Staceyshoe Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 We've always traded with family on the occasions when we needed a babysitter, but our go-to person has gone through some life changes and is no longer available. I'm starting to search for a trustworthy teen to watch my boys on a very occasional basis (e.g., when we're invited to a wedding, etc.) in my home. Problem is that I have absolutely no clue what the going rate is for babysitting. What pay rate should I offer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sylvi76 Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Where I live (East Coast, USA) 10 an hour seems normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Two little ones? I'd call your friends nearby to see what they pay, but around here, I'd say it starts at around 8 and goes from there. I find asking a teen or a teen's parents what they charge sometimes results in a lower amt (not always!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robyn Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 My babysitter watches my two younger boys for $10 an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tm_burriss Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I paid my sitters 10 per hour for the first child and 5 per hour for each additional child when they were little (under 5). Now that they are older I pay a flat 10 per hour. If it is an all day thing (over 5 hours) I usually pay 50 for the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I just joined care.com to find a sitter because we don't have family in the area to help anymore. I am mostly looking for adult aged sitters, so my range is 10-15/hr. I pay toward the top of that range if they have experience, and or things like cpr or first-aid certification or training. I have three kids, which is why my range may be a bit higher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBear Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Adult, $10 an hour for two kids. Teen (<18), $8 an hour for two kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 $8-10/hr, which is obsurd to me that they make that much money. My neice gives me a discount to $6.50 for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Here's the crazy thing... that means that babysitting makes as much $$$ as me if I went to work... half of what most average adults make in an hour... and then of course it's all without taxes. My 16 year old was making $8. an hour credit bartering for the woman who cut her hair. That seems like a more than enough amount to me. I mean... makes me want to put my name out to babysit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth. Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Definately check with friends to see what the norm is in your area. The going rate here is $3/hour for teen sitters. When we pay $5/hour, the sweet girls we use try to give us money back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 (edited) One thing to consider is a baby sitter also has to drive to your home and back for maybe just a few hours of work. To me, that also kind of factors in. I wouldn't want to drive 10-15 mins each direction to baby sit for 2-3 hours and make under $10 an hour, especially with climbing gas prices. I'm sure this is also a regional issue and it probably also depends on how close your babysitter is to where you live. Edited March 22, 2012 by Momof3littles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 We pay $12 per hour for 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Here's the crazy thing... that means that babysitting makes as much $$$ as me if I went to work... half of what most average adults make in an hour... and then of course it's all without taxes. My 16 year old was making $8. an hour credit bartering for the woman who cut her hair. That seems like a more than enough amount to me. I mean... makes me want to put my name out to babysit. But 'real' jobs typically come with some sort of benefits - some sort of insurance - even if you have to pay for a chunk of it, vacation days, retirement plan availability etc. At my husband's work, if they offer someone a salary of $70,000 a year, the employment package will actually be $100,000 a year when disability insurance, health insurance(the company pays about 1/3 of it for each employee), dental insurance, vacation plans and retirement plans are factored in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 But 'real' jobs typically come with some sort of benefits - some sort of insurance - even if you have to pay for a chunk of it, vacation days, retirement plan availability etc. At my husband's work, if they offer someone a salary of $70,000 a year, the employment package will actually be $100,000 a year when disability insurance, health insurance(the company pays about 1/3 of it for each employee), dental insurance, vacation plans and retirement plans are factored in. I guess I'm thinking that most of these babysitters are teens who have health and such through parents. I'm not adding in anyone who thinks of this as their full time job :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Teens around here seem to charge about $5, but most of them can't handle my three littles. I have one (now in college) who can, and we pay her more like $8, even though she technically charges $5/hr. I now have an awesome adult sitter who has experience with multiple small children and is amazing with them. She charges $10/hr, which is high for the area, but she is worth every penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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