What does a live-in nanny or caregiver earn in San Diego, and what does California law require?

There's no official "going rate" for a live-in nanny, but there is a legal floor, and it's higher than many families assume once overtime and the limits on room-and-board credits are counted. We checked the California Labor Commissioner's Domestic Worker Bill of Rights guidance, IWC Wage Order 15, the City of San Diego's minimum wage and sick leave pages, San Diego County's IHSS pay contract, and federal and state household-employer rules on November 9, 2026.

The hourly floor depends on the address

Living in doesn't change the basic rule: every hour worked is paid at least minimum wage. Inside City of San Diego limits that's $17.75 an hour in 2026, rising to $18.35 on January 1, 2027, which the city announced September 30, 2026. In Chula Vista, El Cajon or unincorporated county areas, the state rate of $16.90 applies unless that city has its own ordinance. The state rate goes to $17.40 in 2027. Our San Diego minimum wage guide has the full breakdown.

Overtime: 9 hours a day, 45 a week

California's Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (AB 241, 2013) gives "personal attendants" overtime at 1.5x the regular rate for any hours over 9 in a day or 45 in a week. SB 1015 made it permanent from January 1, 2017. A personal attendant is someone a household hires to supervise, feed or dress a child, or an older or disabled adult, and that covers most nannies and in-home caregivers. If more than 20% of the job is other housework such as cleaning and cooking for the family, the Labor Commissioner says the worker isn't a personal attendant. Instead, the worker is covered by the stricter rules in Wage Order 15.

Wage Order 15 also sets the live-in schedule for workers who aren't personal attendants: 12 consecutive hours off duty each workday, at least 3 hours off within the 12-hour span of work, and no more than 5 workdays a week without a 24-hour day off, except in an emergency. The Labor Commissioner's FAQ doesn't apply these schedule rules to personal attendants. The overtime thresholds above are what apply to them.

What a room and meals can count for

Families can credit lodging and meals against minimum wage only with a voluntary written agreement, and only up to the state's caps. Wage Order 15 also bars making a worker share a bed. For 2026 the limits are:

Sick leave

California requires at least 40 hours or 5 days of paid sick leave a year, accrued at 1 hour per 30 worked. The Labor Commissioner names no exemption for household workers. Inside city limits, San Diego's ordinance also requires 1 hour per 30 hours worked, lets the employer cap accrual at 80 hours, and lets the employer limit use to 40 hours a year. Both laws let the employer make a new hire wait about 90 days before using it.

IHSS: getting paid by the county to give care

In-Home Supportive Services pays caregivers, often relatives, to care for low-income older or disabled people at home. Under a three-year contract the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved December 9, 2025, provider pay went to $19.40 on January 1, 2026 and $20.40 on March 1, 2026. United Domestic Workers, the union, says the next step is $21.40, or $4.50 above minimum wage if that's higher, on March 1, 2027. The county's IHSS Public Authority (866-351-7722) runs a registry that matches providers with recipients and helps new providers enroll.

What the market pays, and where the jobs are posted

Federal May 2025 wage estimates for the San Diego metro put the median childcare worker at $19.14 an hour (90th percentile $24.36) and the median home health and personal care aide at $16.97 (90th percentile $19.64). Those categories include daycare staff and agency aides, not just live-ins, and they predate the 2026 rate increases. Treat them as a floor check, not a quote for a live-in job.

Wages not paid? The Labor Commissioner's San Diego office is at 7575 Metropolitan Dr., Room 210 (619-220-5451). Paying for child care instead of hiring someone? See what child care costs in San Diego and how to get help paying.