Comments (scroll down to add your own):

1. We pay $10 for 2 kids (2 and 6 months). Our babysitter is an adult who works in the nursery at our church.

   Comment by tcstone — Sep 5th 2008 @ 9:40 am

2. With 3 kids aged 6, 4 and 2 we were paying $8/hour to a recent high school graduate who could drive herself and was great with the kids. We just added #4 and I can expect $10/h will be the going rate once we get comfortable enough to go out on our own again.

   I’d say the price is right if you’re comfortable with the baby sitter. We’ve tried others that charged less but they wouldn’t pick up the toys/games after the kids went to bed or we’d get stories of them sitting on the phone the whole night…

   Comment by Greg — Sep 5th 2008 @ 9:41 am

3. Zero. My oldest daughter is 15!

   She and her younger sister DO babysit and frequently earn between $7 and $10 per hour. Not a bad gig if you can get it.

   Comment by Ron@TheWisdomJournal — Sep 5th 2008 @ 9:44 am

4. I got paid $10/hr for a 10 month old and 10.50 an hour for a 2 year old and 6 month old. I was a freshman in college at the time, but it was a nice-ish neighborhood in DC. Many of my friends that babysat in the area made closer to $12 for one child. I think it definitely depends on where you live – in my case it was a high cost of living area. I think if the babysitter is happy with the money, that’s all that matters. Especially since she is so young, her parents would also step in if they felt she was being cheated – so in your case, I think $10 is more than enough.

   Comment by financefixer — Sep 5th 2008 @ 9:51 am

5. Wow, $10/hr?

   I don’t have kids and haven’t babysat for probably 12-15 years, but I used to charge $15-$18 an hour. Well, usually it was “this is how much it will cost you tonight” and most of the people didn’t do the math to figure out how much they were paying, but still.

   Maybe it was just because all the kids I babysat for liked me.

   Comment by Blaine Moore — Sep 5th 2008 @ 9:58 am

6. Up until a couple of weeks ago, we were getting freebies from Grandma and my sister-in-law, but we recently hired one of the girls from daycare (she’s in college now). After some research on local message boards, we found that $10/hr seemed fair, and figured I would round up to the nearest $20 bill. She got $60 for 5 1/2 hours.

   Comment by Scott — Sep 5th 2008 @ 10:25 am

7. I pay my nanny $11.90 an hour (42 hrs a week) for one kid. She’s been with us for nearly 3 years.

   On the unlikely event that we need the local teenager we give her $10 an hour.

   Comment by ben — Sep 5th 2008 @ 10:28 am

8. I got roughly 8.50 an hour babysitting two boys (ages 9 and 11) this summer.

   Comment by hoagie — Sep 5th 2008 @ 10:47 am

9. We are stuck since we live far away from family & baby sitters are scarce here. I have 3 kids 13,9,and almost 3.
   For a quick errand I will put my 13 yr old in charge of the 3 yr old but to go out for an evening I still prefer an adult person. I pay $10 for first child and $2 for each additional child. When I had only 2 and a neighborhood teenager babysit we paid him $10/hr for 2. My theory is until they are all old enough to tell me what went on while I was gone (if anything did) then an adult is the best recourse for me or a neighboring highschooler whose parent is around in case of problems…

   Comment by dawnf — Sep 5th 2008 @ 10:53 am

10. In Los Angeles, my wife got $15 an hour for the first kid, and an additional $5 for each kid. Here, the going rate is $12 an hour. My friends in SF pay $15-$20 depending on the sitter.

    Comment by David — Sep 5th 2008 @ 11:01 am

11. We live in Seattle and pay the going rate of $15/hour for an adult (25+) to watch our 6 month old.

    This is not the teenager down the street. This is someone that can drive, knows CPR and isn’t on the phone/computer the entire time.

    Comment by saltinesgirl — Sep 5th 2008 @ 11:04 am

12. Get this. Our daughters’ piano teacher wants the my oldest (11) to watch her 2 year old while she’s there giving lessons for 4 hours each week. Know what she offered to pay? $1 an hour!

    To answer the question, I usually pay $8-10 hour here in Ohio when we hire a teen sitter but our girls are older and pretty easy to watch.

    Comment by Frantichomecook — Sep 5th 2008 @ 11:16 am

13. You couldn’t afford to pay me enough to watch 4 kids under 10.

    Seriously, when our 3 boys were of babysitting age, we hired a team of two sitters (friends). This worked much better because it reduced babysitter stress. It was actually more affordable because we didn’t need to bribe a single sitter with hazardous duty pay. (Watching our 3 boys by yourself was definitely hazardous duty.)

    Comment by ToughMoneyLove — Sep 5th 2008 @ 11:29 am

14. Depends on the age. Under 9 months or so, about $16-20. Older is a bit cheaper. My wife gets $45 for 3 hours or less, and about $14-15 an hour after for 2 kids. This is actually cheap. She gets $20 an hour for 2 kids at another location. She is CPR trained and was a pre-school teacher, etc. so you pay for what you get.

