A lot of parents are in a quandary when it comes to babysitting rates. They often ask, how much to pay a babysitter just to make sure they’re within reasonable rates.
Of course, there are also some parents who ask the same question to see if they can even afford to hire a babysitter. After all, it is no joke to hire one.
The fact that babysitting rates depend on a lot of factors makes it even harder for parents to figure out how much to pay a babysitter.
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Let’s explore all the factors to consider when paying a babysitter. That way, you can figure out how much to pay a babysitter.
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Factors To Consider When Paying A Babysitter
It’s a fact that it costs to hire a babysitter. I know that pretty well. It costs even more if you decide to hire a professional babysitter but what are your options?
Are you going to hire someone who isn’t? Even worse, are you going to hire someone who doesn’t have enough skills to care for your kids? That’s a nightmare waiting to happen.
When it comes to hiring a babysitter, you get what you pay for. So, if you choose to pay the 12-year-old kid next door to watch your kids you’ll get what you pay for.
When it comes to hiring a babysitter, you get what you pay for. So, if you choose to pay the 12-year-old kid next door to watch your kids you’ll get what you pay for.
In the same way, you’ll get what you pay for if you choose a professional babysitter. Of course, the latter will always bring you a better outcome but it’s really up to you.
What I’m trying to say is that there are lots of things to consider when paying a babysitter. The first of which is the background and experience of the babysitter.
The more experience, training, and certification the babysitter has, the more you have to pay her. If she’s already a professional in her craft and her references are good, expect to pay a lot more. It’s just the way it is.
Another important thing to consider is your location. What city do you live in? When considering how much to pay a babysitter, you’d have to look at the average rate per hour. This varies per location.
You also need to consider the workload you’ll be giving her. You can’t expect her to do a lot of things and not pay her enough, right? More so, if you expect her to tutor your kids.
Speaking of kids, if you have more than one and you intend to hire just one babysitter, then you really have to pay her more.
Speaking of kids, if you have more than one and you intend to hire just one babysitter, then you really have to pay her more. Hence, the number of kids is also a consideration when figuring out how much to pay a babysitter.
If you’re looking to hire a babysitter to drive for your kids, you need to pay her more as well. Even if you have her use your car, you’d have to pay her for the extra skill. Of course, you pay even more if she drives and uses her own car.
Some moms, who just gave birth, are willing to hire a babysitter who can stay the night. That way, the moms can get more sleep. If you’re one of these moms, well, expect to pay the babysitter a higher rate. After all, she is taking on a graveyard shift.
Related Read: How Much Should I Charge For Babysitting?
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All these factors have a huge impact on how much to pay a babysitter. Having said that, you just can’t hire a babysitter and pay her a rate that could undermine her experience, skills, and even her love for babysitting. Again, it just doesn’t work that way.
How Much To Pay A Babysitter?
So, how much to pay a babysitter then? Well, the standard rate per hour is $17. This is based on Sittercity’s computation of the average rate per hour from all the top cities of the U.S.
As previously mentioned, location is an important consideration when paying a babysitter. The reason for that is because the cost of living in various locations varies. So, if you’re living in a city where the cost of living is high, expect to pay a babysitter a higher rate as well.
Having said that, expect to pay a babysitter more than $17 if you’re in a city where the cost of living is high. A good example is San Francisco where the average rate per hour is $22.50. Related Read: Save On Sitters With This Service
I think it’s worth stressing the point that $22.50 is just the average rate per hour. Having said that, expect to find babysitters who charge higher than that. Related Read: Where To Hire Safe Sitters
The cost of living in cities such as Stamford, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, and Boston is also pretty high. If you’re located in any of these cities, the average babysitter rate per hour is $20.
If you’re wondering how much to pay a babysitter in cities such as Portland, San Diego, Washington D.C., and Denver, more or less it’s about $18.50.
Of course, there are other cities where the average rate per hour is not as high as the cities mentioned above. These cities are Chicago, Sacramento, Austin, Miami, Hartford, Providence, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Minneapolis. If you’re wondering how much to pay a babysitter in these cities, it would be about $17.50.
There’s a lot of computation when it comes to figuring out how much to pay a babysitter. If you’re not a fan of numbers (like me), then I recommend you use a nanny calculator.
You can expect to pay a babysitter a lower rate per hour in cities such as San Bernardino, Columbus, Orlando, Nashville, Houston, Charlotte, Phoenix, Detroit, St. Louis, Las Vegas, Dallas, San Antonio, and Atlanta.
So, if, you’re wondering how much to pay a babysitter in these cities, the average per hour would be between $15 to $16.
It’s also worth knowing that the average rate per hour for babysitters in Norfolk, Virginia is $14. It wouldn’t hurt to know the average rates per hour in the various cities. You can always use them as a starting point to figure out how much to pay a babysitter.
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Related Read: How Much Is Babysitting Per Hour?
There’s no need for you to grope in the dark when it comes to paying a babysitter. You can use the average rate per hour in your location to come up with the most suitable rate for your babysitter.
Consider Using A Babysitter Pay Calculator
Paying a babysitter per hour is just one option. You can also consider paying her per day, per week, or even per month. That is if you hire her on a regular basis.
You can use the average rate per hour in your location as a reference to compute the daily, weekly, and monthly salary. Since you’re hiring the babysitter on a regular basis, you can even negotiate a more reasonable or maybe even a lower rate after the computation.
There’s a lot of computation when it comes to figuring out how much to pay a babysitter. If you’re not a fan of numbers (like me), then I recommend you use a nanny calculator.
Sittercity has a nanny calculator that not only helps me figure out how much to pay a babysitter. It also helps me a lot during tax time. I recommend you use it. It really comes in handy especially if you hire a regular babysitter.
Now, Sittercity isn’t the only one that offers a nanny calculator. You’ll find other childcare websites that offer some kind of babysitting calculator as well. Since I’m used to the one offered by Sittercity, I’d recommend it.
You now have a good idea as to how much to pay a babysitter in your area. You won’t have to guess or ask around.
How much do you pay your babysitter? We’d love to hear from you.
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
My sitter takes time to sit down with my daughter to do some homework. That is something that I don’t even do with her. By the time I get home, it’s just too late for me to sit down with her and go over her homework. Even if I tried, we’re just going to end up fighting. That’s something I want to avoid.
That’s why I’m grateful to have found someone who has the patience and dedication to make sure my daughter is ready for school the next day. It’s also worth noting that she makes the best chicken casserole. Yes, she cooks dinner as well and makes use of whatever is available at home.
From working from home, I’m now back at the office. Honestly, I’m better off working from the office because I can’t seem to get anything done at home. If it weren’t for our sitter (from Sittercity, of course😊 ) I wouldn’t have been able to work from home.
Anyway, now that I’m back at the office, I don’t worry about my kids anymore. I know they’re well taken care of. For those moms who are having second thoughts about the price, I am telling you it’s all worth it. 😊