Nanny Share Calculator

Two families, one nanny — see what each family really pays, and what the nanny takes home.

Nanny Share Calculator

Two families, one nanny — see what each family really pays, and what the nanny takes home from both jobs.

THE SHARE

State

Nanny's solo hourly rate

$

Share premium

Hours together per week

Children — Family A

Children — Family B

Extra per additional child

$

FAMILY A

Filing status

Extra solo hours/week

FAMILY B

Filing status

Extra solo hours/week

EACH FAMILY'S PAYROLL (ANNUAL, 52 WEEKS)

Family A

Hours on their payroll

Rate on their payroll

Gross wages

Employee taxes

Nanny net from A

Employer taxes

Total cost to A

Family B

Hours on their payroll

Rate on their payroll

Gross wages

Employee taxes

Nanny net from B

Employer taxes

Total cost to B

THE NANNY'S SIDE

Nanny’s total wages (both jobs)

Combined take-home

Nanny’s actual workweek

vs. one solo job at the solo rate

Estimates for informational purposes only — not legal or tax advice. Each family is a separate household employer: separate payroll, separate employer taxes, separate W-2. Both families may also independently qualify for the Dependent Care FSA and the Child & Dependent Care Credit — see our nanny share guide for that math. The nanny works the shared hours once and keeps her full hourly rate; what’s split is the wage bill, so each family runs payroll on its share of the wages (its hours × the full rate), never a halved rate. Past 40 hours in her actual workweek she earns a 1.5× blended-rate premium, split across the families in proportion to wages — agree in your share contract how you’ll handle it. If your nanny alternates homes with no overlap, that’s two separate solo jobs — use our payroll calculator for each.

⚠ Insurance is separate from payroll — and a share can trigger it. Workers' comp, disability, and paid-family-leave rules look at the hours your child is in care and the wages the nanny earns — not how you split payroll — so in a share each family usually needs its own coverage. California requires workers' comp for nearly every household employer; New York adds disability & paid-family-leave and treats a 40-hour caregiver as full-time; New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Ohio and others start at lower thresholds. Put coverage in place before day one and confirm with your state's workers' comp board — we walk through it in the nanny share guide.

✓

Two families, two payrolls — we run both.

Nest Payroll handles each family's paychecks, withholding, filings, and W-2s separately, with share-friendly features like multiple hourly rates on one pay stub.

Each family gets its own compliant payroll
Multiple rates per pay stub for share + solo hours
W-2s, Schedule H & quarterly returns included

Start Free — 14-Day Trial

$42/mo per family after trial · No setup fees · Cancel anytime

FAQs

How much does a nanny share cost per family?

Usually 65–75% of a solo nanny — roughly $16–$18/hour of care per family nationally in 2026, and more in high-cost metros. The nanny keeps one rate; each family simply runs payroll on its share of the wages. Read the full nanny share guide →

Who pays the nanny — one family or both?

Both, separately. The IRS treats each family as its own household employer: each runs its own payroll, pays its own employer taxes, and issues its own W-2. Two families can't legally combine into one payroll. See the 5-step setup →

Does the family with more kids pay more?

Usually yes — a small per-child premium (often $1–3/hour) added on top of that family's share, never taken from the other family. It shows up as a slightly higher rate on their payroll, always above minimum wage. How the split works →

How does overtime work in a nanny share?

The nanny is one employee working one week, so overtime (1.5× over 40 hours) is figured on her total hours across both homes — not each family's half — and the two families share it. The calculator above works this out for you. More on share overtime →

NOT READY FOR PAYROLL YET?

Nanny Contract Template Create a work agreement for your employee

Catch-Up Calculator Estimate back taxes if you've been paying cash

Gross-Up Calculator Calculate wages when you cover your nanny's taxes

Nanny Share Calculator

Nanny Share Calculator

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