Agreement snapshot
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{{ familyAStageLabel }} {{ familyBStageLabel }} {{ allocationStage.splitText }} Host
Use guaranteed shared hours from the draft agreement, not only expected attendance.
hrs/week
This is the total wage paid to the nanny for shared hours before employer costs.
{{ currencySymbol }} / hour
Used for private comparison and for hours used by only one family.
{{ currencySymbol }} / hour
Family A pays the full solo hourly rate for these hours.
hrs/week
Family B pays the full solo hourly rate for these hours.
hrs/week
Use 50 for an equal shared-hour split, or adjust for child count, schedule, or agreement terms.
%
Annual and monthly totals multiply the weekly model by this value.
weeks/year
This planning load is applied to each family's wage share. Actual household employment rules vary.
%
The expense split is controlled in Advanced and defaults to the shared wage split.
{{ currencySymbol }} / week
The host credit shifts cost between families without changing the total weekly budget.
Set to zero when hosting does not change the cost split.
{{ currencySymbol }} / week
This affects only shared expenses, not wages.
The default is 40 hours. Confirm the actual overtime rule for the work location and arrangement.
hrs/week
The draft estimates the premium above straight-time wages and allocates it by wage share.
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Line item {{ familyAName }} {{ familyBName }} Total Basis Copy
{{ row.item }} {{ row.familyA }} {{ row.familyB }} {{ row.total }} {{ row.basis }}
Family Weekly Monthly Annual Agreement basis Private nanny comparison Copy
{{ row.family }} {{ row.weekly }} {{ row.monthly }} {{ row.annual }} {{ row.basis }} {{ row.privateComparison }}
Check Status Detail Agreement action Copy
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Tags: Childcare, Finance, Parenting
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A nanny share is a cost split, a schedule agreement, and a household-employment arrangement at the same time. Two families may share one nanny for overlapping hours, but the total weekly cost can also include solo care, overtime premium, supplies, host-home credit, payroll taxes, benefits, and paid weeks that turn a weekly plan into monthly and annual budgets.

The simplest split is not always the fairest one. Shared care hours can be divided evenly, weighted by child count or family agreement, while solo hours belong to the family using them. Expenses may follow the wage split, an equal split, or a care-hour split. Hosting can shift cost back toward the non-host family when one home provides space, food, cleaning, or setup.

Nanny share cost allocation Weekly agreement cost is built from wage, employer-load, expense, and host-credit components. Shared wages Solo care Overtime Payroll load Expenses Host The family split can differ by wage, expense, and host-credit rule.
A nanny share budget is a ledger of components, not just one hourly rate divided by two.

Overtime deserves separate attention because the nanny's workweek can exceed the threshold even when each family uses fewer solo hours. Federal domestic-service rules generally require overtime at not less than one and one-half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, while state rules may be stricter. The agreement should state how overtime is allocated before schedules drift.

Payroll and benefit load is a planning percentage in this calculator, not a payroll-law engine. Each family still needs to confirm household-employer status, tax thresholds, state unemployment, workers compensation, paid leave, and any local rules. The cost split can help families budget, but it does not decide legal responsibility.

How to Use This Tool:

  1. Enter shared care hours, the nanny's total shared hourly rate, and the solo hourly rate for hours used by only one family.
  2. Add Family A and Family B solo hours, then set the shared wage split between the families.
  3. Set paid weeks per year, payroll and benefit load, shared weekly expenses, host family, and host credit.
  4. Open Advanced when expenses should split differently from wages, or when the overtime threshold, overtime multiplier, family labels, or currency display need adjustment.
  5. Review the cost split ledger, family roster, agreement notes, and weekly cost mix before exporting rows or JSON for discussion.

Interpreting Results:

The monthly headline shows Family A's monthly equivalent, while the summary line shows Family B, total weekly paid hours, and the shared wage split. Monthly values are annualized from paid weeks and then divided by 12, so they represent a budget equivalent rather than a literal four-week month.

The cost split ledger is the best place to audit the agreement. It separates shared-hour wages, solo-hour wages, overtime premium, payroll and benefit load, shared expenses, host credit, weekly total, monthly equivalent, and annual total. Negative host-credit values mean that family receives a credit, not that the family has negative care cost overall.

