Nanny job description: what to include and a template you can use

A nanny job description lists your children's ages, the daily duties, the schedule, the qualifications you need, and the pay rate. It also gives a short picture of your family, so candidates can see the home they would be joining.

Most nanny job postings read like a checklist. Good nannies scroll past them, because a list of tasks says little about your kids or the people they would work beside.

A nanny will help raise your kids, so your post should read like an introduction. This guide walks through each part of the post, plus the pay and tax basics. It ends with a template you can copy and fill in today.

What goes into a nanny job description.

A nanny job description has two layers. The essentials are the duties, schedule, qualifications, and pay. The deeper part is how someone handles a hard afternoon, like a toddler who skipped a nap while a sibling needs help with reading.

Your post should make room for both, starting with a clear sense of what a nanny does. The five parts after that give a candidate the full picture before the first message.

What a nanny does.

A nanny cares for children in your private home, usually for one family. The role can be full time or part time, and some nannies live with the family they work for. That steady, in-home role is what sets a nanny apart from other kinds of childcare.

Here is how the most common options compare.

The U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET nanny occupation profile gives you a solid base for your duty list. It says a nanny's duties may include:

• Meal planning and preparation
• Laundry and clothing care
• Play activities and outings
• Discipline, in partnership with you
• Intellectual stimulation and language activities
• Transportation to school and appointments

O*NET also lists health and safety tasks. Nannies help children build healthy habits around meals and naps, and they perform first aid or CPR when required.

Notice the phrase "may include." Pick the duties that match your day and leave the rest out.

The children and the family.

Start with the kids. List how many children you have and their ages, then add pets and the languages you speak at home.

Next, share what your household values. Maybe you want screen-free afternoons or a nanny who loves to read aloud. Details like these show the personality behind the paperwork, and they help the right person recognize your home.

On Gathered Hands, family profiles show your kids' ages, pets, languages at home, and pay range. They also include prompts such as "The moment we'd know we found the right nanny is..." Answering a prompt like that in your post gives candidates something real to respond to.

Duties and responsibilities.

A generic line like "childcare and light housekeeping" tells a candidate very little. Write duties as specific tasks tied to your actual day.

For example:

• School pickup at 3:00 PM, then snack and homework help
• Dinner for two picky eaters, ready by 6:00 PM
• Preschool drop-off on Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Children's laundry and a tidy playroom at day's end

Be clear about housekeeping. Say whether it is limited to the children's care, like their dishes and laundry, or covers the rest of the house. O*NET describes a nanny's housekeeping as duties related to children's care, so name anything beyond that up front.

Skills and qualifications.

Split this block into required and preferred. Required items are the ones you won't bend on, and preferred items are nice to have.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that states do not regulate educational requirements for nannies. Some employers still prefer formal instruction in childhood education, especially for full-time roles.

Common asks include:

• CPR and first aid training
• A valid driver's license, if driving is part of the job
• Years of experience with your children's age group
• A language you speak at home

On Gathered Hands, nanny profiles list certifications such as CPR and Newborn care specialist. Every nanny must also pass an identity and criminal background check through Checkr. They need a clear result before they appear to families or apply to jobs.

Background checks have limits and can't guarantee conduct. Read our safety and screening policy, and still hold your own interviews and reference calls.

Credentials matter, and so does warmth. Ask about patience and how a candidate keeps parents in the loop. You might also ask how they would handle a meltdown at the park.

Schedule and hours.

List the days and the start and end times. Note any flexibility you need around your commute, and say whether the role is live-in or live-out.

Long weeks are common in this work. In O*NET survey data, 80% of nanny respondents reported a typical work week of more than 40 hours. Honest hours up front prevent mismatches later.

Hours also shape what you owe. Under the Labor Department overtime rules, the U.S. Department of Labor treats nannies as domestic service employees. They must get at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked, plus time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek.

