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

$10.34/hour – Increases to $10.85/hour on January 1, 2023.

Arizona

$12.80/hour – Increases to $13.85/hour on January 1, 2023.

Flagstaff

$15.50/hour – Increases to $16.80/hour on January 1, 2023.

Tucson

$13/hour –  This rate will increase to $13.85/hour in 2023; $14.25/hour in 2024; and $15/hour in 2025. Then the minimum wage may increase each January depending on the inflation rate.

Arkansas

$11/hour

California

$14/hour – For employers with 25 or fewer employees. The state minimum wage rate will increase to $15.50/hour for all employees effective January 1, 2023. It was scheduled to increase to $15/hour for employers who employ 25 or fewer workers. The accelerated increase is required by a provision in the state’s minimum wage law when inflation exceeds 7 percent.

California city-specific rates

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

Colorado

$12.56/hour – Increases to $13.65/hour on January 1, 2023.

Denver

$15.87/hour – Increases to $17.29/hour on January 1, 2023.

Connecticut

$14/hour – Effective July 1, 2022. Increases to $15/hour on June 1, 2023. Beginning January 1, 2024, the state minimum wage will be indexed to the employment cost index and the rate will grow according to economic indicators.

Delaware

$10.50/hour – Increases to $11.75/hour on January 1, 2023; $13.25/hour on January 1, 2024; and then to $15/hour on January 1, 2025.

District of Columbia

$16.10/hour

Florida

$11/hour – Increases by $1/hour every September 30 thereafter 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

$12/hour – Increases to $14/hour on January 1, 2024; $16/hour on January 1, 2026; and then to $18/hour on January 1, 2028.

Idaho

$7.25/hour

Illinois

$12/hour – Increases by $1/hour every January 1 until it reaches $15/hour in 2025.

Chicago

$15.40/hour – This rate applies to domestic workers regardless of the number employed by the family.

Cook County (outside of Chicago)

$13.35/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

$12.75/hour – Increases to $13.80/hour on January 1, 2023

Portland

$13/hour – Portland recently passed a referendum that annually raises the city’s minimum wage to $15/hour in 2024, and then annually thereafter based on a cost of living increase.

Rockland

$13/hour – Rockland recently approved a new minimum wage ordinance that increases the city’s minimum wage rate to $14/hour in 2023 and $15/hour in 2024. Each January 1 beginning in 2025 the city will adjust the rate based on the consumer price index. For 2021, Rockland follows the state minimum wage rate of $12.15/hour.

Maryland

$12.20/hour – Increases $0.60/hour every January 1 until 2026. On July 1, 2026, the rate will increase to $15/hour. This rate is for employers with 14 or fewer workers.

Howard County

$12.50/hour – Increases to $13.25/hour on January 1, 2023. The rate will gradually rise to $16/hour by July 1, 2026. This is rate is for employers with under 15 workers.

Montgomery County

$14/hour – Increases to $14.50/hour on July 1, 2023. This rate is for employers with 10 or fewer workers.

Massachusetts

$14.25/hour – Increases to $15/hour in 2023.

Michigan

$9.87/hour – Scheduled to increase to $12/hour on February 19, 2023. Read Impact of Court of Claims Ruling on Minimum Wage and Paid Medical Leave for more information on the future of Michigan’s minimum wage.

Minnesota

$8.42/hour – Increases to $8.63/hour on January 1, 2023. This rate is for small employers.

Minneapolis

$13.50/hour – For employers with 100 or fewer employees. Increases to $14.50 on July 1, 2023, and then to $15/hour in 2024.

St. Paul

$10.75/hour – This rate is for employers with five or fewer workers. Increases to $11.50/hour on July 1, 2023.

Mississippi

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

Missouri

$11.15/hour – Increases to $12/hour on January 1, 2023.

Montana

$9.20/hour – Increases to $9.95/hour on January 1, 2023.

Nebraska

$9/hour – Increases to $10.50/hour on January 1, 2023. Voters in Nebraska recently approved an initiative that increases the state’s minimum wage rate by $1.50/hour each year until it reaches $15 per hour in 2026.

Nevada

$10.50 (without employee health benefits); $9.50/hour (with qualified employee health benefits) – Increases to $11.25/hour and $10.25/hour on July 1, 2023. Starting on July 1, 2024, there will be a single rate of $12/hour as the state will eliminate its two-tiered minimum wage system based on whether health benefits are offered.

New Hampshire

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

New Jersey

$11.90/hour – Increases to $12.93/hour on January 1, 2023. Applies to employers with less than six employees.

New Mexico

$11.50/hour – Increases to $12/hour on January 1, 2023.

Santa Fe (City and County)

$12.95/hour – Annual living wage increases occur on March 1.

