What to Pay the Babysitter?

Updated on December 03, 2007
V. asks from Inver Grove Heights, MN
9 answers

We have 2 daughters ages 5 and 2 and a 6 month old baby boy. I am wondering what people pay sitters. We usually pay about $8/hour. Usually we just leave the girls with the sitters and my mom watches our baby. Just wondering what others pay their sitters. My husband and I use sitters a lot and we want to be sure we pay our sitters well!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.M.

answers from Minneapolis on

It depends on the age and experience... I have paid as little as 6 for a high school student, but I usually pay 13 for an older college student. That seems to be what my neighbors pay as well...depending on age and experience.

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

It sounds like you are in the range. I pay teenagers about $5/hour and older babysitters about $10. My kids are older though and don't require a lot of "babysitting." Sometimes I just ask them what they are usually paid.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

Hard to say, depends on the age of your sitter too. My hubby and I have one still underage and will pay $20 for dinner and a movie.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.F.

answers from Minneapolis on

I don't get sitters a whole lot but when I have had a babysitter I paid $7/hr for a 3 and 1 year old when the sitter was a teenager. If the sitter was older and from our daycare I paid $10/hr. I got these numbers by asking them ahead of time. It sounds similar to what some other's are responding.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.I.

answers from Minneapolis on

I always understood it to be $5 per child. And always round up, no half hours.

My mom is a HS teacher and apparently she polled her students this year. Partly it depends on the age and disposition of the child. Some would take $4.75 others $6 for under one year olds. But they all seemed to think that $5 was a MINIMUM.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

we have a 5 and 2 also...we just paid my neice $7.00/hr for 4 hours, but rounded up to $30. she is in college...i would pay a non-realtive about $8 for two kids, probably $6/hour for one kid. You may need to pay at least $8.00/hr for an older girl especially at night as they probably have competing social activities. and also at night you may want them to do extra things like bath and put to bed.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

I would say $8hr. is just fine especially if it's just a teenager.

I know I'm very experianced, have my own child and do it on the side and make alot more but I'm not a teenager and my experiance says alot. I would probaly even go as low at 8hr. if I really liked the family.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

Wow $8 seems like alot. I used to pay only $5/hr for a sitter. I guess it depends on the quality of the sitter as well. I had teenagers who wanted to just sit around so myabe thats why I'm thinking $5 was PLENTY!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.G.

answers from Minneapolis on

I can't really say what to pay the younger babysitters, ages 14 - 18. But any older than that I would pay 10$ an hour. I also would pay a little extra with having multiply children. I think if your mother is up for it I would continue having her watch your youngest one. Still pretty little to be left with someone besides a family member.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions