Live-in nanny pay and rules in Texas (2026)

Live-in nannies in the Houston area typically earn $15 to $22 per hour plus a private room and board, with weekly pay depending on the schedule and duties you agree on. The arrangement can be a great fit — but it comes with specific federal rules that surprise many families. Here’s what you need to know.

Housing supplements a wage — it doesn’t replace one

The most common live-in mistake is treating free housing as the pay. It isn’t. A live-in nanny is a household employee, and under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act she must earn at least the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour) for every hour worked — room and board comes on top of, not instead of, a lawful wage (see the U.S. Department of Labor’s live-in domestic worker fact sheet). Texas has no separate state minimum wage above the federal one, so the federal floor is the floor.

In practice, competitive Houston live-in arrangements pay well above that floor — the $15–22/hour range reflects what actually attracts and keeps good candidates.

The overtime rule is different for live-ins

Live-out nannies must be paid time-and-a-half past 40 hours a week. Live-in domestic workers employed directly by a family are exempt from the federal overtime requirement — but every hour worked must still be paid at least at the agreed regular rate.

”Hours worked” is the number that matters

Because a live-in nanny is home when she’s off duty, you need a clear line between working time and her own time. Under DOL guidance, genuinely off-duty time — sleeping, meals, evenings free of all duties — doesn’t count as hours worked. But interrupted sleep to handle a night waking does.

The fix is simple: put the schedule in writing. Agree on duty hours, off-duty hours, and how overnight interruptions are handled and paid. A written agreement protects both sides — it’s the single thing we insist on in every placement, live-in or not.

Don’t forget the nanny tax

Live-in or live-out, the same household-employment taxes apply: in 2026, FICA once you pay $3,000+ in cash wages and FUTA once you pay $1,000+ in a quarter (IRS Publication 926). Note that the cash wage is what counts toward these thresholds and toward minimum wage — which is another reason housing can’t stand in for pay. The full cost picture is in our Houston nanny cost guide.

Structuring an arrangement that lasts

What we’ve seen work in Houston placements:

• A private, genuinely separate room (and ideally bathroom) — non-negotiable for retention.
• Written duty hours with real off-duty time. Live-in does not mean on-call 24/7; arrangements that drift that way fail fast.
• A clear overnight policy — what counts as a wake-up, and how it’s compensated.
• House rules agreed up front: guests, kitchen use, car use, time off.

A live-in placement has more moving parts than any other arrangement we make, and it’s where an experienced matchmaker earns their fee. If you’re weighing live-in against live-out care, book a consultation — we’ll help you structure something fair, legal, and sustainable for both sides, backed by our standard screening and 90-day replacement guarantee.