going rate for babysitting?

[PaDisney02]

Hi, I am trying to earn some extra money for our Disney trip and I am considering babysitting. I am just wondering what the going rate for babysitting is, I havnt babysat since I was a teeneger, so I'm sure it has changed since then. I have someone interested in my services. The children are 4 and 1. This family only needs a few hours per week. The hours are in the evening and some on the weekends. What do you all think? Thanks

 

[dizneechic]

First I will say it depends on your location (economic demographic of your area), experience, and certification. I am assuming you are in PA by your user name, I am in eastern MA. In my town to hire a high schooler it's 10-12 per hour, and since I have 3 kids I am usually charged a little more than the "going rate". College kids are around 15 per hour and then I have a college grad who is certified in early childhood (also is an elem school aide) who charges 18 per hour for my crew.

I am fine with the high schoolers for day time things and try to go that route when I can because who wants to pay close to 20 per hour to go out and spend more, but when we do need someone in the evening we tend to go with the older sitters because they are a bit more responsible and can handle getting the evening tasks (dinner, bed, etc).

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I'm in Ohio. I've hired teachers from DD's preschool to babysit occassional evenings and weekends. They charge $10/hour, but I tend to pay them slightly more, ~$13 to $15 an hour. They will drive to my house so I don't need to worry about picking them up and dropping them off.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

$15 an hour here in the city, but I know it is less upstate. It really depends on your area.

 

[mjkacmom]

I pay teens $10 an hour (or I used to - dd12 is almost 13 herself, so she's now my sitter), but I'd pay an adult $12 - $15 an hour, in my home. However, if they're in your home, it's less - all day would be $25 a child.

 

[MickeyMouse'sBFF]

I pay teens $10 an hour (or I used to - dd12 is almost 13 herself, so she's now my sitter), but I'd pay an adult $12 - $15 an hour, in my home. However, if they're in your home, it's less - all day would be $25 a child.

Ok, so your saying you would pay 25$ for the entire day if you have one kid, but would pay 30$ for 2 hours out at night? I must be reading that wrong....(and trust me, it wouldnt be the first time)

 

[mjkacmom]

Ok, so your saying you would pay 25$ for the entire day if you have one kid, but would pay 30$ for 2 hours out at night? I must be reading that wrong....(and trust me, it wouldnt be the first time)

There is a huge difference in rate between scheduled daycare, in the SITTER'S home, with a monthly contract, vs. having a sitting come to YOUR home, on a random schedule. Most people aren't going to pay an unlicensed daycare provider 800 a week to watch their 2 kids, in the daycare provider's home.

 

[TheRatPack]

I pay my oldest dd 5.00 an hour LOL To have a sitter come to the house would be way too expensive for us, so we never went anywhere unless family watched the kids or now when dd is up for babysitting.

 

[verlee]

We pay our next door neighbor $6/hr. She is 13. I have friends that use older sitter (college) and they pay $10/hr. We are in a middle class neighborhood in a University town.

 

[natnelliesmom]

Here in CT, $10.00 an hour seems to be the going rate. That's for occasional sitting, in our home, with a sitter who drives to and from.

I have hired a high-schooler who needs us to pick her up and drive her home, we pay her $8.00 an hour. She also can't stay out as late.

I have also hired a mother's helper, someone who just keeps the kids busy while I am home. I pay her $5.00 an hour.

I have a friend who lives in the capital city here in CT- she pays her college student sitters $15.00 an hour. But she's in a cut throat area! Those women fight over the good sitters, and she has to pay well to keep her favorite!!

-Sarah

 

[LisaNJ25]

wow with rates I really need to become a night night/weekend sitter instead of a daily weekday sitter.

 

[disfan07]

I am 20 adn babysat in northern virginia until just 2 weeks ago when i moved. This was the Fairfax County/Loudon County area so mainly middle/upper class. My rates depended on age and number of kids.
My last two families consisted of 3 adn 4 kids.
When i started a year ago The family with 3 kids were 3 girls ages 3, 6 and 9 adn i charged $12/hour
When i started 2 years ago The family with 4 kids were 3 boys adn 1 girl and they were newborn, 3, 5 adn 8 adn i charged $16/hour mainly becasue of the baby....by the time i had been with the family for more than a year they were paying me on average $20/hr which was their own choice, i never raised my rates but they chose to pay me more

I just moved to california and have started looking for babysitting jobs and my rates will start at $10/hour and will change depending on the number and/or age of kids ($10/hour for older kids who are more self relliant and families with 1 or 2 kids adn more for families with 3 or 4 kids and/or with more than one baby or toddler)

 

[PaDisney02]

Wow...those rates r hiring then I expected...great! Babysitting in the evening might be worth my while! I teach preschool fulltime, so I have childcare experience with all my clearances. Thanks for everyones help.

 

[CLR4321]

It depends on where you live. When I lived in Oregon and Kansas I paid $5 an hour for my DS. I had a few people of various ages (14, 12, and 21). Now that I live in Arkansas, it seems to be the same. If you are in NYC, southern CA or the SF bay area, you could easily ask $15 an hour for 2 kids, $10-12 for 1 kid. I would suggest checking Craigslist where you live and see what people are advertising. Good luck!