    This is in Boston.

    Comment by Geoff — Sep 5th 2008 @ 11:34 am

15. “She is CPR trained and was a pre-school teacher, etc. so you pay for what you get.”

    My wife too, and because she has these skills she wouldnt hire anyone who didnt…

    Comment by David — Sep 5th 2008 @ 11:49 am

16. Wow, babysitters make big money where you all are from. I live in rural WV and babysitters don’t make half of what some of you do. Then again, we don’t have nearly as high of taxes, cost of living, etc. here either.

    Comment by Getz — Sep 5th 2008 @ 12:28 pm

17. We’ve paid $10/hr for our 2-year old twins, but have only used sitters a couple of times.

    Comment by Dylan — Sep 5th 2008 @ 12:45 pm

18. $10-$12/hr for a college student; $15/hr if more than 2 kids. And I pay $3/hr for the 10 year old next door to come over and play with the kids (a toddler and a pre-schooler) while I work in a back room. — California, San Bernardino County

    Comment by Kimberley — Sep 5th 2008 @ 2:34 pm

19. I have 3 kids -$10-15 per hour is the going rate depending on age and experience and how last minute you book the sitter.

    Comment by Kelli — Sep 5th 2008 @ 2:53 pm

20. About 5-8 years ago when I was in middle school I babysat for my 3 cousins. I was payed a dollar an hour per kid. Most nights I made about 20$. Looking back, my aunt and uncle were getting a deal, but I suppose that’s how family works. My cousins were 4 and 5 years younger than me, so it was never really that difficult.

    Comment by noelle — Sep 5th 2008 @ 3:50 pm

21. How do any of you ever go out? We have a babysitting budget of $20 a month. We use a lot of family, but when we have a sitter, it is usually a 13 or 14 year old from our neighborhood, who could call home and have mom or dad help out in an emergency. We always go out somewhere close so we can be home in less than 20 minutes if necessary. We pay $5 an hour for the first hour and $3 an hour for each additional hour and usually round up. I always tell my sitters that their job is just to play with the kids and make sure they aren’t injured. I’m not paying them to cook or clean or anything else, so I feel it’s pretty fair. As an aside: my DH thinks our kids are so awesome, people should pay us to come and hang out with them.

    Comment by Jen — Sep 5th 2008 @ 4:15 pm

22. We live in DC. Sitters around here expect way too much. Frankly I don’t know how any of you ever go out.

    We found a nice girl at church who is 15. We pay her $7.00/hour for four kids, 7, 5, 3, and 1 (all boys!). We pay her the same no matter if they are awake or asleep or if she only has two (she’s home schooled and babysits some during the day when our other two are at school). Plus our kids go to bed at 7:30ish and we usually leave around 6:00 so her job is a piece of a cake!

    It is outrageous what some sitters charge. For those rates I expect a curriculum taught, the house spotless and meals provided!

    Comment by Heather — Sep 5th 2008 @ 5:19 pm

23. All i know is, i used to make $5/hour if i were LUCKY! and the amount of kids, ages, time – none of that mattered. Then again, that was a good 10 years ago…i heard inflation has been pretty terrible though lately

    Comment by budgets are sexy — Sep 5th 2008 @ 11:32 pm

24. I should stop being so cheap that we almost never hire a babysitter. But, my wife doesn’t really want to spend the money either. I suppose it’s so hard to get family-at-home time, that we are just glad for those nights.

    Comment by Todd A — Sep 6th 2008 @ 12:51 am

25. We pay $10 for two kids (4 and 18 months). Our sitter is a school teacher in her late 20’s.

    Comment by Mike — Sep 6th 2008 @ 6:10 am

26. As a 22-year-old frequent babysitter, I get paid around $10/hr, regardless of the number of kids. I’ve never told anyone what I charge – that’s just what they pay me. I think that’s fair, because I always clean up after the kids, do dirty dishes that are in the sink, and I hope, while it has never happened, that in an emergency I would have the presence of mind to do the right thing. I think for an older babysitter, like in college or past college, $10 is reasonable, because they’re more responsible and also probably have a lot better things they could be doing. You’re paying them for their time, not just their effort

    Comment by Chelsey — Sep 6th 2008 @ 9:29 am

27. We have a single 2-year-old and when we go out on our own, we pay our sitter $20 + $5/hour – so 2 hours is $30, 4 is $40, so on. Not sure how we started this method – I think I was trying to bribe her to sit for an hour once and we realized this was a good approach for both of us! But the average is generally $10/hour. The sitter is 18, graduated from High School this May and is studying to be a midwife, so slightly more skilled/mature than other teens/college students. We’re in metro area of Texas, I bet you would pay less in a more rural/suburban area?

