Temporary Nanny Jobs in Australia (including AuPair and Babysitter Jobs)
Nanny and AuPair jobs are excellent temporary work opportunities while in Australia for anyone who enjoys working with children.
Families that hire nannies tend to expect a high turnover so are willing to offer three to six-month contracts. Working hours tend to be flexible, giving you plenty of time to enjoy Australia. And, if the role includes full board, you can save money while staying in a great location you probably would not be able to afford otherwise.
In the following sections, I’m going to talk about what to expect from nanny, AuPair, and babysitting jobs in Australia. Of course, I’ll talk about average pay and where to find job opportunities, but also what it’s like to work as an Australian nanny including normal working hours, acceptable and unacceptable tasks, and the perks.
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Most Common Nanny and AuPair Jobs in Australia
When looking for nanny or AuPair jobs in Australia, you will find both live-in positions, where full board including accommodation and meals is offered, and live-out positions, for which you will need to find your own accommodation.
Average Working Hours
Most nanny jobs are advertised at between 25-43 hours per week, with the majority of hours falling during the week to help parents cover child care while they are working.
As a live-in nanny, you will probably help with the household morning routine, taking children to school, school pick up, and helping children with afternoon activities until the parents finish work. If the family has younger children not yet in school, you will probably also provide childcare during the day, even if one of the parents is at home. You may also be expected to perform some household duties, such as laundry, during the day. However, cleaning is not generally expected from a nanny, except for the bedroom and bathroom that you use as a live-in AuPair.
If you take on a live-out position, you might expect to be more involved in afternoon activities, including school pick-up, after school care, homework help, taking children to activities, and evening meal prep. While overnight stays won’t be standard, you may be asked to stay in some instances, but this will be arranged in advance and you will probably be paid extra for the unsociable hours.
Some AuPair jobs I’ve seen advertised, don’t include evening and weekend work as standard, but some families will look for someone who is able to negotiate this kind of additional cover if prearranged, perhaps to cover an evening out or a weekend away.
Average Wages
The minimum wage in Australia is AUD 23.23 for full-time or part-time contracts. You should receive an extra 25% for casual contracts since you won’t receive annual leave or sick pay. You can expect to see positions advertised at AUD 30-35 per hour for standard working hours, and up to AUD 40 per hour in Sydney and Melbourne to compensate for the high cost of living.
If you are working with infants or children with special needs, you can expect to be offered more, but will probably need to demonstrate a relevant qualification or experience.
What About Babysitting?
Babysitting is when you provide childcare on a more casual basis, usually without fixed hours. This kind of work is often brokered through agencies or websites where you can make a profile and be matched with babysitting jobs in your local area.
Hours are unpredictable but are more likely to be in the evenings or on the weekends to cover unexpected emergencies or special occasions. You can expect to earn around AUD 25-36 per hour for this type of work. However, many families choose to hire younger people as babysitters as a lower minimum wage applies (a 16-year-old only needs to get 47.3% of the minimum wage).
Training and Experience Needed
Aside from the right to work in Australia, such as on a Working Holiday Visa, families that hire privately can set their own requirements. However, there are a few common requirements that you can expect to see.
Working With Children Check (WWCC)
This is a standard police check similar to those required in most countries to work with children or vulnerable people. It just establishes that there is no criminal history that might bar you from working with children and that there are no relevant misconduct reports against you.
You should apply for a WWCC in the state where you are living and provide it as evidence when signing a work contract that requires it. You can expect it to cost between AUD 60-100 depending on the state, and it is usually valid for five years before you need to have it reissued.
Here are links to specific instructions for obtaining a WWCC in each state: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory.
First Aid Certificate
Many parents feel reassured that you would know what to do in the case of an emergency if you have completed first aid training. If you have a first aid certificate in English from a course completed in a country such as the United Kingdom or the United States, families are very likely to accept that.
If you work for an agency, you may need to get a local qualification in Child Care First Aid. This is usually 6 to 8 hours of face-to-face training that will cost around AUD 79-199 depending on the state and provider.
Relevant Qualifications
There are no specific academic or professional qualifications required for a nanny role, but some employers may indicate a preference for candidates that have completed a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, or have completed or are working towards a Bachelor’s degree in education or another relevant field.
Experience and References
The most important requirement for most employers will be your experience and references. If you have previously worked as a nanny or AuPair, that is ideal, but any experience where you have been responsible for the care of children is relevant. Even your experience looking after your own younger siblings is worth mentioning.
If you don’t have references that can speak specifically to child care experience, find references who can speak to your integrity, trustworthiness, reliability, and personality.
Full Drivers Licence
Some job postings for nannies will request a full driver’s license so that you can perform school pick-ups and drop-offs. While they will often let you use the family car, some ads also state that you need your own functioning vehicle.
If you have an international driver’s license, you can drive indefinitely on that license in most parts of Australia as long as it remains valid. However, if your driver’s license is not in English, you may also need to carry an authorized translation.
Where are the Jobs?
You will find nanny and AuPair jobs around Australia, as many families have parents who work full-time and need extra help to look after kids during the work day. You will find the most opportunities in the larger cities, such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, but you will also find rural vacancies, which can give you the opportunity to see another side of Australia.
You will find a lot of nanny jobs advertised on popular job listing sites here in Australia such as SEEK and Indeed, but you will also find families listed in local classifieds such as Gumtree. A lot of families looking for nannies will work with agencies to find qualified applicants. The agency may advertise vacancies on job listing sites, but you can also register directly with agencies such as Little Lovelies, Nanager, and the Australian Nanny Agency.
For babysitting jobs, you should create a profile on one of the major babysitting websites such as Find A Babysitter, Babysitters Now, and Babysits to find families that need babysitters in your area.
How to Get a Nanny Job
Nanny and AuPair jobs can be a great way to earn while you are in Australia, while also maintaining flexible hours that let you explore the country. Live-in jobs that offer full board can even help you save money. If you love children, it is definitely worth considering.
Many families choose to hire nannies privately, so there are no strict rules on what you need in terms of qualifications. But proof that you are experienced, confident, and comfortable working with children, plus good character references, are going to be the main things that they look at. Many families will also want to see a WWCC authorization and proof of Child Care First Aid. If you work through an agency, these will probably be necessary requirements.
Working with children is extremely rewarding, and as a nanny, you will get a taste of what day-to-day life in Australia is really like.
FAQs
When is the best time to apply for nanny jobs in Australia?
Many families will look for nannies to help with family logistics for the start of the new school year (at the end of January) or the start of the second semester (in late July). It is not uncommon to see six month contracts advertised a month or two before these dates. You may also see shorter-term contracts looking for additional support during school holidays. But a relatively high turnover rate means that you can find jobs throughout the year.
Do I need to look after pets as a nanny?
In many nanny job postings, you’ll see the family mention that they have pets. This can be for your comfort, in case you aren’t comfortable living in a house with big dogs or have a cat allergy. But it is also implied that while you are not a pet sitter, you will need to take some responsibility for the animals. If they are in the house, you will need to be able to maintain control of the animals to ensure they aren’t a danger to the children. Moreover, you may need to let them out to do their business and even take them on the occasional walk. This is something to discuss with the employer during the interview.
