Babysitting - What's the Going Rate?

[sburnside]

I have been spoiled by family always taking care of my kids when I have to be somewhere and my husband is out of town. However, my MIL now has a cleaning job in the evening and won't always be available. There's a high school girl just down the road that will babysit, but what do I pay her? I know what I pay for a sitter while I work my full-time job but this is a high school student and it's in the evening. So, what do you guys pay or what would be fair? I want to keep her happy so she'll be available when I need her but I don't want to go broke either. BTW, I have a 5 and 2 year old that are easy going.

 

[daniellemorgan]

I pay $10 an hour and I have a 21 month old. I'm not sure if that's high, but I know that I was paid $8 an hour four years ago to watch a 2 year old. Hope this helps.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

$10 an hour? WOW!We pay $5 an hour for our almost 4 yr old. He has a teenaged babysitter when Grandparents aren't available. Maybe it depends on where you live?Of course, when it's the Grands, - they practically pay us to watch him.oh - and I did check with my Mom's Group to find out how much others paid - so I'm paying the norm for this area at least!

 

[SandiLeigh]

I pay $5 an hour for our 2 1/2 year old. And that would incude any part of an hour. So if I am gone from say 6 to 8:15 they would get $15.

 

[SusanBP0129]

My friend is paid $12.00/hr. to watch 1 year old.

 

[wadesgirl]

By the way, just to add, you can always pay her more to stamp catalogs or put host packets together!

It's been a long time but I was going to say $5 would be a standard or $20 a night. You could always ask her what her experience is and how much she has been paid before.

 

[buckeyefan08]

Wow it looks like I'll never leave the house again!! How much do you pay for more than one kid? Is it $5/hr for one and less for #2 & #3? Or $5/hr for each child?

 

[daniellemorgan]

$10 an hour? WOW!

We pay $5 an hour for our almost 4 yr old. He has a teenaged babysitter when Grandparents aren't available. Maybe it depends on where you live?

Of course, when it's the Grands, - they practically pay us to watch him.




oh - and I did check with my Mom's Group to find out how much others paid - so I'm paying the norm for this area at least!

Wow only $5!!! I babysat an 8 yo about 15 years ago and was paid $5 an hour. That was in Pittsburgh, but it must be the norm for your area. I wish I could pay less, but I want to make sure they actually watch her and come back again if I need her. Maybe I'll move to Michigan...:balloon:

 

[daniellemorgan]

One more thing....I also feel the younger the children the more you have to do for them (change diapers, feed, etc...), so the more you pay. Just my thoughts!

 

[chefjwr]

My neighbor pays my 14 year old $ 5.00 to watch 3-4 kids, one is a baby about a year old and two are twin 3 year olds and the other in 2nd grade. Sometimes the baby goes with mom, sometimes the 2nd grader has other plans but usually it is 3 kids. I don't think she gets paid enough and recently won't do it since my neighbor's grandmother has come to live with them. She can't walk but she is constantly telling my daughter to not do this and go do that. My daughter is uncomfortable and often can't understand what the grandmother is saying. I hope she will be able to continue to babysit for them.

 

[JillianAnthony]

We usually pay pretty well. I don't go by an hourly rate but if we're gone a while I give the babysitter about $40.00. She brings a friend w/her and they split it. So from 5-12 is...a little over $5.00 an hour

 

[quiverfull7]

My girls all get $8 - $10 an hour... whether it's one child or more. And I have to pay thier friends the same... although if I have to pick up the ones who cannot drive yet they get $7 - $8 depending on what they have to do that day/night

 

[PamperedDor]

My daughters get between 7 and 10 an hour - depending on the family - If I had to pay again it would be around 8 an hour - (one of the perks of having teenagers!)

 

[etteluap70PC]

it totally depends on the sitter. I am very fortunate. I pay $5 an hour for 2 kids. I tried to give my sitter the same amt when she only had one last week and she said it was too much! I am so lucky!!! I have a really great sitter!

 

[lkprescott]

Depends on the sitter and on the area. When I used to hang out with folks down on Philly's Main Line like.. 10 years ago or so $10 was the norm an hour... I'm sure it's gone up since then. I couldn't afford that. LOL... with minimum wage at about $7/hr I'd consider that a good starting point... perhaps more for more kids, time of night and all that.

 

[paroese]

I usually pay $10 an hour for my 6, 4, and 1 year olds. Or for any 2 of them (a lot of times it ends up being just the older 2). If its just the baby then I pay about $7 an hour.