    Comment by MM — Sep 6th 2008 @ 2:05 pm

28. We live 40 minutes south of Boston & use 3 different girls in our neighborhood. They are all great and my 2 year old daughter loves them! We pay them $7 an hour and have no complaints either way!

    Comment by Stacy — Sep 6th 2008 @ 3:13 pm

29. I depends what you mean by “babysitter.” If you are getting the preteen down the street to come hang out at your house for a couple of hours while your kid(s) sleep, $5 an hour is sufficient in most places (no more than $20 total for the night). If however you are paying somebody you don’t know, somebody over 18, then you may need to sweeten the pot a bit. No less than $20 but probably no more than $50, regardless of exact number of hours or kids.

    When I was in college (in Dallas), my sorority kept a “babysitting list” and local alumni moms were always calling trying to set up a sitter. When you live in an area where babysitters are relatively scarce, you pay what you have to. It can take a lot for a 20 year old to give up a Friday night to take care of somebody else’s kids!

    Comment by Meg — Sep 6th 2008 @ 6:31 pm

30. Wow, some people are cheap. In a MAJOR metropolitan area – $12/hr minimum for 1 kid. $1 for each additional kid. Older kids (ie, not going to bed by 8pm or so) goes up to $15/hr (with the $1 addition). It’s not a lot – think about what you actually have to do to take care of your own child (feeding, changing diapers, picking up toys, etc). I do that and the kid ain’t mine. Not to mention the sick kids, the messy kids, the not-quite-potty-trained kids, the crying kids, the bratty spoiled kids… And these really are your kids.
    If you live somewhere smaller, then the rates are definitely lower.

    Don’t get me wrong, kids are great. But you do have to understand that not everyone loves your kids like you do. You have to pay a fair rate for dealing with all of this. You could get away with paying a teenager less, but you also get what you pay for.

    I suspect the cheap folks are also poor tippers…

    Comment by deepali — Sep 6th 2008 @ 8:36 pm

31. I remember the good old days when I babysat. I got $2/hr and thought I was overpaid! *lol*

    We live in a small town outside of Charlotte, NC. For our two kids (4 & 5 yrs old) we pay $7-8/hour for the easy jobs (when the kids are only awake for an hour before she puts them to bed and then hangs out the rest of the night). For the more difficult jobs (ones in which she watches the kids during the day) we pay $9-10 an hour. When she housesits which includes letting our dog outside a couple times a day, feeding the cats, bringing in mail, and taking out trash, we pay $15/day.

    Comment by Jaynee — Sep 7th 2008 @ 11:28 am

32. I generally only sit for friends but sometimes I work for my church for special meetings outside of the regular services.

    When I sit for my friends with 3 boys under the age of 5 they pay me roughly $10. I basically let them dictate what they pay me since I figure I’m doing them a favor. Sometimes they can’t pay me and that’s ok. They need time out and I’m not in it for the money.

    Other friends with a 1 yo are new parents and they don’t know what to charge. The first time I sat for them I told them no charge as it was a birthday gift for one of them. The second I told them $5/hr. Again, I’m not in it for the money but to help my friends out.

    Besides generally half if not most of my time is spent when the kids are sleeping and I’m just in the house making sure everything’s ok.

    When I work for my church I get $10/hr. There’s a varying number of kids and I’m always with at least one other person. We have some ratio of kids to adults, there’s always two adults even with just one kid but at some point they add a third, etc.

    Comment by Amber — Sep 7th 2008 @ 12:54 pm

33. I live outside of Minneapolis and my friends pay $6 an hour for teen babysitters, and they pay the highest rate of anyone I know for their one child.

    I think its interesting that people in the larger cities pay up to $15 an hour… I wonder how that compares to full time nannies in those same cities?

    Comment by Danielle — Sep 8th 2008 @ 10:03 am

34. We pay 5 dollars an hour to our neighborhood babysitters that are in junior high. My neighborhood gives out scholarships to go thorough the American Red Cross Babysitting course. However I have a minuim of 10 dollar policy I want to make sure it is worth there time and that they remember I pay well.
    My Mom does most of the babysitter for free so it is very rare that we need an outside babysitter.

    Comment by ZenSpend — Sep 8th 2008 @ 7:42 pm

35. For irregular babysitting, I pay my younger sister (she’s in college) $8 per hour to watch my 4.5 year old, and we round it up to the nearest $10. When I hire someone else, I usually pay $10 per hour, rounded up to the nearest hour. I imagine when I start leaving the baby too, those rates will increase to $10+ and $15 accordingly. We live in suburban Philadelphia and that’s the going rate. I can pay my sister less only because she frequently comes over to help out (that is, I’m home), sometimes just because she needs money!

    I pay my part time nanny, who watches the kids in my house, does light housework, etc., $16.50 per hour. It is worth every penny to get a little bit of uninterrupted time to get my work done.

