Both au pairs and nannies provide childcare in the home, but there are some big differences between the two positions. An au pair typically is a young woman, occasionally a young man, from another country who is seeking cultural exchange through an au pair job in the host country. The au pair might not have any experience caring for children. The nanny is often someone who performs childcare as a career, has experience and might be younger or older. Nannies usually are residents of the same country in which they work.

Au pairs normally work under the specific government regulations of the host country. In the United States, for example, foreign nationals between 18 and 26 years old can stay with a host family for up to 12 months and perform limited childcare, which is designated as no more than 10 hours per day. Other specific regulations are in place regarding things such as wages and amount of time off.

The idea of the au pair program is to make the person feel more like a part of the family than like an employee. Au pairs live and often vacation with their host families. Au pairs receive lodging, meals and a small weekly or monthly allowance. In return, they perform basic household chores and help parents care for children. In the United States, au pairs cannot care for children younger than 3 months old without a parent present, and they cannot work in homes with children younger than 2 years old without undergoing training in infant care.

Nannies, on the other hand, care for children as a career and normally are paid a living wage. They often are highly experienced in working with children. They are interviewed for the job and come with references. They might live in the home or travel to the home each day. The nanny might work full time or part time, depending on the position, and can stay in the position for as long as needed or desired. A nanny might also perform household duties in addition to childcare.

Coming from another country, au pairs might not speak the language of the host country very well. As part of their cultural exchange program, they often will take classes to learn the language of their host country or gain academic credits. A nanny already knows how to speak the local language.

Other differences between au pairs and nannies are how they are recruited for jobs. The au pair typically is identified through an agency. The nanny might be hired through a nanny agency, from an advertisement in the newspaper, through word-of-mouth from a friend or though another way.