Live-in nannies may be exempt from federal overtime pay, but they are still owed minimum wage. The Department of Labor uses a specific definition of live-in, so a nanny who works overnight shifts without residing in your home doesn't qualify. Your state or city may also set a higher minimum wage.

Pay and benefits.

Always list an hourly rate or a range. Pay in the post builds trust and saves everyone time.

In its BLS childcare worker wage data, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a $16.82 median hourly wage for childcare workers in May 2025. That category includes nannies, but BLS wage data leaves out workers in private households. Nanny rates in your area may look quite different.

Local posts give you a closer read. On Gathered Hands, every job post shows pay and schedule, and stale listings come down on their own.

If you offer paid time off or guaranteed hours, list them too. These details help a strong candidate compare your role fairly.

Your nanny also keeps every dollar of the rate you post, because Gathered Hands never takes a cut. Families pay $0 in placement fees and $0 commission with our flat membership pricing of $29.99 a month.

Why a clear job description helps you hire.

Hiring a nanny is the start of a relationship. A clear post shapes that relationship from the very first message.

The right people apply.
When you describe your kids and your days honestly, nannies can tell if they fit. The ones who don't fit move on, and your inbox fills with better matches.

Pay up front builds trust.
A posted rate shows you respect a nanny's time. It also screens out anyone whose rate doesn't match your budget.

Clear duties prevent scope creep.
When the post names the tasks, both sides know what the job covers. Adding duties later becomes a conversation instead of an assumption.

Honest hours keep you compliant.
Writing down the real schedule shows you when overtime applies. You can budget for it before you hire.

A family picture starts the relationship.
Sharing who you are gives a candidate something to connect with. Their first message can start with your kids.

How to write a nanny job description, step by step.

Use these five steps to build your post. Each one maps to a section of the template below.

1. Write a two-sentence role summary with the role type and schedule.
2. Describe your family, including the kids' ages, pets, languages, and what you value.
3. List the duties and the schedule, tied to your actual day.
4. Separate required qualifications from preferred ones.
5. State the pay rate and plan for taxes.

Step five comes with federal tax rules. The IRS household employer guide sets out the rules for the 2026 tax year. Social Security and Medicare taxes apply once you pay one household employee $3,000 or more in cash wages.

The IRS puts that combined rate at 15.3%, split evenly between you and your nanny. For 2026 wages, give your nanny a Form W-2 by February 1, 2027, and file Schedule H by April 15, 2027. These figures change each year, so check the current edition before you file.

Here is a nanny job description template you can copy and fill in.

Nanny wanted: [full-time / part-time] for [number] kids in [neighborhood, city]

About us
We're the [last name] family. We have [number] kids, ages [ages], and [pets].
We speak [languages] at home. We value [one or two things, e.g., outdoor time and reading together].
The moment we'd know we found the right nanny is [your answer].

Schedule
[Days], [start time] to [end time]. [Live-in / live-out]. [Any flexibility you need].

Duties
- [Specific task tied to your day, e.g., school pickup at 3:00 PM]
- [Meals, e.g., dinner for two picky eaters by 6:00 PM]
- [Play and learning, e.g., park trips and reading time]
- [Children's laundry and tidying their spaces]

Required
- [e.g., CPR and first aid training]
- [e.g., valid driver's license]
- [e.g., 2+ years with toddlers]
- [e.g., references from past families]

Preferred
- [e.g., Spanish speaker]
- [e.g., Newborn care specialist]

Pay
$[rate]/hr, paid [weekly / biweekly]. Time and a half for hours over 40 (live-out roles).
[Benefits, e.g., paid holidays].

To apply
Message us with a few lines about yourself and how you like to spend a day with kids.

When your draft is ready, post a nanny job and review who applies. You can also message nannies directly while you wait.

Find someone who fits your family.

The right description brings the right person to your door. When your post shows who you are, a nanny can picture their days with your kids before you ever meet.

Gathered Hands is for families who want to hire directly. You can message nannies yourself or post a job and review who applies. There's no agency in the middle and no placement fee, ever.

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