    Comment by Dawn — Sep 8th 2008 @ 9:01 pm

36. Wow! I have to say that I am shocked at how much many of you are paying. I pay $10 an hour for a teen to babysit my 3 children, and I feel that is overly generous (not cheap!). When did babysitting become so much higher than minimum wage? When I was a teen I also babysat for $1-$2 an hour, which even then was far less than minimum wage.

    Comment by Jennifer — Sep 8th 2008 @ 9:49 pm

37. im trying to find out how much to charge to babysit around my community, there are like 10 out of 50 houses with kids. but the people across from me go out alot, and they have 3 kids, 2-5-9

    im 14 and im kinda wondering how much to charge? i was thinking around like 8-12/hour

    Comment by zacduschel — Sep 10th 2008 @ 9:13 pm

38. I am totally shocked. I need a sitter badly so I can go to my job and earn about $12.30/hr. I am college educated. How did sitters, and I mean high school kids earning some spending money, get us so over a barrel. I applied for a second job that required a resume and portfolio for MINIMUM WAGE!!! My 15 yr old neighbor wants $10/hr. She, or I for that matter couldn’t apply anywhere and make that. This is insanity. Has anyone heard of ’salary commensurate with experience and qualifications’! All a sitter needs to do for my 10 and 6 year old is supervise a little. My 10 yr old can make easy mac in the microwave. For $10/hr I want my drycleaning picked up, the house vacuumed, dishes done, my driveway sealed, and the gutters cleaned. LOL
    I made $10 a night when I sat. That was 1 4 yr old for 4 hours. Maybe I should quit my job and be a babysitter?!

    Comment by Mom — Sep 11th 2008 @ 4:47 pm

39. When I was younger, my dad would hire out my babysitting services to neighbors. Usually, they’d say something like, “We need someone to watch our kids,” and he’d jump in and say, “Kacie will do it!!” without even consulting me. Lovely.

    Anyway, I never got paid much. It usually worked out to $2 or $3 per hour, no matter how many kids. I usually sat for kids who were already potty-trained, so that was a plus. The parents would tell me I could eat whatever I wanted and sometimes left out yummy snacks for me, so I guess that was part of the compensation.

    I’m pregnant with my firstborn so I don’t know when I’ll be hiring a babysitter (not for awhile, likely) but especially while he’s little and unable to speak, I’d want to leave him with someone who knows what they’re doing with babies. If that means paying someone $10-$15 an hour, that’s what I’ll do.

    Comment by Kacie — Sep 11th 2008 @ 6:19 pm

40. Gosh, I didn’t know the “going rate” in Seattle is $15 an hour! I’ve been charging between $10 and $12 an hour, depending on the number of kids. I don’t turn on the television, either.
    I really *do* get a kick out of my young charges, though. It’s like timeshare grandchildren.
    You’re lucky to find someone who doesn’t mind four under 10. When my daughter was about 14, the folks across the street paid her $5 an hour to watch four kids under age FIVE…! She’s 30 now and still wakes up screaming.

    Comment by Donna Freedman — Sep 12th 2008 @ 2:30 am

41. I’m a second-year law student and babysat all the way through college and my first year of law school (total of the last 5 years) in Charleston, SC. I charge $10 an hour for 1-2 kids, $11 for 3-4 kids, and $12 for 5-6 kids. The families I’ve been a regular sitter for have all had 2 kids so my rate didn’t change for them if one of the kids happened to have a friend over that day. The parents also pay for me to do whatever activities I’m taking the kids to–the water park, the movies, the museum, etc. I typically have a 3-hr. minimum and my payment gets rounded up to the nearest half-hour increment (5.25 hours = $55).

    When I was a nanny (only one summer), I got paid absolute garbage–it worked out to lower than minmum wage–but I was only 19 then. (And to top it off the kids were AWFUL!)

    A family that I sat for had a nanny (in addition to me coming once a week). She was also a college student, and she was paid a flat rate of $400 a week for 45 hours a week since there was more downtime spread throughout the whole day.

    Comment by Megan — Sep 12th 2008 @ 9:10 am

42. $10 per hour for 1 kid. You are getting a great deal if for 4 kids. I would make sure they get a good tip!

    Comment by Andy — Sep 12th 2008 @ 2:59 pm

43. I have seven children (9yrs, 8yrs, 6yrs, 5yrs, 5yrs, 3yrs, and 11months) and my husband and I pay our babysitter $15 an hour.
    Yet again we have 7 children.
    So i’d say 4 kids at $10 an hour is perfect.

    Comment by Jahnveyve — Sep 20th 2008 @ 8:28 pm

44. We have four children under the age of 7. We get out maybe once every three to four months, if that. When we do use a babysitter, we prefer a 16 yr old, #2 of 8 children young woman who the kids love. We haven’t left the “baby” with her yet. With the younger three (6, 5, & 2), we pay about $8/hr. I would assume we’d pay roughly the same when we leave her with all four.

