Many young people dream of working as an au pair in the USA with a friendly host family for a year. Several agencies can connect aspiring au pairs with the USA and, after a thorough screening, place them with a host family there. Before that, though, there are a few hurdles to clear, because working as an au pair in America is an expensive undertaking.

Your stay in the USA

Discovering and enjoying the land of unlimited opportunities while living with a host family in the USA. Who wouldn't wish for that? Au pair USA is a great way to get to know the country and its people, and to improve your English or learn it from scratch. Host families in the USA, in turn, benefit from the childcare and the cultural exchange.

Requirements for au pairs

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Who can become an au pair in the USA?

  • Age: 18 – 26 years
  • Unmarried
  • No children
  • Able to understand and speak English
  • Able to pay for an official au pair agency in the USA
  • A high school diploma or completed vocational training
  • Childcare experience
  • Driver's license
  • Work in childcare with a host family for at least 12 months
  • Be open to getting to know American culture
  • The host family will have children under 2 years old
  • 200 hours of childcare experience with this age group must be documented

If the agency in the USA checks these requirements and everything is in order, nothing stands in the way of your stay in the beautiful USA. Au pairs receive an average of $195.00 per week from their host families for childcare.

Cost of 1 year in the USA

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The official au pair agency in the USA also takes care of the 1-year visa for your stay abroad. Costs are very different from agency to agency, and they're high. When a placement with a host family is successful, the agencies receive between €500 and €1,000 (roughly $550 to $1,100). The best-known agency in the USA is Au-Pair-World. It is a recognized agency for au pairs.

When can you apply in the USA?

If you'd like to work as an au pair in the USA, you can apply to the official agencies all year round. If you want to arrive with a host family in the summer, your application has to be submitted to the au pair agency by March. The au pair costs for one year are around €3,500 (roughly $3,800). If you want to start the adventure, you should contact an official agency directly in America. The agency will then handle the organization all the way through to the host family. The agency Au-Pair-World in the USA works together with the agency AIFS.