Families and au pairs: the app is free for everyone until 15 JanuarySee the terms

Australia · Cost & pay · Verified 20 October 2026

What an au pair costs in Australia

There is no single au pair salary in Australia. There are two frameworks: market practice reported by agencies, and the legal floor if the au pair is an employee. This page shows both, states the assumptions, and compares them with the out-of-pocket cost of long day care after the Child Care Subsidy.

Direct answer

Market practice reported by Australian agencies is about 250 to 300 AUD a week in pocket money, plus board and lodging. If the au pair is an employee, the national minimum wage is 26.44 AUD an hour from 1 July 2026: 528.80 AUD for a 20-hour week, 793.20 AUD for 30 hours, and 1,057.60 AUD for 40 hours, before tax and super. Board and lodging does not replace the minimum wage if the relationship is employment.

This page is about Australia only

For France, Germany, Spain and the United States, see the country-by-country au pair cost guide. Mixing European pocket money, US stipends and Australian minimum wages produces a number that is true nowhere.

Two frameworks, no recommended amount

The first framework is market practice: what Australian au pair agencies say families commonly pay. The second is the legal floor: what applies if the au pair is an employee. The two are not interchangeable. A weekly figure that looks normal in the market can be below the minimum wage if the relationship is employment.

We do not recommend an amount. The right figure depends on the hours, the duties, the visa, the employment status and the family budget. What we can do is show the frameworks side by side, label the market practice clearly, and avoid presenting a market figure as a legal rate.

The scenarios at a glance

Cost frameworks for au pair and demi pair scenarios in Australia
Scenario Hours per week Market practice (labelled, not a legal rate) Minimum-wage framework Super
A · Au pair Up to about 40 in the market description 250 to 300 AUD a week in pocket money, plus board and lodging 26.44 AUD an hour if employed Only if more than 30 hours a week
B · Au pair, 30 hours 30 Not applicable: this is the legal-floor scenario 793.20 AUD a week at 26.44 AUD an hour No at exactly 30 hours; yes above
C1 · Demi pair, market practice About 20, plus one or two evenings No published market rate verified 26.44 AUD an hour if employed No if 30 hours or fewer
C2 · Demi pair, 20 hours 20 Not applicable: this is the legal-floor scenario 528.80 AUD a week at 26.44 AUD an hour No if 30 hours or fewer

Hours are modelling scenarios, not legal definitions. The evening babysitting in a demi pair arrangement counts towards the weekly total.

Scenario A: au pair, market practice

At 250 to 300 AUD a week, the cash cost is about 1,083 to 1,300 AUD a month, or 13,000 to 15,600 AUD a year, before board and lodging. Board and lodging is usually provided in addition. We do not value it in dollars here, because the sources verified for this page do not provide an official valuation for this arrangement.

This is the line that most often misleads. If the au pair is an employee, a cash amount in this range may be below the national minimum wage. The gap is not a saving; it is a compliance risk. Agency fees are also excluded, because no dated source verified for this page supports a figure.

Scenario B: au pair, 30 hours at the minimum wage

At 26.44 AUD an hour, 30 hours a week is 793.20 AUD a week, about 3,437 AUD a month, or 41,246 AUD a year, before tax. At exactly 30 hours, the domestic-worker super test is not met, because the rule is more than 30 hours a week. Above 30 hours, the 12% super guarantee applies, and Payday Super requires payment on each payday.

The 30-hour figure is a modelling scenario, not a legal definition of an au pair. A family that needs 30 hours of childcare plus evening babysitting should add the evening hours to the total. Pay as you go withholding and the Withholding Payer Number position may also apply where the au pair is an employee.

Scenario C1: demi pair, about 20 hours, market practice

Australian agencies describe a demi pair as about 20 hours a week plus one or two evenings of babysitting. That is a market description of the hours, not a legal category. We do not publish a demi pair tariff, because no dated market rate was verified for this page. Inventing one would make the comparison look precise without being true.

If the relationship is employment, the minimum wage applies per hour, including the evening hours. Board and meals are usually provided, but they do not replace the minimum wage if the relationship is employment. At 20 hours or fewer, the super threshold is not met.

Scenario C2: demi pair, 20 hours at the minimum wage

At 26.44 AUD an hour, 20 hours a week is 528.80 AUD a week, about 2,291 AUD a month, or 27,498 AUD a year, before tax. If the evening babysitting pushes the total above 30 hours in a week, the super position changes. C2 is the compliant benchmark for a 20-hour arrangement; C1 is the market description, which we cannot price from a verified source.

Daycare comparison: the assumptions

The comparison uses two children below school age, both in centre-based long day care, for 10 hours a day. The fee is an illustrative 190 AUD a day, not a national statistic; use your own centre’s quote. The CCS hourly cap is 15.19 AUD for a child below school age. The standard CCS rate is applied to both children, and the out-of-pocket amount is the fee minus the subsidy. The subsidy is calculated on the lower of the fee and the hourly cap. A higher rate for a second child can reduce the out-of-pocket amount; it is noted below.

Five days a week is 50 hours, or 100 hours a fortnight, above the 72-hour subsidised floor. Three days a week is 30 hours, or 60 hours a fortnight, below the floor: all 60 hours used are within the subsidised minimum. The model ignores absences, incursions, additional fees and changes in the activity test. Income is combined family income for CCS purposes.