    You couldn’t pay me enough to watch/clean up after them, but that’s why I’m their mom. I do it for free. We live in a small community in a mid-Central state.

    Comment by Doucement — Sep 21st 2008 @ 12:17 am

45. Really…the ‘going rate’ in Seattle is $15? I have an 9 and 7 year old. Tonight is the first night a sitter (new) charged me $15/hr. Surprising since I have never come home to such a messy home. (Dishes in sink, counters sticky, floors a mess, sitter in front of tv.) I normally pay $12 or $13/hr. We usually don’t stay out more than 3 to 4 hours and I round the amount up to the nearest $5. My sitters are usually highschool or college age. One sitter is a bit older and she gets $13 rounded up. I almost always feed kids first, have them showered and ready for bed and make it as easy as possible. Tonight was a shock…$15 an hour AND a huge mess. Won’t be calling her again.

    Comment by tricia — Sep 28th 2008 @ 2:44 am

46. oops, meant to add that I live in a neighborhood as close as you can get to downtown Seattle. I don’t know anyone who pays $15/hr for 2 children for a sitter. (Perhaps a nanny, but not a sitter.)

    Comment by tricia — Sep 28th 2008 @ 2:55 am

47. I’ve never heard of $15 as the “going rate” in Seattle. We usually pay $8-10/hour for our two kids, 8 and 5. They’ve usually had dinner when the sitter arrives.

    I don’t expect housework to be done, but the sitter should clean up if they have a snack and help the kids tidy any toys they played with. Once kids are asleep, TV, texting, homework etc are all ok with me.

    Comment by RR — Sep 29th 2008 @ 4:36 pm

48. I am A babysitter and I am Red cross certified And I took a Babysitters First aid and I am certified in child and Infant CPR and I charge 4.50 An hour for one kid and I Raise the price by .50 cents for each Additanal Child

    Comment by Brittany — Dec 13th 2008 @ 1:40 pm

49. I pay the babysitters in my neighborhood about $4-5 an hour. They range in age from 12-16. Not bad money for that age group. However, looking at what some of you are paying, I think I’m going to start babysitting myself and make some real money!

    Comment by sb — Dec 15th 2008 @ 5:35 pm

50. I’m 32 and was babysitting an infant in my apartmeny building and getting $13 an hour — in NYC. They had a second baby and didn’t give me a raise.

    Actually, they were kinda crappy — cancelling at the last minute and not paying me, pushing the time back five minutes before I was to ride down in the elevator. They totally took advantage of me.

    As a college-educated professional babysitting on the side in Manhattan for two little ones, I should have been getting at least $18 an hour.

    Comment by Jenn — Dec 17th 2008 @ 4:13 pm

51. Gee when I was in junior high and high school..I charged $1.00 per hour but always made more. That was my base rate..I allowed them to tip me. But that was like in the late 70s early 80’s. Times have changed these days. I guess I need to quit my day job and start babysitting full time with these prices.

    Comment by karen — Dec 18th 2008 @ 11:03 pm

52. $8/hr typically for an outstanding baby sitter that watches 2 kids in the Portland area. No tips, but I do round up to the next half hour or hour. Sometimes throwing an extra $5 in there. Those who pay $15+ an hour are foolish, particularly in Seattle. I used to live there and that is a very good wage even for those who don’t work under the table! It may not be a living wage for a 40 hr week up there, but it is awesome side money or for anyone who doesn’t have to pay for outrageous mortgage or rent payments.

    Comment by Mike — Dec 23rd 2008 @ 1:40 am

53. wow . . . i’m 14 and live in rural MN. i babysit the neighbors 2 kids [i think 7 and 9] all summer and into the school year. i get picked up at 6, watch tv with the kids for half an hour, five them a bedtime snack, and put them to bed at 7. the parents get home around 10.

    i get paid about 4 bucks an hour. i find this completely fair. if you really think about it, for the 3 hours till the parents come home, i am getting paid to sit there and do homework, watch tv, and text. i do pay attention to the kids. they are good kids, and i have fun watching them. in the summer, i get paid the same but i am saved from a day of boredom sitting at home.

    these people are very sweet and the kids are adorable. during the school year, it helps me stay concentrated on my studies instead of doing things i shouldnt. i believe i am getting paid fairly.

    Comment by Jen — Dec 30th 2008 @ 3:22 pm

54. I’m 11 years old i babysit my cousins my brother and thats about it but my brothers 8 yrs my cuz emma just turned 7 my cuz ashlyn is about 3 1/2. i usially dont ask for money unless they offer it to me. but when i did babysit ashlyn i charge 1.50 per hour but after 3hrs its only 1.25. My cuz emma i ONLY charge when they offer cuz there going through tough times. but mu brother i dont charge any but im gonna start VERY soon.

