Background: Fertility preferences are influenced by socioeconomic and sociocultural factors, but evidence comparing employed women and full-time housewives in northern Nigeria remains limited. Aim: To compare fertility preferences and intentions among employed women and full-time housewives in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria, and identify factors associated with preference for larger family size. Materials and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 636 women aged 15–49 years, comprising 323 employed women and 313 full-time housewives. Data were collected using a structured, pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire. We compared fertility preferences and intentions using Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, and used multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of a preference for >4 children. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Desired family size did not differ significantly between employed women and housewives, with 16.1% and 14.7%, respectively, preferring >4 children (p=0.704). Ideal family size (38.1% vs 31.0%; p=0.073) and preferred birth interval (91.0% vs 86.3% preferring ≥2 years; p=0.077) were also comparable. However, fertility intention differed significantly, with housewives more likely to intend additional childbearing (61.7% vs 49.8%; p=0.007). Employment status was not independently associated with preference for >4 children (AOR=1.10, 95% CI: 0.68–1.78; p=0.693). Fulani and Yoruba women had higher odds than Hausa women (AOR=2.33 and 2.66, respectively), while experiencing >4 child deaths was associated with increased odds (AOR=3.62, 95% CI: 1.28–10.22). Male-child preference was associated with lower odds (AOR=0.23, 95% CI: 0.06–0.84). Conclusion: Employment status was not independently associated with preference for larger families, whereas ethnicity and child mortality experience were important predictors. Family-planning interventions should therefore address sociocultural and reproductive factors alongside employment-related circumstances.