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How much should I charge for babysitting?

Whether you̵7;re new to babysitting or just re-evaluating the hourly rate that you̵7;ve been charging, it̵7;s important to get familiar with the average babysitter rates and the variety of factors that sitters and families factor in when settling on a rate. Here’s what you need to know to determine a babysitting rate per hour that works for everyone.

Know the going rate for babysitting

Before you nail down your own babysitter rate, you̵7;ll first need to figure out what other babysitters typically charge families to watch their kids. According to Care.com’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey, parents paid after-school sitters an average of $244 per week. After-school sitters made an average of $16.26 per hour, working about three hours a day, or a total of 15 hours per week. 

While knowing this national average is a good starting point, it doesn’t tell you what you exactly what you can expect to earn in your city or based on your experience and the job duties at hand. There are several other key factors you want to take into consideration.

Know the factors that can influence babysitting rates

In general, a babysitter̵7;s hourly wage depends largely on three things:

• Your level of sitter experience.
• The number of kids the sitter will be watching.
• The location where you live or where you will be babysitting.

1. Experience

The more babysitting jobs or hours you̵7;ve worked means the more pay you can earn. But be reasonable about what you count as true experience. Caring for your little brother or sister doesn̵7;t necessarily count as ̶0;years of experience.̶1; If you have had actual babysitting jobs for non-family members, you can add that to the yearly total.

2. Number of children

If you are watching more than one child, you can expect to be paid more. A good rule of thumb: Add an extra dollar for each additional child. So if you are usually paid $13 per hour for one child and a family has three kids, you could expect to make $15 per hour for that job.

3. Location

If you are babysitting in an area with a higher cost of living, the rates tend to be higher. Do your homework and use a babysitting rates calculator to see what the pay rate is in three towns near your hometown. If there̵7;s a huge jump in a babysitter̵7;s wages from one town to a neighboring one, sitters would be smart to look for babysitting jobs in the town that pays more.

Here are some examples of the going babysitter rates based on location, according to recent Care.com data.

Current babysitter rates for top cities*