How much per hour should I pay the babysitter?

[Tigger&Belle]

But do people really pay $10-13 an hour even if the sitter comes just before bed time? I'm mean come on paying a teenager $12 an hour to sit in the phone eat your food and watch T.V. Thats crazy!!!

I think it's a lot of money when my 15yo gets $10/hour. But they want to be able to call him and have him drop everything and come babysit 15 minutes later. They are paying for that. And they go out quite a bit so he can make a nice bit of money. It does make it harder when the teens get older and get jobs and they are shocked at how little they are making somewhere else, which is what happened to my DD last summer when she worked at Starbucks. She then realized how well she had been paid to babysit.

 

[aprilgail2]

9-10 an hour here.

 

[disneymom3]

Well, when I originally hired my sitter two years ago, I told her mom I paid between $6 and $7 an hour and would that be enough. When she asked her, the girl said I could NOT pay her more than $5 an hour. She was 15 at the time and is 18 now. I do pay her more than $5 an hour, we just don't talk about it. Generally, I do $6 and round up a lot--like to the nearest $5 or more. So, the other day, I was gone for a bit under 3 hours and I gave her $20.

If I had to pay $10-$13 an hour, I would give up going out and I think I would take up babysitting myself!! That is a lot of money! Actually, I have about one more year until DD can babysit and I won't need to hire someone. THAT will be the day!!

 

[winniedapooh]

DD, gets anywhere from $6 to $10 per hour. She did not set a price, it is just what the families pay her. She makes more than her brother some weeks, lol! The families are very happy to have her as she is older and 1 of the children is special needs. She is in an honors program, studies hard and long, does volunteer work, in the drama club, chorus, and dance...ugh...so my philosophy is study hard and babysit and no outside job!

 

[Lewski709]

$6-8/hr, if she drives. She's not going to get more working part time and it's easy money (at least with our kids) she's not watching them any more than 2hrs before they are in bed.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

i just finished my junior year of college and i work at a day care center..i usually get paid 10-15 dollars an hour

This is the same rate that i get even if i go right before bedtime..I never tell the parents what my rate is, this is what they give me..They say they would rather pay me more and know that i will come back..most of the kids i babysit are kids in my classes at the day care center as well

 

[Chris2597]

My dd 17 gets about $7-8 an hour in TX....for 3 children, after midnight the rate goes up. She has narrowed her babysitting jobs down to 2 families....as she could be sitting every weekend....which would leave little time for a social life. I think the biggest problem she has faced with sitting is the inconsistency of some families with what they pay....She would babysit one time and get her usual $7=8, then the next time she would get a little less per hour....they would be late getting back and didnt plan on enough...she would get stiffed....As I said she is a much sought after sitter and those families are quickly scratched from her job list.

 

[MoniqueU]

I live in southern california.
I pay a minimum of 10 dollars an hour sometimes more. It is hard to get sitters even at that price in my neighborhood. Parents here are willing to give their kids any amount of spending money, cars, ipods etc. The kids around here don't have to save or have a need for much of anything in most families. I do have one family that values earning some money so I make sure I pay them well and treat them right so they will continue to want to work for me.

I am also lucky though that my mom lives with me and will do alot of babysitting for me, but there are times when she and I just want to get away LOL. My husband works alot of hours, so it is usually my mom and I that need a sitter.

 

[froglady]

I think it's a question of supply and demand, and what the traffic will bear. If you live in an area where there are few sitters, and they're used to getting $10/hour, that's the minimum you're going to pay. If you want to be one of their prize customers, you'll pay more in order to be on the top of the list. If you have numerous or difficult children, you'll end up paying more.

I was a busy sitter when I was a young teenager because I took over someone else's customers when she graduated. However, I was too shy to mention the fact that SHE had started 6 years earlier, and hadn't raised her rates, so people were paying me the same amount for another two years. When I turned 16, and could get a minimum wage job, I decided to go for it. I discussed it beforehand, but the families I sat for thought I was asking for too . I didn't want minimum wage, but at least more than 50 cents an hour when MW was $3.25! I was asking for $2.25, which is what friends were making. They ALL called me within a few weeks , but I was already working elsewhere.

 

[kimmikayb]

Maybe you were so drunk you thought you were living in Maryland and paid accordingly.

maybe you're right so I am a SMART drunk!!! I knew it was a long night but oh boy....what a drive!

