The $280k nanny boom: Extreme hours, luxury pay
by Economist · Australian Financial ReviewEconomist
Sep 23, 2026 – 5.00am
She works at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week – but then has a week off. She might earn $US200,000 ($280,000) a year, which, at an hourly rate, is on a par with a private-equity associate. High pay for long hours on a rota is common on oil platforms, in mines and on container ships. It is increasingly so in another exacting field: caring for the children of the super-rich.
A decade or so ago, such highly paid gigs were rare. “We used to get a lot of ‘Oh, I’m not paying that,’” says Anita Rogers, the founder of British American Household Staffing (BAHS), an agency that finds nannies (as well as governesses, butlers and chefs) for wealthy households. “Now it is quite the opposite,” she says.
Loading...
The Economist
Save
Log in or Subscribe to save article
Share
Copy link
Copied
Copy link
Copied
Share via...
Gift this article
Subscribe to gift this article
Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.
Already a subscriber? Login
Read More
Latest In Arts & Culture
Fetching latest articles