How Much Should You Pay Your Babysitter? What’s The Going Rate?

Just like the price of gas or a loaf of bread things have changed a lot when it comes to paying a babysitter.  Do you know the going rate for watching kiddos these days?

BEST BABYSITTER EVER

Angel here and back in my day when I was a babysitter I took care of multiple families.  Not only did I watch the kiddos but my OCD tendencies had me washing dishes, putting away laundry, and tidying up their homes if needed.  It all depended on the needs of the children first and then came the housework.  I can't remember exactly how much I got paid on the hour but I think when I was like 12 or 13 it was at least $5 an hour and $1 extra for other things I might do while working.

THINGS SURE HAVE CHANGED

Having five children we have seen our fair share of babysitters.  For the most part, we have been very blessed to have amazing ones.  We have only ever discussed rates with the ones that have watched our children on a daily basis.  The sitters that take care of them on date nights never ask and we usually pay anywhere from $10-$15 an hour depending on the amount of time we are gone and which kids they're watching LOL...but really.  Charlotte alone is perfection but if you add Tuck to that mix they can be a bit of a handful so we pay more.  Not because they are bad kids more because they like to be entertained.  Kensley has taken care of our babies many times and she is amazing.  She always plays, keeps our house from falling apart, and we know she loves them and it isn't just a job to her.

SO HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU PAY

This is a really good question.  You should make sure when you are looking for a sitter you know the competitive rates for your area.  Thankfully, sitters aren't scarce in our area.  I do know in larger cities people pay upwards of $100 plus a day.  This again depends on what you need them to do.  A nanny and a sitter are two totally different jobs.

Sittercity.com data says;

The national typical hourly rate of babysitters in 2022 is $17.50 per hour and the average hourly rate of nannies in 2022 is $19.00 per hour.

Here's a comparative chart on how much other cities are paying their sitters/nannies

There is also a babysitting rates calculator at Care.com that helps you decide how much to pay a sitter based on years of experience, number of kiddos, and time.