Estimated annual out-of-pocket daycare cost for two children by family income
Family income (AUD) Standard CCS rate Five days a week, two children, out of pocket a year Three days a week, two children, out of pocket a year
88,520 90% 27,700 16,600
150,000 77.7% 37,400 22,500
250,000 57.7% 53,200 31,900
400,000 27.7% 76,900 46,200

Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 AUD. The standard CCS rate falls by one percentage point for every 5,000 AUD above 88,520 AUD and reaches 0% at 538,520 AUD. The published higher-rate bands for a second child are 95% up to 146,437 AUD, 80% between 191,437 and 270,727 AUD, and 50% between 360,727 and 370,727 AUD, ending at 370,727 AUD.

Reading the comparison

The lowest cash line is scenario A. That does not make it the cheapest lawful option. If the relationship is employment, the market-practice cash amount may be below the minimum wage, and the difference is a liability rather than a saving. Compare A with B, not with a figure that ignores the legal floor.

Under these assumptions, B becomes cheaper than five-day daycare at a family income of about 174,000 AUD, and cheaper than three-day daycare at about 348,000 AUD. C2 becomes cheaper than five-day daycare across the incomes shown, and cheaper than three-day daycare at about 203,000 AUD. Those thresholds move if the fee, the hours, the CCS rate or the second-child rate changes.

The coverage is not the same. C2 buys about 20 hours of care; five-day daycare buys about 50. A lower annual total for fewer hours is not automatically better value. Compare the cost per hour of cover, and check whether the arrangement covers the hours the family actually needs.

Income alone is not the trigger. The determining factor is usually the fee level, a waitlist, or a pattern of work that daycare cannot cover. A household income of 180,000 AUD is not, by itself, a reason to choose an au pair. We do not claim a general annual saving: any saving depends on the conditions above.

What is not in this table

We do not publish agency fees, a dollar value for board and lodging, a demi pair tariff, a nanny rate, real outside school hours care prices, insurance premiums, language-course fees or transport costs. Those items matter, but no dated source verified for this page supports a defensible figure. A family should obtain quotes and add them to the comparison.

For a nanny, the Fair Work Ombudsman points to the Miscellaneous Award (MA000104) when an employee works in a private home. The rate must be confirmed case by case. We do not publish an award figure below the national minimum wage as a floor.

How to use this page

  • 1.Count the real hours, including evenings, and write them down before comparing costs.
  • 2.Decide honestly whether the arrangement is employment. If it looks like work, use the minimum-wage framework.
  • 3.Get two daycare quotes and an official CCS estimate for your income, rather than using the illustrative fee above.
  • 4.Compare the total cost and the cost per hour of cover, not the headline weekly amount.
  • 5.Check the visa dates: six months per employer under condition 8547, and four months of study per visa under condition 8548.
  • 6.Put the hours, pay, super, tax, leave and notice in a written agreement before the placement starts.

For the broader legal context, read our guide to hosting an au pair in Australia. It covers the visa route, employment status, super, tax and Working with Children Checks.

Common questions

How much does an au pair cost per week in Australia?

Market practice reported by Australian au pair agencies is around 250 to 300 AUD a week in pocket money, plus board and lodging. If the au pair is an employee, the national minimum wage of 26.44 AUD an hour applies instead: 528.80 AUD for 20 hours, 793.20 AUD for 30 hours, or 1,057.60 AUD for 40 hours, before tax and super.

Is pocket money legal in Australia?

Only if the arrangement is not employment. If the relationship is employment, Australian minimum pay applies, and calling the payment pocket money does not change the legal character of the arrangement. The Fair Work Ombudsman says employment status depends on the individual relationship.

Do I pay superannuation for an au pair?

Domestic or private workers are eligible for super guarantee only if they work for the same employer for more than 30 hours in a week, regardless of how much they are paid. The rate is 12% for 2026–27, and Payday Super requires payment on each payday since 1 July 2026. At exactly 30 hours, the more-than-30-hours test is not met.

Does board and lodging count towards the minimum wage?

Do not treat board and lodging as a substitute for the minimum wage if the relationship is employment. We do not put a dollar value on board and lodging in this comparison: the sources verified for this page do not provide an official valuation for this arrangement.

Is an au pair cheaper than daycare in Australia?

Not automatically. It depends on the hours of cover, the daycare fee, the family income, the Child Care Subsidy rate and the hourly cap. A market-practice cash amount can look cheaper than daycare while being below the minimum wage if the au pair is an employee. The tables below show the assumptions.

What is a demi pair paid in Australia?

We do not publish a demi pair tariff. Australian agencies describe a demi pair as about 20 hours a week plus one or two evenings of babysitting, but no dated market rate was verified for this page. If the relationship is employment, the national minimum wage applies per hour, including the evening hours.

Can a nanny be paid below the minimum wage?

No. Where a nanny is an employee in a private home, the Fair Work Ombudsman points to the Miscellaneous Award (MA000104) for that work. The rate that applies must be confirmed case by case. We do not publish a nanny rate, and an award figure below the national minimum wage would not be a lawful floor.

Start with a clear family profile

Create your free family profile. We’ll show you au pairs heading to Australia as they join.

Create your free family profile

Free to create. Chat, video calls and VIP payment are in the app. The identity check is optional and reserved for VIP accounts.

Legal information

AuPair Connect is a marketplace. We are not a party to the hosting arrangements concluded between families and au pairs.

Whether a nanny or an au pair is an employee depends on the individual relationship. Where an employment relationship exists, Australian minimum pay and other entitlements apply. Families and au pairs are responsible for checking the applicable rules with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the ATO, Services Australia and Home Affairs before agreeing terms.

This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not guarantee that the rules described are complete or current.

AuPair Connect cannot be held liable for legislative changes subsequent to the verification date or for the interpretation of the cited texts.

Sources

Facts verified against primary sources on 20 October 2026. Rates and thresholds are those in force on that date unless another date is shown. The market-practice range is a secondary source and is labelled as such. Check the source again before relying on a figure.