How much do you pay for a babysitter?
February 13, 2009 by kellys
Filed under budget, family, financial matters
I pay on average, $5 per hour for a baby sitter. My son goes to bed at 7:30 so most of the night, the sitter just has to watch TV. I pay a minimum of $20, usually, no matter how long we are gone. My husband and I went to see a movie the other night. We went to a 9:30 movie so the baby sitter didn’t have to get to the house until our son was asleep and Turkey Butt was falling asleep. The movie was $13, a snack (I hadn’t eaten yet) was $12, and the sitter was $20. So my total movie night cost me $45. That was painful. I liked the movie but not the price.
How much do you pay for a baby sitter? Do you pay a base pay or by the hour?
When our 21 year old isn’t available, we use our neighbor’s daughter’s services.
She’s 15 and charges $6/hour with a minimum of 5 hours. She’s quite the business woman wouldn’t you agree
Needless to say, she can make a light snack, give a bath, put him to bed and has unlimited access to our internet.
You are lucky! The going rate around here, in suburban Philadelphia, is about $12 or so an hour! I can get an 11 year old mother’s helper for $6/hour, but only if I’m at home. We recently moved from LA and the going rate was $15 an hour. Too expensive! We never hire babysitters and are thankful for Grandma living near by now.
I can definitely count myself lucky, but all my usual babysitters are soon to graduate. BOO HOO!
I can get a young high school kid for $10/hr but most of the sitters are $12/hr for my 2 kids who are sleeping most of the time. Needless to say, we don’t get out much unless the grandparents are available
This is a very sore subject for me. I do not agree with teenagers charging such crazy prices for babysitting. There are people in the real world that are educated and don’t make as much per hour as babysitters. Now you see why I don’t go out much. It really burns me up!
Where can you get away with only charging $5 an hour? that is amazing! It is about $10 an hour here – even when I was a kid, I think my friends were charging $7 – that is a bargain!
I never buy a snack at the theatre – really not worth it!
Karen, true … but how much does peace of mind cost you knowing your kids are safe. It is much harder for me to pick a teenager or adult to watch my kids than it is to pay them. And I don’t like paying…
I’m just that picky with who watches my kids. There are adults I consider my dearest friends that I would never let watch my kids, including family. The teenagers know that and I am sure I have hurt some feelings along the way as I never ask certain ones to watch them. Now with 3 kids to watch, my choices are even fewer.
Man I’m glad my adopted teenager only went 45 minutes away to college
I look at it this way . . . Teacher assistants only get about $8-10/hour. Now the state is requiring them to have a 2 year degree, CDL, and other training. These people are in charge of 20+ children each day. They are in charge of nurturing and educating them while meeting state standards, and putting up with a bunch of bull crap along the way. And when I was teaching preschool, we only charged $11 for almost a 4 hour day and it was hard to get that from parents without them griping. If I’m not mistaken, certified teachers only get about $18-20/hour in NC. And we all know that they’ve been to school for 4 years, paid out tens of thousands for schooling, had to take tests to become certified, and have to continue their education to renew their certification. I understand the value of knowing your children are safe, but when did we get to the point of paying a teenager who usually has no driver’s license, no child training, and no first aid training $12/hour?
I was getting paid $7 an hour when I babysat 10 years ago. $5 is a steal!
We hardly go out, but when we do, my Mom will watch Abby for free. However, we only get to go out every few months.
I worked as a nanny for 5 years for several different families before having my son and daughter. My average wage was $17/hour with my last position at $20/hour(after several raises). The families that I worked for were more than happy to pay those rates, especially after seeing the way other sitters handled their children. I was often asked to babysit at that rate- even after having my children (and bringing my son with me!), and I even continue to work for one family. My experience is that you get what you pay for. Of course there are exceptions and if you feel like you are getting quality childcare for $5-7 hour, then you have a steal!!!
