How long does it take to become a Nanny?

It takes 2 years of professional experience to become a nanny. That is the time it takes to learn specific nanny skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

What are the pros and cons of being a nanny?

The pros and cons of being a nanny relate to flexible working hours, building strong relationships with children, and emotional demands. Here are the top pros and cons of being a nanny:

How To Become A Nanny: What It Is and Career Path

What is a nanny and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A nanny is an important figure in many children's lives. Usually, nanny's look after the children while the parents work so their job responsibilities change every single day. If you're cool with sticky fingers and keeping a flexible schedule, then you're in for a wild ride.

As a nanny, you'll probably be responsible for getting the children to their responsibilities, whether that's school or extracurricular activities. You might have to pick them up from school and those other activities as well.

Your hours as a nanny depend on the family that you're working for. Some people might only need you for part of a day each day while others will need you from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. We weren't kidding when we said a wild ride.

ScoreNannyUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $40,262

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.9

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.00%

Asian 7.29%

Black or African American 7.53%

Hispanic or Latino 18.01%

Unknown 6.15%

White 60.02%

Gender

female 93.10%

male 6.90%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress Level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.1

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a nanny

Explore nanny education requirements

Most common nanny degrees

Bachelor's

49.8 %

High School Diploma

22.3 %

Associate

17.4 %

Start to develop specific nanny skills

Skills	Percentages
Meal Prep	29.23%
Kids	24.47%
CPR	19.96%
Child Care	6.21%
Household Chores	4.26%

Complete relevant nanny training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New nannies learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a nanny based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real nanny resumes.

Gain additional nanny certifications

Nanny certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific nanny certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for nannies include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

More About Certifications

Research nanny duties and responsibilities

Feed, bathe, play, and teach them abc's, numbers, and colors.
Provide English language education (ESL) to young children.
Work closely with parents to counsel and motivate child with ADHD.
Tutor children in mathematics, reading, writing, and German/English.

Prepare your nanny resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your nanny resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a nanny resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Nanny Resume templates

Build a professional Nanny resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Nanny resume.

Apply for nanny jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a nanny job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Nanny Job

Lisa Charberlain

Nanny

Hello, my name is Lisa. I’m 41 years old. I’ve been nannying for over 25 years. I’ve watched well over 100 kids in my career, from preemies to age 16, boys, girls, twins, and kids with special needs. Ever since I was younger, I have been drawn to kids. If there were a party with adults and kids, I would always hang out with the kids. My youngest brother and I are 12 years apart. I went from playing with baby dolls to having a real baby in the house, which started my love for caring for babies and kids; I’ve worked for many families in New York, Austin, Texas, and Southern California. I worked for a lot of celebrities and high-profile families. Being a nanny is a tremendous career-paying job. I made $138,000 in eight months in one year. I recommend working with a nanny agency. They will help you with everything and set you up for success. The perks and benefits are unique, From health benefits to a car to use to flying private jets and traveling with families all over the world. I’m still a nanny to this day; I love my job. I love being around kids. , I love bonding with the kids and babies and growing up with the families. Being a career Nanny is an excellent choice if you love children as much as I do. The bond I still have with the children and their families is one of the best parts of being a Nanny.

How do nannies rate their job?

4/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Nanny reviews

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2022

Pros

Engaging with children - teaching - reading - make believe- dancing, music

Cons

Dealing with overly controlling parents