Nanny and babysitter costs in Perth: what drives the price

A nanny or babysitter is the most flexible form of child care in Perth, and usually the most expensive per hour. Because pricing is set by individual carers and agencies rather than published fee schedules, it can be hard to know what a fair quote looks like. Here is what actually moves the number.

What sets the hourly rate

Timing. Weekday daytime bookings sit at the lower end of the range. Evening bookings carry a modest loading, weekend bookings more again, and overnight care is typically the most expensive per hour, reflecting both the unsociable hours and lower carer availability.

Number of children. One carer looking after two or three siblings still costs more than looking after one, but the increase per extra child is usually smaller than a second full hourly rate.

Hours booked. Many agencies set a minimum booking length, commonly three to four hours, even for a short window of care. A two-hour booking might still be billed at the four-hour minimum.

Independent sitter versus agency. An agency-sourced nanny or babysitter usually costs more per hour than an independent sitter found through word of mouth, because the fee covers vetting, insurance, replacement cover if your carer cancels, and the agency’s own margin.

Experience and qualifications. A nanny with a nursing, teaching or early childhood background, or one experienced with additional needs, generally commands a higher rate than a casual babysitter.

Factor	Typical effect on price
Weekday daytime vs overnight	Overnight carries the highest loading
One child vs multiple children	Per-child loading, not a full second rate
Agency vs independent sitter	Agency rates run higher, cover vetting and backup
Minimum booking length	Short bookings often billed at the minimum, not actual hours
Carer experience/qualifications	Specialist experience adds to the rate

How it compares to other care types

For a single, occasional booking, a nanny or babysitter is almost always more expensive per hour than a place at a long day care centre or with a family day care educator, because you are buying one-on-one attention rather than a shared ratio. Where a nanny becomes more competitive is for families needing care outside standard centre hours, for multiple children at once, or for genuinely short, irregular windows where a centre place would go unused most of the week. Compare the total weekly cost of a nanny against your realistic hours needed, not just the hourly rate, before assuming it is the pricier option overall. Our child care cost guide sets out typical ranges across every care type, so you can line a nanny quote up against a centre or family day care fee properly.

Getting a fair quote

Ask any agency or independent sitter for the same breakdown you would want from a centre: the base hourly rate, any minimum booking length, loadings for evenings, weekends or overnight, a per-child surcharge if relevant, and whether there is a separate registration or booking fee. Getting this in writing before the first booking avoids a surprise on the invoice.

A note on vetting. Cost is not the only thing to check. Ask about police checks, a Working with Children Check, first aid currency, and how the agency verifies a carer’s identity and experience before sending them to your home. A cheaper rate is not worth much if the vetting behind it is thin.

When a nanny makes financial sense

For most families needing regular, full-time care, a centre-based place or family day care will usually work out cheaper overall. A nanny tends to make the most financial sense for irregular hours, multiple children under school age at once (where a nanny’s per-child loading beats several separate centre fees), or short-notice and backup cover. If you are weighing up options across a mix of care types, working out a realistic weekly figure for each one side by side is the only reliable way to compare, and our methodology explains how we score the providers you might compare a nanny against.

Does the subsidy help with a nanny?

Standard Child Care Subsidy generally applies to approved centre-based and family day care services rather than a private nanny or babysitter arrangement, so most families paying a nanny directly are covering the full cost themselves without a subsidy reducing it. A small number of families may access support through an approved in-home care program in specific circumstances, which is a distinct, separately administered scheme with its own eligibility rules rather than a standard extension of the regular subsidy. If subsidised support matters to your budget, confirm current eligibility directly with Services Australia before assuming a nanny arrangement will be subsidised the same way centre-based care is.