    Comment by autumn — Dec 31st 2008 @ 10:25 pm

55. SHEW!! I don’t know how any one could afford to go out at those rates!! Some people don’t even make $10 an hour at their job, much less pay a babysitter.

    When I started babysitting I got paid 50cents an hour. {{GRINS}} guess that is telling my age!

    Maybe I should go back into babysitting. I know that daycare cost is really high too, glad my baby is 25.

    Comment by Gwen — Jan 1st 2009 @ 11:06 pm

56. Hi my name is Sarah, I’m actually a babysitter not a mom. I live in Fountain Valley California 92708 in Orange County. I’m 12 almost 13 and not to brag but I very reasponsible all the people that don’t know me but heard of me think I’m 16. I’m very mature and in school I have an average of 4.0. I am very different and are not like any other babysitter, I’ll clean your whole house and take care of as many as 12 children at a time, but in order to do that I have to ask you questions on how you like your house to be cleaned. Depends on the day I could usually work from 7:00 or 7:30am to 9:00pm. I love children!!!! Most of the children I took care of all love me! My family has 13 baby boy cousins and 10 baby girls cousins from the range of 1 and a half-11 years old. I have to babysit them all and my family was so proud the paid me alot. Most of the time you pay me on how much you are satisfied but the lowest is $4.50 but I never got there or even close to there. I’m CPR and everything trained incase of an emergengy and know the basics and more of babysitting. I have received a certifacate and notification that I was trained. I will do anything to make you and your childeren satisfied. I think that you shouldn’t just hire adults they don’t have as much of a connection then with kids and kids they understand each other and have had the same problems which help find solutions. But it depends on the adult or if you know them well. I’m not lieing and I promise I will never go on the computer or phone much unless I really have to. If you would like to contact me please call my cell ecept during school hours on my cell (714)-658-1743. Please contact me at least one day before. But I can’t start working with you until after Feb. 5 sorry I can’t do it any sooner. Thank you for your patience. Bye!!!

    Comment by Sarah — Jan 2nd 2009 @ 2:02 am

57. I’m a teenage babysitter (18) and I have a Red Cross babysitters first aid license that I got ever since I was 13. I live in a small town and charge $5 an hour when the child is awake and $3 an hour when the child is asleep. Overnight is $30. That usually includes meals for the child and the house cleaned. The price stays the same even if more children are added.

    Comment by Shinea — Feb 2nd 2009 @ 12:00 am

58. Hi i have a friend of mines daughter who is 15 and the kids(one 4 and the other is 9) love her. She sleeps at our house. we pay her at least $125.00-$150.00 each time.

    Comment by Jessica — Feb 11th 2009 @ 9:31 pm

59. I feel like ive been cheated I am 13 and a very good babysitter. I baby sitted 3 kids. 11 months, 6 years, 8 years. After they went to bed I cleaned the house very nice. I babysat from 7:00-11:00. All I got was $12 flat. It really sucked.

    Comment by Paige — Feb 15th 2009 @ 10:01 am

60. Expecially since The Last time I babysitted It was 3 children. One was my aunts friend and the others were my cousins. I babysitted from 7-1 and I got paid $25 from one and $25 also from the other. and once I just babysitted 2 of them and still got $25. So I was pretty mad that I only got $12. by the way this was all flat rates.

    Comment by Paige — Feb 15th 2009 @ 10:12 am

61. I am a babysitter and I currently get paid $10-12 for one kid, sometimes two, and $18-20 for three kids, and about $4 per kid after that. In Chicago, I’d also get a tip at the end of the night on top of my salary, but in Vegas, people are tighter with their money.

    Comment by Kim — Feb 19th 2009 @ 2:21 am

62. I used to get $80 for an evening out (from about 6 or 7pm til about 2-3am) when I was 17 around 2004ish. You couldn’t pay me less than 10 bucks an hour unless the kids are over the age of 8 and there’s only one of them. Is it so bad to pay for a reliable sitter who you actually trust to be alone in your home? and not only a safe one (who keeps the kids safe and doesn’t steal your identity or your dvds etc.) but one who your kids really enjoy? I know some people who paid they’re babysitters extra not to sit for other people. Where I’m from (from North Jersey but currently in Philly) people love to steal sitters away from families. Why not? if the kids are just as fun (or at least not evil monsters) and they are going to pay you more, there’s no reason why I wouldn’t take that job over yours.

    The one thing I hate is I also used to tutor ($20 for 40 minutes) and parents would try to sneak in some homework help while I was sitting. I don’t mind helping out with a question or two, but I’m not going to sit down and give a total lesson for a cheaper price.

    Also, currently most of the sitters here in Philly and on the Mainline make about $15 an hour.

    Comment by stephanie — Mar 2nd 2009 @ 12:39 am

63. Hi, I currently babysit/nanny for multiple families in Seattle and I have found the variety of responses to the question of how much to pay a babysitter very interesting.