Maybe I am cheap but I don’t have people turning me down so I assume they are happy with what I pay. And I am extremely picky as to who watches my kids so I know they are taken well care of. I do intend to raise my rate after Little Bit gets here in July.
Based upon the rates mentioned, I’m starting to think I should start a Friday night babysitting service in my home.
We live in the NYC area and the going rate is about $15-$18 an hour. I have been able to find get a student or teachers assistant at $14 or $13 an hour. But since it is so expensive for a sitter, especially when you factor in the cost of eating out or the movies, we usually do a babysitting swap with another family in town (none of us have relatives who live near by). I know some people do babysitting coops too as a good way not to have to pay outrageous prices for childcare.
I love babysitting coops! They are way thrifty!
I have four kids ages 7 and under so I usually pay at least $15/hour. We live in Washington, DC, and that’s pretty standard. If all the kids are awake and the sitter has to make dinner, change diapers, get kids to bed, etc., I will pay more (up to $20/hour). Our sitters are usually college students or recent grads.
Our neighborhood has a few co-ops but it wouldn’t be fair to the other families. Very few families have more than 2 kids and the co-ops are arranged by the hour, not by the number of kids.
Needless to say, we don’t go out much. Then again, we didn’t go out all that much before kids so it doesn’t really feel like much of a loss.
I had to weigh in on this one.
I actually just pay $5 per hour, too, but I live in rural Kentucky in a tiny town where everyone knows everyone else’s first name.
My sitter is 14 and lives around the corner and she happens to ride the school bus with my kindergartener. On days when I have errands or appointments, I call her the night before and make arrangements with her for get off of the bus with my little guy and hang out with him until I get home. She has a key to our house and just lets them in. It’s usually just for an hour or two, but the peace of mind is great — and her dad is a retired Army colonel who is home and would be here in a split second if they had trouble while I was gone.
This summer, because I work out of the home, she is working for me 3 days of the week, eight hours each day, and I’m paying the $5 per hour rate. While I work in my home office, she’ll just entertain my kid. I’ll be home the whole time, but I’ll be able to make my business calls without interruptions, and because they know and love each other already, everything is perfect.
This kid is awesome — she plays with my child constantly, reads him books, takes him outside, etc., and keeps him so happy that he doesn’t ask for video games or TV.
Regarding the rate … okay, so when he was younger and we lived in other areas of the country, I paid $10 per hour. My husband just had a fit about this.
So I decided, when I asked this kid here in Kentucky to babysit, to throw out a lower price. I just said, “I usually pay $5 per hour …. Is that enough for you?” She jumped at it.
Do I feel guilty?
No, because 1) of her age and 2) I overpay her anyway a few bucks for doing a great job, and that keeps her happy. It’s like a tip system in my mind, and it’s teaching her something, too.
Plus, her mom just loves that they have a neighbor who will employ her kid!
Just had to tell you my little story.
I pay about $10 an hour. We don’t hire our babysitter often and when we do it’s usually for only 3-4 hours. Anything longer than that and DD is off to Grandma’s. We only use one young girl (she’s 13) and I know her family is having a really hard time financially. I know that I can pay her this amount of money and it allow her to do things that she normally would not be able to do.
When I babysat, I was friends with the other neighborhood sitters and we agreed on what our rate was so it was about the sitter & not the price. We agreed $5 for one child & $7 for 2. We didn’t have families with more than two kid though. We did parties too (usually dinner parties) where the parents each paid for their own kids. Those nights I usually shared with my sister and we made great money. I think it depends on the area since I lived in a gated community & the parents didn’t mind rounding up, lol. Usually, I babysat one night a weekend but during the summer, I would work during the day for one family & the night for another. Oh, those were nice times, lol.
i actually have a question about paying a babysitter i pay 600 a month for a mine to watch my two children i work and thats when she watches them. i work about thirty hours a week but she doesn’t watch them the hole time usually its about 5 hours then my husband gets home and he watches them i was just wondering is that a good price or is it to much weather she watches them or not i pay 600 a month weekends shes off and when i’m off my two days shes off aswell
I have a great baby sitter and she only charges me $100 a week per child if I worked full time. So $600 a month for 2 kids sounds very good to me for my neck of the woods. My SIL lives in DC and she pays around $2400 a month (I think) for her 2 kids. I can’t imagine that!
