Babysitting Rates – 2024 Average Rates by US City

Curious about the latest in babysitting rates? Look no further! In our 13th year of tracking child care cost trends, we’ve analyzed more than fifteen thousand jobs to bring you a comprehensive overview. Read on to discover the average rates by city and more valuable insights.

How much do babysitters make?

Average babysitting rates in the U.S. rose in the past year by 4.5%, slightly outpacing inflation (3.4%). If you’re looking for a sitter in 2024, you can expect to pay anywhere from $16 to $26 per hour depending on your location with $23.61 per hour being the average nationwide.

Average Babysitting Rate by U.S. City

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Fun facts

• The least expensive city for a sitter is San Antonio at $16.14/hr for 1 child and the most expensive city is San Francisco with a going rate for babysitting of $26.75/hr for 1 child.
• The national average babysitting rate for 3 kids is $29.36/hr.
• The national average flat rate for 1 kid is $106.33, with an average booking length of 4.5 hours.
• What is a reasonable price for paying a babysitter per day for 1 kid? For an 8-hour day, the average cost should range from $130 to $235, depending on your location.
• Wondering how much to pay overnight babysitters? Rates vary based on location, experience, responsibilities, and the number of children, but generally, rates can range from $150 to $300 or more.
• What is a good babysitting rate for a teenager? A typical range is around $8 to $15 per hour. However, in some areas, hourly wages might be higher due to the cost of living.

Pay rates for other at-home care providers

Flat rates for babysitting

Some babysitters are open to being paid a flat rate, especially for overnight or multi-day jobs. Whether you’re calculating overnight babysitting rates, or wondering how much to pay a babysitter for weekend care, we’ve got the average going rates:

Key factors when deciding how much to pay a babysitter:

Beyond the average babysitting pay rate, there is a set of other key factors that can help determine what is a reasonable price for babysitting per hour for your child; or if you’re a sitter, how much to charge for babysitting.

1. Location.
   Start with the average babysitting rate in your city, then consider your specific neighborhood – are you conveniently located in the city center or in a suburb? For instance, if you live near a university where many babysitters live, babysitter rates will probably be much more affordable than a far away suburb that requires a long commute for sitters.
2. Job responsibilities.
   First, consider how many children will the babysitter be caring for. Babysitter rates don’t double or triple, but they will increase a dollar or two with each additional child.

   Next, ask yourself if there are additional responsibilities such as driving, homework help, meal preparation, household tasks, laundry, cleaning or walking the family dog. You can expect to pay more for these additions.

3. Skills and experience.
   Experienced sitters will certainly charge more than a high school sitter. Sitters with specialized certifications and Early Childhood Education degrees will command a higher rate.

   You can typically get a feel for the sitter’s experience by asking about how many years they’ve been babysitting and what age groups they’ve worked with (newborn, infant, toddler, preschooler, grade schooler, etc).

4. Transportation.
   Some sitters expect parents to cover their cost of transportation to and from the job — either by reimbursing them for mileage or funding a subway or bus card.

   If your child needs to be driven by the sitter (either in their car or yours), then consider a gas credit card specifically for the sitter’s use.

5. Additional expenses.
   Beyond transportation, the sitter may have additional expenses while on the job including meals, babysitting supplies, and children’s activity costs. Decide what you will cover, then factor this in when determining your overall child care budget.
6. Specialized needs.
   If you have a child with a disability, you should also expect to pay a higher babysitting pay rate for someone with qualified experience.