OT- How much is the going rate for a babysitter?

[DVCJones]

Hi Everyone,

Just wondering how much babysitters are being paid these days. We have never used anyone but family (they don't charge) , but our kids are a little older now (3 and 5) and I feel like I could use a babysitter. Our neighbor who is 20 and attends a local college has asked in the past if we needed a sitter. I would love to give it a shot, but I have no idea on what to pay her. I want to make sure I pay her well.

So, how much do you pay your sitter?

Thanks!

 

[Neesy228]

We are in PA, and we pay $10/hour. We have three kids, but we never ask our babysitters to do anything like bedtime or baths or meals. It's strictly play with the kids and maybe give them a snack/drink. That seems to be the going rate around here among my friends. We have a few friends who pay $8/hour for two kids, but they're few and far between.

 

[dawnbu40]

DD is a college freshman but last year she used to babysit for one of her highschool teachers and was paid 10$ an hour. Thats very good money until you consider she was watching 3 under 3 years, all in diapers! She said for kids 3 & 5 she would consider 6 or 7$ an hour a fair wage.

 

[DisneyTigers]

I'm in PA and I have 4 kids and pay $10. My oldest is 9 (almost a sitter herself) and is a huge help with my youngest who is 2. He goes to bed pretty early. My 5 year old doesn't EVER want the sitter to help him with anything, so our sitters pretty much entertain our 4 year old, who LOVES babysitters!

I'd say for your two kids $8-$10 an hour for a college student is great. 10 if she feeds them, 8 if she pretty much just puts them to bed

 

[GothTink]

Here in Saint Louis, MO we pay $6 an hour for our sitter to watch our DD8.

 

[Kenenitz]

I'm in PA and we pay $10/hour. That's for our 3 older kids. The baby goes to my mom's or my sister's place. I don't ask her to do much though, we don't bother with bath time or anything else. I usually have them ready for bed before we go out. Already fed, etc.

A friend of mine actually babysat all throughout college. She had a few regulars that she babysat at a rate of $14/hr. However, she made crafts with them, took them places like gymnastics, or sports practices, made dinner, etc..

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I charge $12 per hour for the first child, an additional $2 per hour for each child after the first one, no more than 4 children, 3 hour minimum.

I am a professional nanny with 15 years of experience, CPR and First Aid certification, newborn experience, etc. I also only sit for a select group of families in addition to my full-time employer.

I think $10 is pretty reasonable for a college student to watch a 3 & 5 year old, especially if she just needs to feed them dinner and put them to bed.

 

[natnelliesmom]

We live in CT with two DDs 4 and 6. I pay our mother's helper $8.00 an hour. She comes in while I am home to occupy the girls while I get things done. She's 16 and has experience with younger siblings but I wouldn't leave her alone with the girls.
We also have a college student who comes in to sit evenings for us. We give her $12 an hour and always round it up. She is Red Cross certified, drives herself and always has fun activities to do with the girls.
These seem to be the going rates in my circle of friends.
-Sarah

 

[disneyJMD]

We pay $8/hr to our sitter to watch our 3 youngest kids. They are 1, 4, & 7. My DS12 is usually home and is very helpful with them as well, but not old enough to be on his own with any one of them. I know that is not a lot of money, but we always round up on the total, and I usually try to have the kids fed, so it is just getting them ready for bedtime, of which is usually within an hour or two of the time we leave. My DH and I don't go out often, as we just dont have the money, but once in a while there are just times that we dont have a choice. After hearing what everyone else pays, I think I should quit my PT job and pick up some babysitting accounts!

 

[snookiedoodles]

We pay our baby sitter about $12-15 dollar an hour.

this is for three boys ages 5, 7, 8.

Our babysitter is priceless, plays with the boys, makes them food (I usually make plates and leave them in the refrig for her to warm up) She cleans up after dinner and is amazing!!!!

She is a college student.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think it's a regional thing, but $10 an hour for teens here in NJ.

 

[Del]

we pay high school kids 8-10; college 12; grown-ups 12=15

 

[playswithstars]

We are in PA, and we pay $10/hour. We have three kids, but we never ask our babysitters to do anything like bedtime or baths or meals. It's strictly play with the kids and maybe give them a snack/drink. That seems to be the going rate around here among my friends. We have a few friends who pay $8/hour for two kids, but they're few and far between.

We pay our baby sitter about $12-15 dollar an hour.

this is for three boys ages 5, 7, 8.