Ok i am a babysitter. Im 13 and i charge by the hour. I charge $5 for kids under 4 and kids above that i charge $6. I am trained by the fire department and the Red Cross. I personally get mad when i dont get $25 for the night
Kenzie, I am so proud of you for all the training you have under your belt. I am sure you are a fantastic babysitter and I have a feeling you get paid well for your area of the country. However, as a mom, I would want to knwo that you have a $25 minimum up front so you don’t get upset and you don’t mind coming back. Just something to think about.
And welcome to Thrifty Mommy. I am sure Karen and Jennifer are very glad you chimed in.
i pay my baby sitter $50 an hour
$50 an HOUR!?!?!
sign me up.. um just wondering how many kids?
ages? any health concerns…i feel like this is
a lot of money..to make an hour.
I’m 15 and im from a small hometown. my sister has two kids and she lives with us so i understand the stress of finding a sheap babysitter. for her i babysit for free but when i babysit for others its only about 2$ an hour.
you mean cheap
I live in Mobile, AL and I usually pay between $40-$50 for an “overnight” sit. That means 8PM to 7AM.
I can’t see paying any more than that. I bring my son to the sitter’s own home. He’s fed, he’s ready for bed and all she has to do is tuck him in and go about her life, business as usual.
I’ve heard from both ends of the spectrum: that $50 is peanuts and that it’s a lot. I don’t know what to believe. I know I can’t afford any more than that.
I agree with one of the moms here: Minimum wage for a real JOB is only $7.25/hour. Where do these teens get off charging $10/hour to eat chips and watch TV when some daycare workers don’t even get that? Could you imagine being a single mom making $8/hour and having to pay the sitter $10/hour?
What ever happened to good, old-fashioned neighborly sitting? I remember being 14 in 1990 and charging no more than $2/hour and being thrilled with that. I made little flyers and waited for the phonecalls. I also didn’t have an iPhone, laptop or jeans that cost $64 a pair.
I hate to sound like a grumpy old lady, but kids these days are spoiled and WE are spoiling them. I remember raking leaves in my grandma’s neighbor’s yard for FREE because she was old and needed help. These days, kids don’t want to leave the XBox if it means they’re getting any less than $25?!? That’s insanity! $25 is a steak dinner at a nice restaurant! This is not a few bucks for the mall and a smoothie.
WE the MOMS have to stop this. We need to start making our OWN kids go out there and be HELPFUL and learn the value of a charitable heart. Or at LEAST teach them not to profit wildly from another Mom’s disadvantage.
We have also got to stop PAYING $10/hour for someone to come over and use the internet while your child sleeps. WE set the market rate. WE have done this to OURSELVES and we did it by constantly overpaying because we feel guilty or afraid the young lady won’t come back.
She does not have to get up, put on a uniform and serve cheeseburgers all night. $5/hour is fine.
Just my $0.02
I am graduating with my Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education in December; and I charge $10 an hour for babysitting one child. Before I was this close to completing my degree I was happy with $5 an hour. At my full-time job I only make $10 an hour: which is considered very well paid for a position in early childhood. Many places only pay min. wage; even for a lead position. High schoolers charging that much is outrageous! In high school; I watched 4 kids under the age of 5 for a family and only charged $7.
I live in Chicago and it’s $125.00 per overnight minimum even though people will try and rob these kids with adding additional families and only paying one rate. With the price of gas and you having an adult spend the night, I don’t care what she does when the child is in bed. She should get cheated if she’s not at her house sleeping and she’s guarding your family and house.