Stefanie Kiser didn’t plan to learn about wealth from the back seat of a Porsche. But after seven years as a nanny for high-income families, she left with more than babysitting stories. She picked up an unfiltered education in money, boundaries, and career pivots. Here's what her seven years on the job revealed.
The Salary Was Higher Than Many Entry-Level Careers
Credit: Getty Images
Kiser started at $20 an hour, which was already more than she might’ve earned as a film production assistant. Once she added extra hours and weekend care, her pay reached around $1,000 a week. By her final year, she was taking home $110,000 annually, far outpacing friends with more conventional jobs.
Social Perceptions Kept the Job Status Low
Credit: Getty Images
Say “nanny” at a networking event, and you won’t get many follow-ups. Kiser found that her high earnings didn’t carry social currency. Friends in marketing or law got admiration. Her friends gained titles and promotions, while her work remained invisible outside the homes where it mattered most.
Luxury Defined Even the Errands
Credit: Getty Images
The workdays included chauffeuring children in Porsches and Mercedes-Benzes, commuting to $500 tutoring sessions, and accompanying families to massive homes in the Hamptons. Daily life was steeped in luxury, with multi-million-dollar homes, private jets, and even toddler stylists. It was a job inside the world of rich people.
Her Contract Was the Only Safety Mechanism
Credit: Getty Images
Without HR, company policy, or standard hours, everything came down to one piece of paper. The contract dictated pay, hours, and even living arrangements. After an early job with no agreement blurred every possible line, Kiser started declining offers that skipped paperwork, no matter the pay.
Career Stagnation Was Built Into the Role
Credit: Getty Images
The work reset with every new family, and with it, the ceiling stayed low. No matter how skilled or experienced she became, there was no ladder to climb. Career growth wasn’t built into the role, which made pivoting to other industries harder when she was ready to move on.
She Loved the Kids—But Not the Compromise
Credit: Getty Images
Kiser didn’t regret caring for children. Some families became dear to her, and many memories were genuinely joyful. But the deeper conflict was personal: this wasn’t what she’d moved to New York to do. That gap between intention and reality began to wear on her.
Being Wealthy Changed What Parenting Looked Like
Credit: pexels
Large families in wealthy circles were a quiet flex. It signaled you could afford the nannies, tutors, private schools, and enrichment classes for four kids instead of one. In the communities Kiser came from, multiple children meant making do. In these homes, it meant you’d made it.
There Was No Built-in Protection for Life Events
Credit: pixabay
When nannies faced pregnancy, illness, or emergencies, they were often let go without severance or leave. There was no paid time off or contingency support. Kiser saw how even the best-paid nannies could be instantly disposable the moment they couldn’t meet expectations.
Some Roles Came With Extravagant Perks
Credit: Getty Images
One family offered her a $125,000 salary, full health and dental, an unlimited MetroCard, and a yearly bonus. Even with those benefits, she declined when they hesitated to provide a contract. Financial generosity didn’t always guarantee respect or job security.
The Pandemic Blurred Personal and Professional Lines
Credit: annastills
In 2020, she quarantined with one family in the Hamptons. The job stopped having edges. Her bedroom was in their home. Her schedule was whatever they needed. She wasn’t clocking in—she was simply always there. The work never really stopped, even when the world did.
AU Pairs Had Clearer Limits Than Nannies
Credit: Canva
Compared to nannies, au pairs typically had agency protection, capped hours, and more defined responsibilities. They received room, board, and a stipend, with rules to prevent exploitation. Nannies, especially those hired informally, often had none of those safeguards.
Wealth Wasn’t Always Dynastic—It Was Professional, Too
Credit: pexels
Many families were doctors, founders, or high-level execs. Old money wasn’t always the context. But whether wealth was passed down or newly built, the lifestyle routines stayed strikingly similar: round-the-clock help, hyper-scheduled childhoods, and zero hesitation about spending on support.
Switching Careers Came With Financial Setbacks
Credit: Getty Images
Switching careers meant losing income. Her first job post-nannying paid $90,000, which felt like going backward. Only after several role changes and a few promotions did she surpass her last nanny paycheck. The only reason she managed it at all was the student loan pauses during COVID, which bought her breathing room.
The Job Taught Her More Than Any Degree
Credit: studioroman
Though it wasn’t her dream career, nannying helped her build a stable adult life in New York. It covered rent, bills, and eventually dog adoption fees. She didn’t see it as forever, but it gave her a solid landing while she figured out what was next.
She Urges Young Women to Build in Parallel
Credit: pixelshot
Kiser didn’t wait for an ideal moment. She wrote between shifts, worked on pitches after bedtime, and applied to jobs while folding laundry. Her takeaway: You don’t have to pause your dreams just to pay the bills. It’s not seamless, but it’s survivable, and sometimes even strategic.