    I am 25, in college, and have an extensive childcare background which includes working with infants and children with special needs. I am CPR and First Aid certified and have gone through STARS training.

    I currently charge $13 an hour for 1 child and $2 an hour extra for each additional child. At this time, I am working mostly with families which have infants or special needs children.

    I do agree that $13 an hour is a lot of money, but for me babysitting and nannying is my only source of income. I am not provided with any health benefits and thus my insurance is paid out of pocket. Because childcare is my line of work, I take a very professional approach to my job.

    If you are hiring a kid for a one night gig while you go out on the town, I would say $13 an hour is too much. But if the person you are hiring is going to be spending a significant amount of time with your child, it is worth it to pay them the extra money. Finding someone who loves helping to raise other people’s children is rare and when you find that sitter/nanny you’ll want to hold on to them. Save the big bucks for those young men and women you would rather teach and play with your child instead of just “watch” them.

    Comment by Hallie — Mar 18th 2009 @ 3:09 am

64. I get paid about $10 dollars and hour for a 15 month old, 5 yr old, and 7 yr old. But family is usually cheaper about $20 per time babysitting so it dosen’t work out to very much per hour. About $3 per hour for 3-5 kids ranging baby to 8 yr old, but there family.

    Comment by Brittany — Mar 23rd 2009 @ 7:17 pm

65. I get paid $5 an hour when I babysit four kids…

    Comment by Chelsea — Apr 7th 2009 @ 2:28 pm

66. I am 14 and am certified by the Red Cross to babysit. I don’t go on the phone or computer while I babysit, I actually play with the kids, and I bring along some fun things for them to do. I love kids, and would do anything to make them happy. I am asking $8 an hour for 1 child, $10 for two, $12 for three, etc. I was wondering how that price is for Maryland, where i’m going to be soon. Should I raise it? Or lower it?

    Comment by Ray — May 4th 2009 @ 3:32 pm

67. 9 get paid 140 dollar for elen days working fro 10am-6pm =[ to scared to ask for more

    Comment by nanny — May 14th 2009 @ 10:33 pm

68. hi, i’m 12 1/2 and can now legaly babysit. I know u may think i’m a little young, but I love, love, love kids, and people say I’m very responsible, so how much should i pay ……i was thinking around 4 dollars for 1 kid, and one dollar for each extra, per hour. Please tell me if you think that is fair, or what else should i charge !!!!!!

    Comment by natasha — Jun 9th 2009 @ 10:05 pm

69. im 14 and i have also been cpr trained by the red cross (a babysitters training course–took 8 hours of pure TORTURe!! but i did it for safety)and i semi-regularly babysit a 2 year old boy and a 5 year old girl and i get paid an average of $8/hour

    ps i NEVER use the phone or computer (besides once to find out what to make for dinner because all i had was plain pasta and i had o figure out what to do with it) even after i put them to bed, i rarely watch tv, i bring a book to read and/ or clean up the kitchen and the childrens toys the might have left behind

    i also give baths and as stated above, cook for them

    do you think im being paid enough?

    Comment by Dani — Jun 14th 2009 @ 1:57 am

70. i also play with the kids constantly and am actually exhausted when i get home

    Comment by Dani — Jun 14th 2009 @ 2:03 am

71. I am a babysitter in NJ. I charge $15/hr regardless of how many kids. I’ve never sat for anyone with only one child, but I would probably lower it to $10 for them. I am usually available last minute, spend the whole time with the kids, and am very flexible if the parents arrive back early or want to stay out later.

    Comment by Cat — Jun 30th 2009 @ 2:20 pm

72. Dani- I’m also CPR certified, give baths, light cleaning, etc. You should definitely be getting paid AT LEAST $10/hr. Considering your age, $10 would be fair, $12/hr wouldn’t be unreasonable.

    Comment by Cat — Jun 30th 2009 @ 2:22 pm

73. Dani- the whole “reasonable price range” changes for different areas too, though… a 14 year old might get $5/hr in one area but $15 in another… it really depends on where you are. For two kids you most likely should be getting AT LEAST $8/hr- im babysitting certified, and do anything the parent asks me to, and don’t use the phone or computer, and for two kids i ask for $10/hr. If people seem annoyed or hesitate when you tell them your price, either lower it or leave! But don’t lower it too much. Over all, i’m not saying i’m an expert, and i know i’m certainly not one, but me and my friends have been babysitting for a while. I have a regular “charge,” my 5 yr old neighbor. He’s adorable! I don’t babysit him, i am a mothers- helper for him. i get $5/hr for being a mothers- helper. Anyway, sorry to go on and on, and have fun!