 

[Skylarr29]

I make $15 an hour... I love babysitting

 

[plove53]

i am a college student (would have just graduated but am taking an extra year to double major), and i have been babysitting since i was 11. While there are a few families I occasionally babysit for at $6 or $7 an hour, these are people that i have been sitting for for years and have not asked for an increase. I will not take any new jobs under $10, both in VT/NH where I go to school, and in NJ where I am in the summer. This is because since i am 22, have a car, have a lot of experience, take child development /education classes in school, am and EMT, and have great references, I get almost every job I go for. So, I will only go for the better paying jobs. (people can post babysitting jobs on my school website, and the people who pay more tend to also check references, have long interviews that include interacting with the child, etc). While I would say the bare minimum in both areas I have worked is $6/hr, the higher the pay the more experienced the babysitters you will attract. (i do have an exception: i stay overnight with a 17 yr old and 13 yr old for a week a few times a year while the parents are on vaction for $50 a day, but i dont have to do anything except make sure they go to school and stay out of trouble).


-Colleen (phil's gf)

 

[swea_pea1]

I just paid a high-school sitter $80 to watch my kids for 6 1/2 hours while we went to the NASCAR race. It was hard to get a sitter that night so I really appreciated that she did it.

 

[disykat]

I always think it's interesting to compare it to minimum wage. Around here you have to pay equal to or above minimum wage to get a babysitter.

When I was babysitting as a teen, I went to my job at the DQ and made about $1.75 an hour. Then I got off work and went to babysit for $.50 - $.75 an hour. That's just how it was. Boy how times change!

 

[llazykllamas]

Most of the time I use my niece or nephew as a babysitter. They don't get paid(they get other perks from their aunt and uncle. But when we use someone else, it varies as to how much I pay. If we are only going out for a couple hours and the kids are already in bed or just about (the kids are 7 and 10), then the sitter gets less/hour than if it is an all day thing and the sitter has to feed/entertain/etc them - then I pay more per hour. It also depends on how much my kids like a babysitter ( not that I know that the first time I have them). If my kids like them they get paid more.

 

[Chris2597]

DD babysat last night after working all day at her mall job....She babysat from 630pm-130am. The people told her they would be home at 1130pm but called and asked for another hour, showing up 2 hrs later...which was ok but then paid her less than 6.00 per hour. The going rate around here is 7-8 an hour but after midnight the price goes up. She really likes the family and will probably sit for them again but will be more specific how late she will stay....as it is just not worth sitting until 130am, not getting home until after 2am for that amount of $$.

 

[minnie56]

Gets between $12 ans $15 per hour Canadian (which is almost the same as the USD now) She is 19. Yesterday she babysat 2 kids for 2.5 hrs and made $50! I told her that I think I should take up babysitting!

 

[musicotb]

I am almost 24, have my degree in psychology, am in graduate school, have been babysitting since I was 11, was a nanny for a summer in college, my mom ran a home daycare (so while i was the oldest of three, I also helped out with other pseudo siblings my whole life), I have pretty extensive experience working with children with disabilities, am currently trained in CPR & first aid for adults, children, and infants. I love children and actually play with them, cook them healthy meals, and clean up after them. I live in East Tennessee.

I charge $10/hr.

This summer I am babysitting for 2 families (adult sisters & their combined children) 3 days a week. I will always have at least 2 kids (2 1/2 and 3), and sometimes a 3rd (8 1/2) and a 4th (10). They are paying me $100/day to watch them from 7:30-3:30. I feel lucky to get paid that much.

I am kind of shocked that there are people who get paid so much on here... and some who are willing to pay so little for someone to care for their children. I'd be kind of worried about what kind of care my kids would get if a teen girl accepted $3/hr...

One nice thing I've had a family do is if they would just be out for 2 or 3 hours, they'd pay me $8/hr but give me $5 for gas - that's nice too. Always consider how far they'll have to drive, what they might be giving up to watch your kids, and how your kids behave. AND, if you cancel, and you know they're counting on that money, it is REALLY rude to not pay them for the time they promised you.

 

[ChristmasElf]

I will be dating myself here for sure, but I remeber babysitting an ENTIRE evening and maybe making $7!!! If I came home with a ten dollar bill I wouldve thought I struck GOLD!!!

 

[Chris2597]

This thread is so interesting....I told DD that she should state her hourly price. She says she would feel uncomfortable saying anything and would rather just refuse jobs to people that underpay...

So what is the consensus here....Should a sitter, especially one that is sought after...directly state her price? if so, what would be a good way to say it....one that would be comfortable for a 17 yr old.