 

[Mwalker]

YIKES!!! I get away with $4/hr for 2 kids. $50 overnight (our overnights are 15-18hrs, tho) And Im considered one of the BETTER paying parents. LOL
Then, again, I live in a really small WV town. Teens here are happy to get anything. Some parents pay as little as $2So it really does depend on where you live. 20 years ago when I was babysitting I was getting $2-3/hr per kid. But that was in NJ suburb, just outside of Philly.I would ask her what her rate is, if shes sat before she'll have an idea of what she wants. Also ask parents in your area. Comparing Indiana to New York isnt going to be much help. -meryl

 

[ChefClairissa]

This might help:
http://www.babysitters.com/howmuchtopay.aspx

 

[chefshawna]

Hey Mwalker, I'm originally from Clarksburg (family is all still there) . How close is Williamstown?? I really miss living in WV!!!!!

 

[sburnside]

Thanks so much for everyone's input. Between all your input and some fellow workers, I think I'm leaning towards $5 an hour since my kids don't require diapers, feedings, etc. Maybe I'll have a minimum of $15 or $20 for those shorter trips to town, etc. I live in a pretty rural area so I think that plays a role in determining pay too. For daycare or regular daily babysitter, going rate in my area is $15-20 for all day. Whatever the pay, my kids are invaluable and who I am entrusting them to is worth my world.

 

[Mwalker]

Hey Mwalker, I'm originally from Clarksburg (family is all still there) . How close is Williamstown?? I really miss living in WV!!!!!

Hey Shawna... 90 minutes straight down Rt 50 BEtween Parkersburg & St Marys, right along the Ohio River.


-meryl

 

[heat123]

We use my niece and depending on the total time, it's anywhere from $20-40 a night.

 

[chefsteph07]

My 16 yr old sitter usually get about $25 for the evening...say from 6pm-midnight.

Next weekend we will be using her from about 2:30pm-who know when and we'll obviously give her more, maybe $40. She's always cool w/ it...sometimes dh tried to pay her more, but she is so good SHE GIVES IT BACK TO HIM!!!
She has 3 younger brothers and says it's a treat to get out of the houe and away from them!

Now, we have been very good to her, last summer we took her to Cedar Point w/ us and paid for everything for her and even gave her $20 to spend for herself as a treat for being such a great sitter. We will prob do the same thing this year.
When you find a good sitter, hang on to them! They are so hard to come by!

 

[laylaleigh]

I pay 8 if they are still in high shcool, but most of my sitters are in college and I pay 10 for 2 kids. 3 and 1

 

[chefbritt]

I nanny, and I get paid $10-12 an hour, depending on the job. The average around here is anywhere from $10 to $15. Granted, I'm in college, and am about to receive my degree in a child related field, so it is a little different from a 14 year old. When I babysat as a teen I made $7 an hour. I guess it must depend on the area, because $5 would never fly around here, unless it was for family or good friends, or the sitter was under 16. A 16 year old could go out and get any job and make at least $6 an hour, so I don't see them working for less than that. But again, it depends on the situation. If half the time the kids are in bed and the sitter is watching tv or doing their homework, then they really shouldn't be making as much. I would ask around and find out what the norm is in your area, because as you can see I think it really varies.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I nanny, and I get paid $10-12 an hour, depending on the job. The average around here is anywhere from $10 to $15. Granted, I'm in college, and am about to receive my degree in a child related field, so it is a little different from a 14 year old. When I babysat as a teen I made $7 an hour. I guess it must depend on the area, because $5 would never fly around here, unless it was for family or good friends, or the A 16 year old could go out and get any job and make at least $6 an hour,sitter was under 16. so I don't see them working for less than that. But again, it depends on the situation. If half the time the kids are in bed and the sitter is watching tv or doing their homework, then they really shouldn't be making as much. I would ask around and find out what the norm is in your area, because as you can see I think it really varies.

that may have something to do with it - because the jobs for 16 yr olds around here are very few and far between.....adults are taking typical teen jobs.

 

[chefbritt]

Yeah, around here, there are plenty of adults that need jobs, but many that are unwilling to take the typical teen jobs. I don't know if its a pride thing, or if the pay is so low that not working, being on welfare or unemployment or whatever the situation may be is actually better than the pay of a minimum wage job. I see "now hiring" signs everywhere I go. Although, I feel like even the teens won't take these jobs. I hear so many kids balk at the idea and act like they are too good for a sales job or washing dishes at the local restaurants. They want a "real" job, with good pay, yet they don't have the experience or education to go with it. It's kind of crazy. And I should say, these are my observations of the area I live in and people I interact with, not a statement about the state as a whole. I'm sure there are others out there with different experiences.

