,270 / year |
| Employee National Insurance — 8% | £12,571 – £50,270 / year (2% above) |
| Employer National Insurance — 15% | Above £5,000 / year (paid by the family) |
| Pension auto-enrolment trigger | Age 22+ and earning over £10,000 / year |
| Registering as an employer with HMRC | Required for virtually every placement |
You must register as an employer once you pay anyone over £96 a week — with minimum wage rules, every au pair or nanny placement crosses that line. Individual employers register with HMRC by phone rather than online; a payroll service such as Nannytax will handle registration for you.
In practice: an au pair earning under £242 a week pays no income tax or NI at all — their gross and net pay are the same. Above that, roughly 28p of each extra pound goes to tax and NI until £50,270. This is one reason we recommend agreeing salaries in gross — it fixes your cost, while net-pay promises leave you covering any tax changes.