The agreement notes are practical risk checks. They call out whether payroll load is included, overtime is triggered, a host credit is active, the shared wage split is equal or weighted, and paid weeks are year-round or reduced. Those notes should become written agreement language rather than informal memory.

Technical Details:

The weekly model starts with straight wages. Shared wages are divided by the selected shared wage percentage. Solo wages are assigned directly to the family using solo care. Overtime premium is then calculated from total weekly hours, average straight rate, and the entered multiplier, and allocated according to each family's base wage share.

Employer load is applied after wage and overtime allocation, which keeps payroll taxes, benefits, workers compensation estimates, paid leave, or payroll service assumptions proportional to each family's wage responsibility. Shared expenses and host credit are separate because they are agreement terms rather than wages.

Formula Core:

Wshared = Hshared ⁢ Rshared PremiumOT = max ( 0 , Htotal - Hthreshold ) ⁢ Ravg ⁢ (m-1) WeeklyA = WagesA + LoadA + ExpensesA + HostA MonthlyA = WeeklyA⁢Weekspaid12

Family B uses the same weekly and monthly structure with its own wage share, solo hours, expense share, and opposite host-credit sign. The overtime multiplier is entered as the full overtime rate, so 1.5 means the premium portion is 0.5 times the average straight rate for overtime hours.

Component Allocation rule Agreement issue to confirm
Shared wages Selected Family A percentage and remaining Family B percentage. Whether the split is equal, child-count weighted, schedule-weighted, or negotiated.
Solo wages Assigned to the family using solo care. How early drop-off, late pickup, sick days, and partial-share days are handled.
Overtime premium Allocated by each family's wage share before employer load. Which family caused extra hours and whether the agreement uses another allocation rule.
Shared expenses Same as wages, equal, or care-hour weighted. Which supplies, meals, outings, transportation, or payroll service fees are included.
Host credit Credit to the host family and matching charge to the other family. What the credit covers and whether it changes when hosting rotates.

Example: 40 shared hours at 34 per hour create 1,360 of shared wages. With a 50/50 split, each family starts with 680 before solo hours. If total paid hours exceed the overtime threshold, the premium is calculated from the average straight rate and allocated across the families before payroll load and shared expenses are added.

Limitations and Accuracy Notes:

  • The result is a planning estimate for two families and does not determine legal employer status, payroll filings, or state-specific wage rules.
  • The payroll and benefit load is a single percentage. Actual Social Security, Medicare, FUTA, state unemployment, workers compensation, leave, and benefits can differ by family.
  • Overtime rules vary by location and live-in status. Use the threshold and multiplier that apply to the actual work arrangement.
  • The currency selector changes formatting only and does not convert exchange rates or local labor-law assumptions.

Worked Examples:

Equal shared week: Two families split 40 shared hours at 34 per hour. Before payroll load or expenses, each family carries 680 of shared weekly wages when the split is 50/50.

Uneven schedule: If Family A adds four solo hours and Family B adds two solo hours, those hours are charged at the solo rate to the family using them. The shared wage split still applies only to shared hours.

Host credit: If Family A hosts and receives a 35 weekly credit, the ledger subtracts 35 from Family A and adds 35 to Family B. The total weekly agreement cost stays the same.

FAQ:

Is a nanny share always a 50/50 split?

No. Equal splits are common, but families may weight the split by schedule, child count, solo hours, expenses, or another written agreement.

Why are solo hours separate?

Solo hours benefit only one family, so they are assigned to that family at the solo rate instead of being spread across shared care.

Does payroll load mean taxes are solved?

No. It is a budgeting percentage. Each family should verify household payroll, insurance, leave, and tax obligations separately.

Why do monthly totals use paid weeks divided by 12?

That method spreads the annual agreement cost evenly across the year, which is usually easier for budgeting than comparing four-week and five-week months.

Glossary:

  • Shared care hours: Hours when the nanny cares for both families' children at the shared rate.
  • Solo hours: Hours used by only one family and assigned to that family.
  • Payroll and benefit load: Planning percentage for employer taxes, insurance, paid leave, payroll service, or benefits.
  • Host credit: Cost shift that compensates the family providing the home base.
  • Monthly equivalent: Annualized cost divided by 12 months.

References: