What Does A Nanny Do (including Their Typical Day at Work)

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Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Nannies

Nannies care for children in private households and provide support and expertise to parents in satisfying children's physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs. Duties may include meal planning and preparation, laundry and clothing care, organization of play activities and outings, discipline, intellectual stimulation, language activities, and transportation.

Salary
$26790
Becoming One
Easy
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality


What they do

Nannies care for children in private households and provide support and expertise to parents in satisfying children's physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs. Duties may include meal planning and preparation, laundry and clothing care, organization of play activities and outings, discipline, intellectual stimulation, language activities, and transportation.

  • Remove hazards and develop appropriate boundaries and rules to create a safe environment for children.
  • Instruct and assist children in the development of health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet behavior.
  • Instruct children in safe behavior, such as seeking adult assistance when crossing the street and avoiding contact or play with unsafe objects.
  • Help prepare and serve nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children.

Typical day

On a daily basis, Nannies supervise and assist with homework. They regulate children’s rest periods and nap schedules.

A typical day for a Nanny will also include:

  • Perform housekeeping and cleaning duties related to children’s care.
  • Help prepare and serve nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children.
  • Model appropriate social behaviors and encourage concern for others to cultivate the development of interpersonal relationships and communication skills.
  • Help develop or monitor family schedules.
  • Keep records of play, meal schedules, and bill payments.

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Nannies also shop for groceries, clothing, and other items needed for children’s care. They may also meet regularly with parents to discuss children’s activities and development.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Nannies work with parents to develop and implement discipline programs to promote desirable child behavior. They might also keep records of play, meal schedules, and bill payments.

In addition, they organize and conduct age-appropriate recreational activities, such as games, arts and crafts, sports, walks, and playdates.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them help develop or monitor the family schedules.

To some Nannies, it is also their responsibility to transport children to schools, social outings, and medical appointments.

What is the job like

Job satisfaction

Average

Is this job meaningful

High

69% said they were satisfied with their job and 60% said they found their job meaningful.


I’ve been a professional nanny for nearly a decade now. I have my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and am a certified teacher. I accepted a position as a nanny right out of college and I’ve never looked back. My typical day On a typical day, I arrive at the family’s house and prepare … Read More


Nanny to a family with 4 kids

A typical day for me is a mix of different responsibilities, depending on the schedules and needs of my specific family. Most days are about playing with the children, reading to them and having breakfast with them, helping get ready for school or clothes-shopping with them, preparing their lunches to bring to school, and cooking … Read More


Pros

Suitable for people who like to help and teach others.

Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.

This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.

It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.

Cons

Not suitable for people who like to solve problems mentally.

One of the lowest paying jobs.

Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week).

How much do they make

Average salary

$26790 per year

Average hourly wage

$13 per hour

Entry-level Nannies with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $18,380 to $20,900 per year or $9 to $10 per hour.

Salary by experience Annual Hourly
Highest (Top 10%) $37,720 $18
Senior (Top 25%) $30,750 $15
Median $25,460 $12
Junior (Bottom 25%) $20,900 $10
No experience (Bottom 10%) $18,380 $9

What is the work day like

Working hours

Less than 40 hours
0%

40 hours
23%

More than 40 hours
77%

Working schedule

96%

4%

0%

Email

How often do you use email in this job?

Once a week
48%

Every day
22%

Telephone

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Once a week
39%

Every day
35%

Group discussions

How often do you have group discussions in this job?

Once a week
13%

Every day
78%

Public speaking

How often does this job require you to do public speaking?

Never
87%

Once a year
9%

Once a month
0%

Once a week
0%

Every day
4%

Level of competition

How much competitive pressure is in this job?

Not competitive at all
23%

Slightly competitive
23%

Moderately competitive
32%

Highly competitive
18%

Extremely competitive
5%

What is the work environment like

Office-style environment

Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition

Never
14%

Once a year or more
5%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
14%

Every day
68%

Warehouse-style environment

Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse

Never
55%

Once a year or more
9%

Once a month or more
5%

Once a week or more
23%

Every day
9%

Outdoors

Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions

Never
23%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
14%

Once a week or more
45%

Every day
18%

Outdoors – Under Cover

Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)

Never
43%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
17%

Once a week or more
30%

Every day
9%

How to become one

Difficulty to become one

Easy
You may need some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience. Most careers in this difficulty category usually don’t require a degree. However, you will need a few months of on-the-job training with experienced employees. Similar careers include Customer Service Representatives, Security Guards, and Bank Tellers.

Required level of education

What level of education do you need to perform the job?

Less than a High School Diploma
13%

High School Diploma or equivalent
61%

Post-Secondary Certificate
4%

Some College Courses
9%

Associate’s Degree or similar
4%

Bachelor’s Degree
9%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
0%

Master’s Degree
0%

Post-Master’s Certificate
0%

First Professional Degree
0%

Doctoral Degree
0%

Post-Doctoral Training
0%

Relevant majors

No majors found

Relevant work experience

How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?

None
4%

1 month
0%

1 to 3 months
0%

3 to 6 months
9%

6 months to 1 year
17%

1 to 2 years
43%

2 to 4 years
22%

4 to 6 years
4%

6 to 8 years
0%

8 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
0%

On The Job Training

How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?

None or short demonstration
35%

1 month
57%

1 to 3 months
4%

3 to 6 months
0%

6 months to 1 year
0%

1 to 2 years
4%

2 to 4 years
0%

4 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
0%

Should you become one

Best personality type for this career

The Helper

People with this personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.

The Builder
38%

People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


The Thinker
19%

People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.


The Artist
57%

People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.


The Helper
100%

People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.


The Leader
57%

People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.


The Organizer
57%

People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.


You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tend to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

They also like working with forms, designs, and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.

Work Values

Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?

Achievement
67%

You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.

Working Conditions
55%

You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.

Recognition
33%

You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.

Relationships
86%

You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support
29%

You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.

Independence
71%

You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.

FAQ


Don’t know which career to pursue?

Take the career quiz to find careers that match your personality type.

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