    Comment by Ray — Jul 1st 2009 @ 10:01 am

74. Im being paid $200 a week and babysit 2 boys under 8 im 13

    Comment by Me — Jul 15th 2009 @ 11:54 am

75. I’ve just found out that the mother will pay me $15 for everything I do around the house. Fair?

    Comment by Brittany — Aug 2nd 2009 @ 6:56 pm

76. I need some input on how much you think I should ask for or be payed for in this situation. I am a recent college graduate and unemployed still. My neighbor in Atlanta, asked me to house sit for 6 days while watching their daughter that is in 8th grade and taking care of their two dogs. I would have to spend the night at the house and make sure she got to the bus stop safely each morning. While she is at school from 9:15-4:00 Monday-Friday I would have my free time. When she gets home from school I need to help her with homework and cook dinner. Meanwhile, I will be watching their 2 dogs feeding and letting out morning, afternoon, and night . We have been family friends and neighbors for years so h ow much should I ask for? I am torn because my whole weekend will consists of this and more. I would love to hear anyone’s input!!

    Comment by Alex — Sep 3rd 2009 @ 12:32 am

77. i am a mom of 4 kids.3 of them already in school and Im stuck at home with my 16month old baby.Now im babysitting a friend’s 4 yr old son and get paid $10 dollars for a day.AGAIN, 10 for a day.The child gets to be dropped off at 2pm and gets to be picked up at 11 at night.( the most)So he gets to spend dinner with my family.
    I live in SOUTH FLORIDA.
    An additional child doesnt bother me at all.I have four of my own but he is an only child so he is quite spoiled at times.

    Comment by momof4 — Sep 22nd 2009 @ 3:12 pm

78. we never`really sat down and discussed about the price.i just told her to pay lesser than what she is paying his daycare so she can save .I didnt know she would go down to 10 dollars a DAY.knowing that her husband works too.
    its been 4 months now and i feel bad to tell her to find another babysitter.But with 4 kids to feed PLUS her son wanting to eat every other 2 hours and just end up wasting our food, I kind’a feel stressed a bit.NOt to mention him being a spoiled brat.
    confused???

    Comment by momof4 — Sep 22nd 2009 @ 3:27 pm

79. I am 16 and i babysit 3 children ages 3, 6, & 9!!!
    I watch them sat. thru tue!
    I get paid $100!
    I work 52 hours a week!
    Wich means i get 26.96 per day!
    Wich is 1.92 per hour!
    If you ask me I’m gettin screwed over!
    But This is just a blow over thing!
    I’m just doing it to pass time til i can start college!
    But don’t you think i should still get paid right?????

    Comment by Renee — Sep 26th 2009 @ 2:34 pm

80. ^^^^^And this is Oklahoma^^^^^

    Comment by Renee — Sep 26th 2009 @ 3:03 pm

81. I’m looking for a sitter in rural NC to watch my 3 1/2 yr old 3 days/week for 10 hours/day while I work. No cooking or cleaning as I will prepare meals ahead of time (maybe heat something in the microwave). If I paid some of the rates mentioned here, I would just be working to pay someone else to do what I would rather be doing – staying at home with my child. What’s a single parent to do?

    Comment by single mom — Sep 28th 2009 @ 5:31 pm

82. Last night I babysat 3 kids ages 5 and 7(sister and brother) and 7(last-minute friend of theirs whose parents also had to go out ). I made $75 total for babystting from 7:30 to 10:30 but they were asleep for the last 30 minutes and I only had 2 for th last hour. The family usually pays $10 an hour but I got more because of the last-minute third child and they knew it made it a lot harder cuz the kids got excited and stuff and ran around more compared to just sitting around watching movies. But, they have a fridge with tons of different soda iced tea water juice milk yogurt pudding everything candy HOMEMADE choco chip cookies which Im welcome to which is awesome but I don’t like eating their food. When they go to bed o can text, watch TV, they even got movies out just for me to watch once the kids are asleep and ones for the kids and me so I watched part of a movie I cleaned up a little etc. But this was in Thompson, CT, so they have more money than most would.

    Comment by Dani — Oct 3rd 2009 @ 5:00 pm

83. i get paid $10 an hour for two kids that are the age of 3 and 10 months. to me thats plenty for how many hours i babysit. on thursdays its usually 7pm till 1am and just recently ive pickked up weekends. last weekend i babysat for 26hours and this coming up weekend ill be babysitting for 50 hours. and to be honest im looking so forward to doing it because i love kids. i dont look at it really as a job mainly more as a hobby:)

    Comment by chelsey — Oct 7th 2009 @ 10:53 am

84. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^HUDSON IOWA^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    Comment by chelsey — Oct 7th 2009 @ 11:02 am

85. omg! me and my friend are going to start an at home babys day care… we r so glad we looked at this website! we were goin to charge 4 per our 30 per week.i think that a normal experienced baby sitter should get any where from 5-10 dollars per kid an hour…

    Comment by shea — Nov 1st 2009 @ 3:26 pm

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