Nannies and au pairs: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time nannies and au pairs in the UK earned a median £38,447 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £592 below the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 151st of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
A full-time median is published for women only; the sample of men is too small.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 41.8 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
About 53% of the roughly 15,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 54.6% (from £24,874), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 22,400 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | – | – | – | £184.10* | £13.00 |
| 20th percentile | – | £515.50 | £14.05 | – | £257.30* | £13.82 |
| 25th percentile | £24,628* | £546.70* | £14.36 | – | £285.70* | £14.20 |
| 30th percentile | £28,132* | £592.50* | £14.63 | £16,897* | £341.50* | £14.47 |
| 40th percentile | £32,038* | £722.10 | £15.32 | £20,305* | £398.30* | £15.18 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £38,447* | £746.00 | £16.97 | £22,955* | £468.90* | £15.95 |
| 60th percentile | £43,416* | £820.00 | £18.49 | – | £527.80* | £16.85 |
| 70th percentile | – | £883.00* | £19.35* | – | £728.60* | £18.10 |
| 75th percentile | – | – | £19.67* | – | £747.40* | £18.94 |
| 80th percentile | – | – | – | – | – | £19.35* |
| Mean | £38,262 | £765.50 | £17.72 | £26,876 | £537.60 | £17.22 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £24,874* | £490.00 | £13.10 | £16,845* | £315.70* | 15* |
| 2022 revised | £26,483* | £536.60 | £13.51 | £20,405* | £385.30* | 15* |
| 2023 revised | £31,496* | £568.30* | £13.67 | – | £420.70* | 11* |
| 2024 revised | £34,981* | £680.30* | £15.95 | £23,428* | £436.30* | 13* |
| 2025 provisional | £38,447* | £746.00 | £16.97 | £22,955* | £468.90* | 15* |
Nannies and au pairs by region
UK: 22,400 (± 5,800), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What nannies and au pairs do
Nannies and au pairs care for and supervise babies and young children in the homes of the children's families. (ONS SOC 2020, 6116)
Also covers: au pair, nanny, children's nanny and private nanny.
- Cares for children and babies and participates in their daily activities
- Assists children to wash and dress
- Changes babies’ nappies and clothes as necessary and makes up bottles for feeds
- Mends, washes and irons children’s clothes and tidies their rooms
- Organises activities and opportunities to socialise with other children
- Takes children to school and other appointments
Entry does not depend upon academic qualifications but a qualification in childcare and/or relevant experience may be useful. NVQs/SVQs in Child Care and Education are available at levels 2 and 3. A minimum age limit of 18 years applies, and a DBS check is mandatory. Nannies are not required to register with Ofsted but can become a part of the Voluntary Ofsted Childcare Register.
Related
Teaching and childcare support occupations (median £21,920) · Playworkers · Childminders · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026