Minimum Wage Rates for a Nanny and Other Household Employees

Household employees like nannies, housekeepers, and in-home senior caregivers are required to be paid at least the prevailing minimum wage hourly rate. This will be the highest of the federal, state, or local rates. The federal rate of $7.25/hour hasn’t changed for quite some time. However, many states, counties, and cities have much higher rates.

Here are the current minimum wage rates for nannies and other household employees.

Alabama

$7.25/hour – No state minimum wage rate. The federal rate applies.

Alaska

$13/hour – Increases to $14/hour on July 1, 2026, and then to $15/hour on July 1, 2027.

Arizona

$14.70/hour

Flagstaff

$17.85/hour

Tucson

$15/hour

Arkansas

$11/hour

California

$16.50/hour – Increases to $16.90/hour on January 1, 2026.

California city-specific rates

See the chart below for local rates that exceed California’s state minimum wage rate.

Colorado

$14.81/hour

Boulder

$15.57/hour – Increases to $16.82/hour on January 1, 2026, and then to $18.17/hour on January 1, 2027.

Boulder County

$16.57/hour – This rate will increase each year until it reaches $25/hour on January 1, 2030.

Denver

$18.81/hour

Edgewater

$16.52/hour – Increases to $18.17/hour on January 1, 2026; $19.99/hour on January 1, 2027; and $21.99/hour on January 1, 2028.

Connecticut

$16.35/hour – Increases to $16.94/hour on January 1, 2026.

Delaware

$15/hour

District of Columbia

$17.95/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Florida

$13/hour – Increases by $1/hour every September 30 until it reaches $15/hour in 2026.

Georgia

$7.25/hour – The state’s minimum wage rate of $5.15/hour doesn’t apply to household employees as it is below the federal rate.

Hawaii

$14/hour – Increases to $16/hour on January 1, 2026, and then to $18/hour on January 1, 2028.

Idaho

$7.25/hour

Illinois

$15/hour

Chicago

$16.60/hour – Effective July 1, 2025. This rate applies to domestic workers regardless of the number employed by the family.

Cook County (outside of Chicago)

$15/hour – An inflation-adjusted minimum wage rate will be announced each year by June 1.

Indiana

$7.25/hour

Iowa

$7.25/hour

Kansas

$7.25/hour

Kentucky

$7.25/hour

Louisiana

$7.25/hour – No state minimum wage rate. The federal rate applies.

Maine

$14.65/hour

Portland

$15.50/hour – May change annually based on a cost-of-living increase.

Rockland

$15.50/hour – The city will adjust the rate each January 1 based on the consumer price index.

Maryland

$15/hour

Howard County

$15/hour – Increases to $15.50/hour on January 1, 2026, and then to $16/hour on July 1, 2026. This rate applies to employers with fewer than 15 workers.

Montgomery County

$15.50/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Prince George’s County

$15/hour

Massachusetts

$15/hour

Michigan

$12.48/hour – Increases to $13.73/hour on January 1, 2026, and then to $15/hour on January 1, 2026.

Minnesota

$11.13/hour

Minneapolis

$15.97/hour

St. Paul

$13.25/hour – Effective July 1, 2025. Increases to $14.25/hour on July 1, 2026, and then to $15/hour on July 1, 2027. This rate applies to employers with five or fewer employees.

Mississippi

$7.25/hour – No state minimum wage rate. The federal rate applies.

Missouri

$13.75/hour – Increases to $15/hour on January 1, 2026.

Montana

$10.55/hour

Nebraska

$13.50/hour – Increases to $15/hour on January 1, 2026.

Nevada

$12/hour

New Hampshire

$7.25/hour – No state minimum wage rate. The federal rate applies.

New Jersey

$14.53/hour – Increases to $15.23/hour (or adjusted for inflation, whichever is higher) on January 1, 2026. For employers with fewer than six employees

New Mexico

$12/hour

Las Cruces

$12.65/hour

Santa Fe (City and County)

$15/hour – Annual living wage increases occur on March 1.

New York

$15.50/hour – Increases to $16/hour on January 1, 2026.

The minimum wage for home health care aides is $18.10/hour, increasing to $18.65 on January 1, 2026.

New York City, Long Island & Westchester County

$16.50/hour – Increases to $17/hour on January 1, 2026.

The minimum wage for home health care aides is $19.10/hour and then increases to $19.65 on January 1, 2026.

North Carolina

$7.25/hour

North Dakota

$7.25/hour

Ohio

$7.25/hour – Ohio has a special minimum wage for businesses with annual gross receipts exceeding $385,000 per year ($10.70/hour). However, household employers follow the lower rate.

Oklahoma

$7.25/hour

Oregon

To determine which rate applies to your county, visit the Oregon Minimum Wage Rate Summary.

Portland

$16.30/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Standard

$15.05/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Non-urban counties

$14.05/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Pennsylvania

$7.25/hour

Rhode Island

$15/hour – Increases to $16/hour on January 1, 2026, and then to $17/hour on January 1, 2027.

South Carolina

$7.25/hour – No state minimum wage rate. The federal rate applies.

South Dakota

$11.50/hour

Tennessee

$7.25/hour – No state minimum wage rate. The federal rate applies.

Texas

$7.25/hour

Utah

$7.25/hour

Vermont

$14.01/hour

Virginia

$12.41/hour – Increases to $12.77/hour on January 1, 2026.

Washington

$16.66/hour

Bellingham

$18.66/hour

Everett

$18.24/hour – For employers with fewer than 15 employees.

King County

$17.29/hour – For employers with 15 or fewer employees.

Seattle

$20.76/hour

West Virginia

$7.25/hour – The state minimum wage of $8.75 applies if you have six or more employees working at any one separate, distinct, and permanent work location.

Wisconsin

$7.25/hour

Wyoming

$7.25/hour – The state’s minimum wage rate of $5.15/hour doesn’t apply to household employees as it is below the federal rate.

California Local Minimum Wage Rates

Alameda

$17.46/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Belmont

$18.30/hour

Berkeley

$19.18/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Burlingame

$17.43/hour

Cupertino

$18.20/hour

Daly City

$17.07/hour

East Palo Alto

$17.45/hour

El Cerrito

$18.34/hour

Emeryville

$19.90/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Foster City

$17.39/hour

Fremont

$17.75/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Half Moon Bay

$17.47/hour

Hayward

$16.50/hour – For employers with 25 or fewer employees.

Los Altos

$18.20/hour

Los Angeles (city)

$17.87/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Los Angeles (county)

$17.81/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Malibu

$17.27/hour

Menlo Park

$17.10/hour

Milpitas

$18.20/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Mountain View

$19.20/hour

Novato

$16.50/hour – For small employers

Oakland

$16.89/hour

Palo Alto

$18.20/hour

Pasadena

$18.04/hour – Effective July 1, 2025.

Petaluma

$17.97/hour

Redwood City

$18.20/hour

Richmond

$17.77/hour – The minimum wage is $1.50 lower (or $16.27/hour) for employers that pay at least $1.50 per hour per employee to a medical benefits plan that allows the employee to receive employer-compensated care from a licensed physician.