Wondering what is the going rate for babysitting? You’ve come to the right place! In UrbanSitter’s 12th year of tracking the average babysitting rate across the U.S., we analyzed the tens of thousands of babysitting jobs to provide this handy reference guide for families and babysitters. To find the going rate for babysitting in your city, check the chart and infographic below.
How much do babysitters make?
Generally, average babysitting rates in the U.S. rose significantly in the past year: a 9.7% increase, outpacing inflation at 7.1%. If you’re looking for a sitter, you’ve likely seen higher rates this year with $22.68/hr being the national average hourly rate for babysitting 1 kid and $25.37/hr the hourly rate for babysitting 2 kids.
Average Babysitting Rate by U.S. City
| Area/U.S. City | Hourly rate for babysitting 1 kid | Hourly rate for babysitting 2 kids |
| National | $22.68 | $25.37 |
| Atlanta, GA | $21.14 | $24.13 |
| Austin, TX | $22.81 | $26.28 |
| Boston, MA | $21.67 | $23.45 |
| Charlotte, NC | $17.27 | $18.62 |
| Chicago, IL | $19.91 | $21.44 |
| Cleveland, OH | $19.20 | $20.00 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $16.27 | $17.25 |
| Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX | $18.82 | $19.52 |
| Denver, CO | $19.81 | $22.07 |
| Detroit, MI | $19.73 | $22.81 |
| Honolulu, HI | $19.99 | $23.10 |
| Houston, TX | $17.84 | $18.77 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $19.34 | $20.39 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $22.74 | $25.61 |
| Miami, FL | $19.33 | $22.80 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $18.53 | $20.27 |
| Nashville, TN | $18.39 | $20.07 |
| New York City, NY | $22.18 | $25.06 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $12.76 | $15.85 |
| Orlando, FL | $19.51 | $22.98 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $18.03 | $20.78 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $17.61 | $20.01 |
| Portland, OR | $20.94 | $24.82 |
| Raleigh/Durham, NC | $18.02 | $21.26 |
| Reno, NV | $23.23 | $24.26 |
| Richmond, VA | $17.02 | $18.00 |
| Sacramento, CA | $20.24 | $22.44 |
| San Antonio, TX | $17.97 | $18.16 |
| San Diego, CA | $21.58 | $24.33 |
| San Francisco, CA | $25.24 | $28.31 |
| Seattle, WA | $24.60 | $26.28 |
| Springfield, MO | $11.35 | $12.00 |
| Washington, DC | $20.91 | $22.90 |
Fun facts
- The least expensive city for a sitter is Phoenix at $17.61/hr for 1 child and the most expensive city is San Francisco with a going rate for babysitting of $25.24/hr for 1 child.
- The national average babysitting rate for 3 kids is $27.70/hr.
- What is a reasonable price for paying a babysitter per day for 1 kid? For an 8-hour day, prices should range from $140 to $200, 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, rates might be higher due to the cost of living.
Flat rates
Some babysitters are open to being paid a flat rate, especially when it comes to overnight or multi-day jobs. Whether you’re wondering how much to pay a babysitter for 8 hours, calculating overnight babysitting rates, or how much to pay a babysitter for weekend care, we’ve got the average going rates:
|
8 hours |
Overnight |
24 hours |
Weekend |
5 days |
|
$180 |
$275 |
$500 |
$1,000 |
$2,500 |
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.
- 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. - 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, laundry, cleaning or walking the family dog. You can expect to pay more for these additions. - 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). - 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. - 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. - Special 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. -
Historic Babysitting Rates
Curious about how babysitter pay rates have changed over time? See our data from 2012-2022:
Babysitting rates 2022
Babysitting rates 2021
Babysitting rates 2020
Babysitting rates 2019
Babysitting rates 2018
Babysitting rates 2017
Babysitting rates 2016
Babysitting rates 2015
Babysitting rates 2014
Babysitting rates 2013
Babysitting rates 2012
How much does a nanny cost?
Generally, nanny hourly rates are higher than babysitter rates. See our post How much does a nanny cost? for the full list of considerations you’ll want to think through when deciding how much to pay a nanny.
