One of the many questions I get from moms is this. What is the right babysitter pay rate? They just want to know so that they can compensate the babysitter accordingly.
Figuring out how much to pay the babysitter is not easy at all especially if there’s no basis for it.
You’re going to end up overpaying or underpaying the babysitter. Either way, it’s not good for both you and the babysitter.
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So, if you want to know what the right babysitter pay rate is, keep on reading.
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What Is The Right Babysitter Pay Rate?
On average, the right babysitter pay rate is $17.00 per hour. This is taken from the 2021 data of Sittercity. If you have been following Sittercity as I have, you’ll notice that the hourly rate has gone up. Last year, it was just $16.00.
Considering the right babysitter pay rate per hour is on average, you’ll find that it could either be higher or lower than $17.00 in some key cities. Related Read: How Safe Is Sittercity?
Here’s a good example. According to Sittercity, the babysitter pay rate in San Francisco is $22.50 per hour. It’s no doubt a lot higher than the average.
San Francisco isn’t the only city where the babysitter pay rate is higher than the average. In cities such as Stamford, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, and Boston; the babysitter pay rate is $20.00 per hour.
Although you’ll find that the babysitter pay rate per hour is lower in cities such as San Diego, Washington (D.C.), and Denver, it’s still higher than average at $18.50.
The babysitter pay rate per hour in Chicago, Hartford, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Providence, Austin, Miami, Philadelphia, and Baltimore ranges from $17 to $17.50.
You can expect a lower babysitter pay rater per hour in cities such as Detroit, Charlotte, Dallas, San Bernardino, Atlanta, Cleveland, Columbus, Houston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Nashville, Phoenix, San Antonio, Tampa, and St. Louis. So, if you live in any of these cities, the babysitter pay rate per hour would range from $15 to $16.50.
Interestingly, the lowest babysitting rate per hour is in Norfolk (Virginia) at $14.00.
There really isn’t a single number that could answer the question, what is the right babysitter pay rate? It would depend largely on which city you live in.
Related Read: How Much Is Babysitting Per Hour?
What Determines A Babysitter’s Pay Rate?
There are a lot of factors that determine a babysitter’s pay rate per hour. Listed below are the critical factors that have the most impact on the babysitter’s pay rate per hour.
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Cost of living. As you have seen, the babysitter rate per hour varies, depending on which city you live in. The reason for that is because it’s dictated by the cost of living of that particular city. The higher the cost of living is, the higher the babysitter’s pay rate is per hour as well.
Babysitter’s years of experience. The number of years the babysitter has been rendering her service also has a major impact on her pay rate per hour. The more years of experience, the higher her pay rate per hour is as well. So, if you’re looking for a babysitter in San Francisco and you end up finding up one with over 10 years of childcare experience, expect to pay more than just $22.50. Related Read: Get Savings On Sittercity
Training and certifications. Babysitters nowadays undergo various childcare training so that they could deliver quality service. They also seek certifications on short courses such as First Aid to increase their chances of getting hired and getting a premium pay rate per hour.
The number of kids to care for. The number of kids to care for also has an impact on the babysitter’s pay rate. The more kids she has to care for, the higher her pay rate as well. That’s logical since she has more responsibilities.
Holidays and Specials Occasions. Of course, the babysitter’s pay rate would also vary during holidays and special occasions. If you intend to hire a babysitter for Thanksgiving and Christmas, you’d definitely have to pay her a higher rate per hour.
Graveyard shift. Babysitters who work graveyard shifts have a higher pay rate per hour. Considering their work schedule, it’s logical they’re paid more.
Background checks. Some sitters invest in background checks to have better chances of getting hired. This is true for most sitters who are signed up with childcare service websites such as Sittercity. They pay to run background checks on themselves so that they could display a badge on their profile. At the same time, they could also command a higher pay rate per hour since they’ve just spared the parents from spending on background checks.
Related Read: Does Sittercity Do Background Checks?
Other tasks and responsibilities. The primary responsibility of a babysitter is to watch and care for your child. She comes over to your home to do just that. Now, if you expect her to help with homework, you have to revisit her pay rate per hour. Helping with homework is an added task for her. It’s the same thing if you expect her to do some driving. Driving is an additional skill and responsibility that she has to be compensated for. Hence, it would definitely impact her pay rate per hour as well.
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Even if you have a good idea of what is the right babysitter pay rate per hour, you would still have to consider a lot of factors. Cost of living, years of experience, training, certifications, number of kids, holidays, special occasions, schedule, and background checks will all greatly affect the babysitter pay rate per hour.
A Nanny Calculator Always Comes In Handy
You don’t really have to figure out what is the right babysitter pay rate is. Sittercity has already provided reliable ballpark figures for all the key cities. You could just use them as your point of reference.
Now, if you want to know exactly what the pay rate per hour is, you can just visit the profiles of the babysitters on Sittercity. Each profile shows the babysitter’s pay rate per hour. You won’t miss it. Hence, there’s no reason for you to second guess how much to pay the babysitter since it’s posted on her profile.
A challenge that you might have to face is how to calculate taxes. If you want to hire a babysitter regularly for a long period of time, you would definitely have to pay taxes. Unless you have your own personal accountant, you don’t have to worry about it. If you don’t, well you would need all the help that you can get.
Sittercity has got you covered. It offers a nanny calculator that can help you calculate how much to withhold from your babysitter’s pay to fulfill tax obligations. The nanny calculator can definitely help save you a lot of time.
When it comes to babysitter pay rates and other childcare concerns, Sittercity is a great resource for you to consider. You will find a lot of valuable information on their website. At the same time, you can sign up to connect to amazing babysitters.
Related Read: Sittercity Reviews: Is It Right For You?
What is the babysitter pay rate in your area? Is it above or below the average pay rate? Feel free to share it with us. We’d love to hear from you.
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It used to be the case that I would babysit for families. These days, I’m the one hiring sitters to watch over my little girl. LOL! How time flies. My mission now is to share some of my insights so that other moms get to benefit from my experience with babysitting. Read More
