How much does a nanny cost in North Carolina?
Reviewed September 2026 against the same data that powers Kindred's free calculators.
Families in North Carolina typically pay a nanny around $22 per hour in wages. Once you add the employer payroll taxes you owe on those wages, a full-time nanny (40 hours a week) costs roughly $49,629 per year, which works out to about $24 per hour all-in.
The typical hourly rate
$22 per hour is a regional benchmark for North Carolina, drawn from national childcare cost data adjusted for local cost of living. Your actual rate moves with experience (a veteran infant specialist earns well above a first-year nanny), the number of children, extra duties like cooking or driving, and whether you offer guaranteed hours and paid time off.
- What nannies actually earn in Charlotte
- What nannies actually earn in Raleigh
- What nannies actually earn in Greensboro
- What nannies actually earn in Durham
- What nannies actually earn in Winston-Salem
The full budget math, full time
Paying legally means payroll taxes on top of wages. For a 40-hour week in North Carolina at $22/hour:
- Gross wages: about $45,760 per year
- Employer payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare at 7.65%, federal and North Carolina unemployment tax): about $3,869 per year
- Total cost to your family: about $49,629 per year
How that compares with daycare in North Carolina
Center-based infant daycare in North Carolina runs around $14,000 per year per child. A nanny costs more for one child, but the gap narrows fast with two or more kids because a nanny's rate rises only modestly per additional child while daycare charges per seat. A nanny share, where two families split one nanny, usually lands between the two.
Related
- What nanny taxes do I pay in North Carolina?
- Do nannies get overtime in North Carolina?
- How much should I pay my nanny?
- Post a job free on Kindred
Figures are regional planning benchmarks, not quotes. Real rates depend on experience, duties, schedule, and your local market.