New York

$13.20/hour – Increases to $14.20/hour on December 31, 2022. Annual increases will continue until the rate reaches $15/hour. These increases will be published before October 1 and will be based on economic indices, including the Consumer Price Index.

New York City

$15/hour – For employers with 10 or fewer employees.

Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties

$15/hour

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 of more than $342,000 per year ($9.30/hour). However, household employers follow the lower rate.

Oklahoma

$7.25/hour

Oregon

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

Portland

$14.75/hour

Standard

$13.50/hour

Non-urban counties

$12.50/hour

Pennsylvania

$7.25/hour

Rhode Island

$12.25/hour – Increases to $13/hour on January 1, 2023; $14/hour in 2024; and then to $15/hour in 2025.

South Carolina

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

South Dakota

$9.95/hour – Increases to $10.80/hour on January 1, 2023.

Tennessee

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

Texas

$7.25/hour

Utah

$7.25/hour

Vermont

$12.55/hour – Increases to $13.18/hour on January 1, 2023

Virginia

$11/hour – Increases to $12/hour on January 1, 2023. The rate increases to $13.50/hour in 2025 and $15/hour in 2026 will be contingent on the General Assembly’s enactment by July 1, 2024. The state’s new minimum wage law removes exempt status from several categories of employees including home care providers and domestic service workers.

Washington

$14.49/hour – Increases to $15.74/hour on January 1, 2023.

Seattle

$17.27/hour – If you pay $1.52/hour toward medical benefits, the minimum wage will be $15.75/hour. Increases to $18.69/hour on January 1, 2023. If you pay at least $2.19/hour toward medical benefits, the rate is $16.50/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

$15.75/hour

Belmont

$16.20/hour. Increases to $16.75/hour on January 1, 2023.

Berkeley

$16.99/hour – Rate increases based on the Consumer Price Index

Burlingame

$15.60/hour. Increases to $16.47/hour on January 1, 2023.

Cupertino

$16.40/hour. Increases to $17.20/hour on January 1, 2023.

Daly City

$15.53/hour. Increases to $16.07/hour on January 1, 2023.

East Palo Alto

$15.60/hour. Increases to $16.50/hour on January 1, 2023.

El Cerrito

$16.37/hour. Increases to $17.35/hour on January 1, 2023.

Emeryville

$17.68/hour

Foster City

$15.75/hour. Increases to $16.50/hour on January 1, 2023.

Fremont

$16/hour

Half Moon Bay

$15.56/hour. Increases to $16.45/hour on January 1, 2023.

Hayward

$14.52/hour. Increases to $15.50/hour on January 1, 2023.

Los Altos

$16.40/hour. Increases to $17.20/hour on January 1, 2023.

Los Angeles (city)

$16.04/hour for small employers

Los Angeles (county)

$15.96/hour

Malibu

$15.96/hour

Menlo Park

$15.75/hour. Increases to $16.20/hour on January 1, 2023.

Milpitas

$16.40/hour – Indexed to inflation

Mountain View

$17.10/hour. Increases to $18.15/hour on January 1, 2023.

Novato

$15/hour for small employers. Increases to $15.53/hour on January 1, 2023.

Oakland

$15.06/hour. Increases to $15.97/hour on January 1, 2023.

Palo Alto

$16.45/hour. Increases to $17.25/hour on January 1, 2023.

Pasadena

$16.11/hour

Petaluma

$15.85/hour. Increases to $17.06/hour on January 1, 2023.

Redwood City

$16.20/hour. Increases to $17/hour on January 1, 2023.

Richmond

$15.54/hour. Increases to $16.17/hour on January 1, 2023.

San Carlos

$15.77/hour. Increases to $16.32/hour on January 1, 2023.

San Diego

$15/hour. Increases to $16.30/hour on January 1, 2023.

San Francisco (city and county)

$16.99/hour

San Jose

$16.20/hour. Increases to $17/hour on January 1, 2023.

San Leandro

$15/hour (will be superseded by the state rate in 2023)

San Mateo

$15.62/hour. Increases to $16.75/hour on January 1, 2023.

Santa Clara

$16.40/hour. Increases to $17.20/hour on January 1, 2023.

Santa Monica

$15.96/hour for small employers

Santa Rosa

$15.85/hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees. Increases to $17.06/hour on January 1, 2023.

Sonoma

$15/hour for employers with 25 or fewer employees. Increases to $16/hour on January 1, 2023.

South San Francisco

$15.80/hour. Increases to $16.70/hour on January 1, 2023.

Sunnyvale

$17.10/hour. Increases to $17.95/hour on January 1, 2023.

West Hollywood

$16/hour for employers with less than 50 workers. Increases to $17/hour on January 1, 2023.