Do You Pay More for a Nanny in Aspen or the Hamptons?

The honest answer to the question we are asked most about cost and location.

Families assume that a nanny costs more in one glamorous destination than another, that a placement in Aspen or the Hamptons carries a premium simply because of where it is. At the executive level, that is not how it works, and understanding why will save you both money and confusion.

The rate for an experienced professional is set by two things: the caliber of the person and the demands of the role. It is not set by the zip code. A travel nanny accompanying your family to Aspen is not more expensive because the destination is Aspen. She is paid for her experience, her judgment, and what the position asks of her, and those travel with her wherever she goes. A professional of the same caliber going to a coastal villa instead would command the same rate.

What does change with location is the cost of getting the professional there and keeping her there. For a travel or seasonal placement, you budget travel, lodging, and a per diem as separate line items, on top of the base compensation. Those costs vary by destination. The base rate does not.

There is one real exception, and it is worth being precise about. For a permanent, locally based placement, the local cost of living genuinely does influence the going rate, because the professional has to live and commute in that market. A full-time nanny based year-round in Manhattan will, all else equal, command more than one in a lower-cost city, because she has to be able to afford to live and get to work there. That is a cost-of-living effect on a local hire, not a luxury premium on a destination.

So the practical guidance is simple. Budget the caliber first, because that is the real cost and it does not bend to geography. Then, for travel and seasonal work, treat transportation and accommodation as their own line. And for a permanent local hire, expect the going rate to track the cost of living in that particular market. Once you separate those three things, the pricing stops being mysterious. This is how we work at Nannies + more…®, on every placement.

The principles here reflect how we structure placements across more than twenty markets. Specific figures vary by role and market.