The au pair vs nanny question starts with the job. An au pair is a young person living with a family abroad to learn the language, helping in the house and with the children for a small wage. A nanny cares for and supervises children in the family's home. A governess, in the dictionary sense, teaches a family's children at home.
Below: au pair rules in the US, the UK and Spain, nanny rules, and pay.
Au pair, nanny or governess: what each one is
Au pair
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries defines an au pair as "a young person, usually a woman, who lives with a family in a foreign country in order to learn the language". In the US, au pairs come through the State Department's Exchange Visitor Program, on a J-1 visa.
Nanny
The UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) says nannies and au pairs "care for and supervise babies and young children in the homes of the children's families", from daily care, washing and dressing to school runs and activities. It puts both in one occupational group; the US tax authority lists nannies among household workers.
Governess
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries: "(especially in the past) a woman employed to teach the children of a rich family in their home and to live with them". Today, one international household staffing agency calls the governess a "nanny-tutor hybrid" at the centre of a child's education, managing extra tutoring and weekend activities for children aged 5 to 12.
Au pair vs nanny: the au pair rules in the US, the UK and Spain
Each country has its own au pair rules.
| United States (federal) | UK | Spain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the rules come from | The State Department's au pair rules, 22 CFR 62.31 | GOV.UK guidance: au pairs are entitled to the minimum wage | The European Agreement on Au Pair Placement, ratified by Spain in 1988; Spain's household employment rules exclude "a la par" arrangements |
| Who can be one | Aged 18 to 26, a secondary school graduate or equivalent, proficient in spoken English | From the UK or Ireland; EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status, or eligible to apply; Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders; others depending on their visa. Not visitors, or anyone visiting for 6 months or less | A young person from another country, aged 17 to 30 (exceptions to the upper limit possible) |
| How long | Up to 12 months; extensions of 6, 9 or 12 months possible | Not covered here | Up to 1 year at first, 2 in total |
| Hours | Up to 10 a day and 45 a week (EduCare: 30 a week) | Not covered here; the minimum wage applies to hours worked | Generally no more than 5 hours a day of actual work |
| Pay | A weekly stipend based on 45 hours, in line with federal wage law; up to $500 towards study | At least £12.71 an hour at 21 and over, £10.85 at 18 to 20; a free room counts as up to £77.70 a week | Board and lodging, a private room where possible, and monthly pocket money set in the written agreement |
| Time off | 1.5 days a week, one full weekend a month, 2 weeks' paid vacation | Not covered here | At least one full day a week, including a Sunday each month; time for language courses |
| Tax | The stipend is wages; usually no Social Security or Medicare tax, as most au pairs are nonresident aliens | May pay Income Tax and National Insurance, depending on earnings | Not covered here |
In the US, an au pair can't join a family with a baby under 3 months unless a parent or other responsible adult is home, or one with children under 2 without at least 200 hours of documented infant care experience. The rules don't set a dollar figure. Our calculation, using the standard meal and lodging credits the Department of Labor accepts under 29 CFR 552.100, is $195.75 a week. Some state laws give workers more protection, and employers must comply with both, the Department of Labor says; we haven't covered state rules.
In the UK, the employer must keep records proving the minimum wage is paid. Our example, for an au pair aged 21 or over on 25 hours a week (only an example) with a free room: £12.71 × 25 = £317.75, of which up to £77.70 can be the room, so at least £240.05 a week in money.
In Spain, under the European agreement, terms go in writing, ideally before the au pair travels and at the latest in the first week; an open-ended agreement can end with two weeks' notice. The household employment rules exclude "a la par" (au pair) arrangements, where childcare, language teaching or marginal housework is given for meals, lodging or simple expenses, unless employment is proven.
See how a live-in nanny compares.
And a nanny?
In the US, the IRS lists nannies among household workers. For a household employee, Social Security and Medicare taxes generally apply from $3,000 in cash wages in 2026 (with exceptions, such as a spouse or a child under 21), and federal unemployment tax from $1,000 in total cash wages to household employees in any calendar quarter. Someone caring for your children in their own home generally isn't your employee. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour; some state laws give more protection.
In the UK, if you employ a nanny, you register for PAYE if they're paid £96 or more a week (or another HMRC condition applies), pay at least the minimum wage and enrol an eligible nanny in a workplace pension. In England, Ofsted registration is voluntary. See the steps for UK families.
In Spain, household employment rules cover work in the family home, including caring for family members. The 2026 minimum is €1,221 a month in 14 payments for 40 hours a week, or €9.55 an hour worked for hourly staff who don't live in. The family registers the nanny with Social Security whatever the hours. See our Spanish guide to the contract (in Spanish).
Governess vs nanny: what they're paid
The ONS puts nannies and au pairs in one group. In its 2026 survey (provisional), full-time employees in it had a median of £38,698 for the year to April 2026, and a median of £16.84 an hour, on a median paid week of 44.3 hours. The ONS rates the yearly figure as acceptable quality, not precise, and there's no official figure for governesses. See nanny pay role by role.
| Country | Governess | Nanny |
|---|---|---|
| USA | $70,000 to $130,000 | $60,000 to $120,000 |
| UK | £55,000 to £100,000 | £50,000 to £80,000 |
| Switzerland | CHF 90,000 to CHF 130,000 | CHF 80,000 to CHF 120,000 |
| Monaco | €80,000 to €120,000 | €52,000 to €57,000 |
| UAE | AED 180,000 to AED 300,000 | AED 216,000 to AED 300,000 |
| Saudi Arabia | SAR 250,000 to SAR 340,000 | SAR 250,000 to SAR 340,000 |
| France | €45,000 to €60,000 | €45,000 to €60,000 |
| Belgium | €45,000 to €70,000 | €45,000 to €60,000 |
In most countries listed, the governess range tops the nanny range; in France and Saudi Arabia they're the same, and in the UAE the governess range starts lower. These are one agency's ranges, and its governess description refers to ultra-high-net-worth families: guides, not official rates.
For the rules on employing domestic staff in the UAE, see our UAE guide.
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FAQ
What's the difference between an au pair and a nanny?
An au pair lives with a family abroad to learn the language, under au pair rules set country by country; a nanny is employed under ordinary household employment rules. In the US the host family is the au pair's employer; in the UK au pairs are entitled to the minimum wage.
What is a governess?
Especially in the past, a woman employed to teach a rich family's children at home; one agency now calls the role a "nanny-tutor hybrid".
Can an au pair look after a baby?
Under US federal rules, not a baby under 3 months unless a parent or other responsible adult is home, and children under 2 only with 200 hours of documented infant care experience. The UK and Spanish rules here set no equivalent.
Do au pairs pay tax?
In the US, the stipend is wages, usually without Social Security or Medicare tax, as most au pairs are nonresident aliens. UK au pairs may pay Income Tax and National Insurance, depending on earnings.
Last reviewed: 26 October 2026. Rules and rates as at 26 October 2026, summarised from official sources in each country, with pay ranges from one international agency's 2025/26 report; this isn't legal or tax advice.
