What is the going rate for a babysitter these days? I have 2 kids ages 2 and 5, and am considering finding a local college student to look after them occasionally. I just have no idea how to compensate appropriately. Thanks!
If you want someone good, you have to pay them well is what I'v found. I pay 15 per hr right now. An i have a great sitter if you want her number. Take care-
I think probably $10 - $12/ hr if you're looking at a college student (probably a good idea, too). There are child development program students looking for work that you can find through the Helen Gordon Child Development Center at Portland State U. To me it's very important that they are someone who connects with and feels responsible about the kids, as not all people looking for this type of work do.
I agree with Leah, I think that babysitters are trying to charge WAY too much nowadays. I went on CraigsList a week or so ago to see if I could just find someone to watch my kids for an hour or two while I went to a doctors appointment, and I found that most of the posters were asking $10 per hour per child. That is RIDICULOUS! That means it would have cost me $40 just for 2 hours. I was thinking that I would pay $10 total. I can understand $2 per hour per child. That makes sense, but $10!?! That's more than minimum wage. WA has the #1 highest minimum wage and even that is only $8.55 per hour.
I guess I should just quit my job and start babysitting, dang!
When I had a nanny I paid 13 per hour, when I had an adult sitter I paid 10 per hour, when I had a high school student she asked for 7 per hour.. I have one child.
The different babysitters I have had all charge $10 an hour (I have four children, by the way.) I want to have help regularly so I can get the house ready for sale so I need all day help. I'm going to see what I can work out for say 6 hours per day for $50 instead of $60 or something like that. Don't know if that will happen though. heh I'm also considering summer camp as I think that would be cheaper in the end!
I have not had to hire a babysitter yet because we usually have a grandma around. But, I am looking for one soon. We have a part-time nanny who we pay $12/hr to watch our 8-month old and I have another friend who nannies (with 15+ years experience) for $14.50/hr for a family with 2 kids ages approx 4 and 6. So, I'm thinking, a teenage or college age babysitter should not be getting more than $10/hr for one kid.
I think a lot of it depends on your area.
We have always been weekly date night couple. Our sitters were usually college aged or high school. Our daughter is 15 now so we are on the other end of the spectrum because she babysits occasionally.
We guaranteed $40 for the night because the girl saved the date for us. After that, we added $10/hr. Most date nights were $60-$80 CASH. This worked well for us because we ALWAYS had a sitter because we took care of them well.
My daughter never set a price but the 2 families she watches occasionally pay her $10-$12 an hour. 1 family has 3 girls, 5,6,8 and the other has 1 boy, 11 and twin girls 5
That said....it still depends on your area. I mentioned what we paid on another post and some moms were critical. I can see a cheaper rate if you are in a rural area. We are in the Dallas area and that is pretty norm here.
We live in Portland and pay $10/hour for one child. Luckily our family usually watches our son, because I get a little bitter thinking about how I was lucky to get $6 for an entire evening of babysitting when I was a teenager. I honestly can't believe how much babysitters charge these days, especially when the child is asleep for most of the time!
My sitter charges $5 an hour for 2 kids, with a $5 to start, so 1 hour would be $10, 2 would be $15 and so on. I have 2 kids, 4 and 6.
I base it on how much experience they have. If they only have a year of experience I pay $5 - $8 an hour, but if they have 5+ years of experience I would pay $10 - $15 an hour.
Around here, for 2 kids it's $10/hr. When we lived in San Francisco, it was $15-20.
I really does depend a lot on where you are. I would suggest talking to other moms in your area or the student you are considering having babysit. I live in a College town where there are a lot of sitters available. College students are usually paid around $7-10 an hour. High schoolers are around $4-5.
I think it depends on a few different things. You can pay a younger sitter less but a college age girl is going to want a little more. We have 2 girls ages 3 and 1. When we go out we are not gone very long (like just to dinner) and our sitter is 13 so we pay her a flat $20. We figure $5 a kid and being gone for about 2 hours is $20. But when i was 16 I had a steady baby sitting job. It was for 2 kids and they paid me $10 an hour.