 

[purrbal]

my two centsI know people have said "back when they babysat" but I think we are mostly talking about kids watching kids in this topic and I know the cost of things go up but I think in regards to babysitting for teens the costs should probably stay similar to what you got paid as a teen. When you work a job you get taxed etc... where when you babysit you get all of what you make outright.

 

[chefbritt]

When you work a job you get taxed etc... where when you babysit you get all of what you make outright.

Not always... I guess that's the difference between a babysitter and a nanny though. Parents can claim the money spent for a sitter on their taxes, and if they pay a sitter more than $1500 in a year, they have to file a special form for it. Legally, sitters are also supposed to report what they make as income on their taxes as well. So, sometimes they end up paying out come tax time. Of course, in this case, I'm sure its a casual sitting arrangement where they will pay in cash and not claim it. So I think it is all relevant to the individual situation.

I know the original poster was talking about an occasional evening sitter who is in high school, but I thought I'd post this anyways because others who reference the thread may be in different situations.

 

[janetupnorth]

Yikes! I'm like the rest, I'm never going out again... (we don't go out anyway...)I pay $37 a day when BOTH my kids are at a sitter and $27 when 1 kid and the 2nd from bus time until I pick her up about 1 1/2 hours later.For nights out if not working, my SIL belongs to a MOM's group. They swap for each other so they can go it. For example, I take your kids this week, you take mine next week. That way they can go out without big costs.Personally, in our family we can't afford to go out alone so we find family activities to have a night out. We figure someday we'll get a night alone...oh in about 10 years!

 

[chefsteph07]

Not always... I guess that's the difference between a babysitter and a nanny though. Parents can claim the money spent for a sitter on their taxes, and if they pay a sitter more than $1500 in a year, they have to file a special form for it. Legally, sitters are also supposed to report what they make as income on their taxes as well. So, sometimes they end up paying out come tax time. Of course, in this case, I'm sure its a casual sitting arrangement where they will pay in cash and not claim it. So I think it is all relevant to the individual situation.

I know the original poster was talking about an occasional evening sitter who is in high school, but I thought I'd post this anyways because others who reference the thread may be in different situations.

I think that's "childcare" as opposed to a once in a while babysitter...I certainly do not spend $1500 a yr on my babysitter! W/ childcare, there is a special tax credit that you can take.

 

[niktim3]

I have a 2.5 and 5.5 year old... I just came out and asked!! They were honest, and asked for $10 an hour. We live in New England... so that may be the cause. However, when we do find sitters.. they are old enough to drive here and home. I always worry about the stories some of htese kids come up with!! Hope that helps!

 

[purrbal]

I think that's "childcare" as opposed to a once in a while babysitter...I certainly do not spend $1500 a yr on my babysitter! W/ childcare, there is a special tax credit that you can take.

Right I consider daycare/nanny's completely different to a babysitter watching the kids for errands/evening out for date night or a show.

 

[tpchefrebecca]

I used to pay $5 an hour but i'm about to change that. I think $7 while they are awake and $5/hr while they are asleep. I have 2 kids 9 & 5. The 5 is more time consuming than 9. Plus, my sitters are next door so I don't have to pick up or drop off. Plus this will only be in dire situations now that I have joined a co-op. I don't go out as much as I used to but I also do more cat shows too than cooking shows. So it definitly helps.

 

[cathyskitchen]

We pay our babysitters between $8 - $10 an hour for our 2 kids (ages 9 & 6). We also tip 20% - that's what everyone in our area does, so if we want a babysitter on a Saturday night so we can go out on a "date night", that's what we pay. IMO, it's worth every penny. I'd rather stay married to my DH than pay for a divorce - that's MUCH more expensive than any babysitter would charge!!

 

[Jenni]

I guess I am cheap... I pay my 14 year old niece to watch my 7 year old son three dollars an hour. If I am gone for like 6 hours I pay her $20 and she is thrilled!!! Not that she has to do much for a seven year old...

 

[cathyskitchen]

We usually hire 18 yo and older - age makes a big difference.

 

[daniellemorgan]

We also tip 20% -

I've been in the service industry my whole working life, so I feel like I will die if I don't tip well. I never tip below 30%. Which leads me to why I never go out and why I don't ever really have to overpay my babysitter. :balloon: