A full-time nanny in Vancouver costs a family about $4,200 to $5,700 a month in 2026, or $50,000 to $68,000 a year. That covers a wage of $22 to $30 an hour plus the employer's share of CPP and EI and WorkSafeBC coverage, which add about 9%. If an agency finds your nanny, there's also a one-time placement fee of $2,500 to about $10,500, depending on the agency and the nanny's pay.

I spent four years as a live-in personal assistant for a Vancouver family before I started Palmerston PA, and today we find nannies and other household staff for families across Greater Vancouver. Here are the 2026 numbers, what each one includes, and where it comes from.

The short answer

Nanny's hourly wageTheir pay for the yearYour cost with CPP, EI and WorkSafeBCA month
$22$45,760$49,900$4,200
$25$52,000$56,800$4,700
$30$62,400$68,200$5,700
$35$72,800$79,500$6,600

Full time is 40 hours a week, paid for 52 weeks, which includes two weeks of paid vacation and 11 stat holidays. Overtime, benefits, payroll fees and a placement fee are extra.

What nannies earn in Vancouver

The nanny job sites put the typical Vancouver rate at $22 to $26 an hour in October 2026: a median of $22.50 on Canadian Nanny, an average of $22.38 on Indeed, and an average of $25.80 on Nanny Lane. Those figures include part-time and entry-level nannies. Agencies quote $24 to $45 an hour for the full-time nannies they place, and a nanny with infant experience, early childhood education training or a second language sits at the top of that range.

BC's minimum wage has been $18.25 an hour since June 1, 2026, and it applies to a full-time nanny. So does overtime: time and a half after 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week. Ten-hour days are common when both parents commute, and at $25 an hour a 50-hour week costs $1,375 in wages instead of $1,250 at straight time, because the last two hours of each day are paid at $37.50.

What you pay on top of the wage

When you hire a nanny, you become an employer. In 2026 that means you:

  • Register a payroll account with the CRA, deduct income tax, CPP and EI from every paycheque, send them in by the 15th of the next month, and give your nanny a T4 by the end of February
  • Pay the employer's share of CPP, 5.95% of pay above $3,500, up to $4,230 a year
  • Pay the employer's share of EI, 2.28% of pay, up to $1,572 a year
  • Register with WorkSafeBC if your nanny works 8 or more hours a week, or 15 or more for before and after school care. Nanny services pay 1.32% of payroll in 2026
  • Pay 4% vacation pay (6% after five years), 11 stat holidays, and up to five paid sick days a year once they've been with you 90 days

On a $25 an hour nanny, CPP, EI and WorkSafeBC come to about $4,760 a year. You can run payroll yourself through the CRA's online tools, or use a nanny payroll service, which starts at about $50 a month.

Put the job in writing: hours, duties, pay, overtime, vacation, and what happens on stat holidays and sick days. If your nanny lives with you, BC requires a written contract and registration with the Employment Standards Branch within 30 days, and room and board can't be more than $325 a month.

The weeks you pay for with no nanny

Two weeks of vacation and 11 stat holidays add up to about four weeks a year when you're paying your nanny and still need someone to watch the kids, before any sick days. Spread over the hours your nanny actually works, a $25 an hour nanny costs you about $30 an hour, and a $30 nanny about $36. Plan who covers those weeks before you need them: family, a babysitter, or your own days off.

What it costs to find a nanny

You can find a nanny yourself on a job site, and many families do. Most sites charge a monthly subscription, and the rest is yours: the job post, the interviews, reference calls, a driving record if they'll drive the kids, and a criminal record check that includes the vulnerable sector.

Agencies do that work for a placement fee. Here is what Vancouver agencies publish for a full-time nanny:

WhoHow they chargeNanny at $25 an hourNanny at $30 an hourReplacement guarantee
The Nanny Solution16% of first-year pay, $5,000 minimum, plus a $499 launch fee$8,819$10,48390 days
West Coast Sitters12% of first-year pay, $2,500 minimum, plus a $300 search fee$6,540$7,788Not published
Sunhouse10% of first-year pay, plus a $500 search fee$5,700$6,74090 days, one replacement
Ace PersonnelFlat fee$2,800$2,8006 months, prorated
Palmerston PAFlat fee$2,500$2,50090 days

Published fees as of October 26, 2026. Search and launch fees are non-refundable. GST is extra where the agency charges it.

Palmerston PA is a licensed employment agency in BC, and we charge a flat $2,500 plus GST to find a nanny. We find and screen candidates, check references and run the first interviews, and you meet the shortlist and choose who to hire. If your nanny leaves in the first 90 days, we find you a replacement at no extra cost. Your nanny works for you, so you pay them directly and run payroll yourself or through a payroll service.

Ways to spend less

  • Nanny wages count as child care expenses on your tax return, and so does your share of CPP and EI. The spouse with the lower income claims up to $8,000 for each child under 7 and $5,000 for each child aged 7 to 16, up to two thirds of their earned income. Your nanny gives you receipts with their SIN on them.
  • Two families can share a nanny, splitting the week and the cost.
  • Once the kids are in school, a part-time nanny before and after school covers the hours you need.

A nanny, or someone else?

Sometimes what a family needs is less childcare and more help running the house around the kids: groceries, laundry, meals, appointments and the family calendar. That's a housekeeper or a personal assistant, and it can work part time alongside daycare or school.

Not sure who you need?

Book a personal staffing consultation. It's a free conversation with me, in person or on a video call, to work out whether you need a nanny, a housekeeper, a personal assistant or a mix, and roughly what it costs in Vancouver.

Book a consultation

Questions people ask

How much is a nanny per hour in Vancouver?

Most families pay $22 to $30 an hour in 2026. BC's minimum wage is $18.25, and agencies place experienced full-time nannies at $24 to $45 an hour.

Do I have to pay CPP and EI for my nanny?

Yes. A nanny who works in your home on your schedule is your employee. You deduct their share from each paycheque and add your own: CPP at 5.95% and EI at 2.28% in 2026.

Do I need WorkSafeBC for a nanny?

Yes, once your nanny works 8 or more hours a week, or 15 or more for before and after school care. The 2026 rate for nanny services is 1.32% of their pay, about $690 a year on a $25 an hour full-time nanny.

How much do nanny agencies charge in Vancouver?

Published fees run from a flat $2,500 or $2,800 to 16% of the nanny's first-year pay with a $5,000 minimum. On a full-time nanny at $25 to $30 an hour, that's about $2,500 to $10,500, and some agencies add a non-refundable search fee of $300 to $500.

Can I pay my nanny cash?

You can pay however you like, but you still have to deduct and send in tax, CPP and EI and issue a T4. Without receipts that show your nanny's SIN, you also can't claim the child care expense deduction.

Is a nanny more expensive than daycare?

Usually. A $10 a Day centre charges no more than $200 a month per child for full-time care, if you can get a spot. A nanny makes more sense with two or more young children, hours daycare doesn't cover, or no daycare spot at all.

Where these numbers come from