Our babysitter is priceless, plays with the boys, makes them food (I usually make plates and leave them in the refrig for her to warm up) She cleans up after dinner and is amazing!!!!

She is a college student.

Geez I live in PA and never made that much when I babysat like five years ago when I was about 15/16 and I'm 21 now, a college student and early childhood/ed. major. Maybe I should quit my job at the daycare where I work and just babysit. I make like 7.50 for like a lot of work and a lot of one and year olds. The most I ever made per hour babysitting was five dollars. That was for two young kids one preschool and the other kindergarten, dinner, playing, and putting the kids to bed and for about 6 hours on a Friday night.

 

[ProudMommyof2]

We pay $10/hour to college sitter that will pick them up at school or take to the zoo.

$8/hour for H.S. student to put to bed and watch T.V. most of the night.

 

[5 for WDW]

We pay our babysitter $10 a hour for our three kids. They are 11,9 and 5. The 11 year old is really mature and awesome with my youngest so, he hardly needs a sitter.

I give them dinner, baths and put their pj's on before I leave so, all she has to do is tell them to go to bed.

We pay higher then some of our friends. A very few others pay $12 a hour. When we talked to our sitters Mom she wanted us to give her $8 for the 3. We feel $10 is fair.

 

[carj]

We pay a high school or college student $10 an hour for a weekend or evening babysitting job. We have 2 children, ages 5 and 7.

We rarely have anyone watch them though now that they are older. It seems like we are too busy to go anywhere! My mom watches them, which they LOVE. I have two friends that have children who are similar ages. We watch each other's children for free.

 

[DVCJones]

I was figuring on $10-$12 per hr. I think I will ask her what she would like and take it from there.

She lives about 75ft away so the convenience factor is huge!!!!

 

[Cibahwewah]

I pay $7-10 here in TN. I am paying $16/hr while at WDW, with $12 "transportation" fee and 4 hr minimum. OMG! Dinner for 2 at California Grill better be worth it!!!

 

[chip91]

I need to change jobs, I'll babysit 3 kids for 10.00/hour, when I watched a school teachers kid (1 girl, from ages 2 1/2 till she was 4) I got 2.00/hour, and fed her all of my food!!!

I just paid my babysitter 15.00 to watch my 3 girls for 4 hours, so I could go to a movie. My girls are 6, 9 & 11, she brought stuff to make cookies for them, and has been my sitter for 5 years, never complaining about 3-3.50/hour.. I figure my kids are old enough, and I still only paid 1.50 for a kid who was in diapers!! And when she babysits in summer, when we go to a 2nd job, she gets 30.00 for the night, that's from 4-11, I either have supper made or she throws in a pizza or makes mac & cheese.. Next summer when I have a baby, I'll up to 40.00, but my oldest dd will also be almost 12 years old..

Either you guys don't go out much and can afford 8-10.00/hour, or my dh & I just don't make that much money, if I had to pay a sitter that much, I couldn't go..

 

[natnelliesmom]

I need to change jobs, I'll babysit 3 kids for 10.00/hour, when I watched a school teachers kid (1 girl, from ages 2 1/2 till she was 4) I got 2.00/hour, and fed her all of my food!!!

I just paid my babysitter 15.00 to watch my 3 girls for 4 hours, so I could go to a movie. My girls are 6, 9 & 11, she brought stuff to make cookies for them, and has been my sitter for 5 years, never complaining about 3-3.50/hour.. I figure my kids are old enough, and I still only paid 1.50 for a kid who was in diapers!! And when she babysits in summer, when we go to a 2nd job, she gets 30.00 for the night, that's from 4-11, I either have supper made or she throws in a pizza or makes mac & cheese.. Next summer when I have a baby, I'll up to 40.00, but my oldest dd will also be almost 12 years old..

Either you guys don't go out much and can afford 8-10.00/hour, or my dh & I just don't make that much money, if I had to pay a sitter that much, I couldn't go..

I think you need to at least pay minimum wage! It sounds like this girl is a friend as well as a sitter for you. So she is probably doing you a favor. If I paid that little I wouldn't be able to find a sitter!
Not to mention what that says about how much your children's safety is worth to you! When I worked in a childcare center- I was in charge of 4 toddlers and got paid $12 an hour. Is it any different if they come to your home to watch your children? If anything they should be paid more to drive over and work in the evening hours!
How can you say that is worth as little as $3.00 an hour?? That's insulting.
-Sarah