This Is How Much You Should Be Paying Your Sitter, Based on Where You Live

It’s no secret that the cost of childcare is, for a lot of families, astronomically expensive. Daycare can cost in the thousands every month. A nanny? Forget about it. Even hiring a sitter for a date night or just a day off can be spendy. But everyone will, on occasion, need a babysitter. So what should you be paying them? Usually you’d just ask parents in your area what the going rate is, or possibly post your query in a local Facebook group. But if you’re curious what about babysitter rates where you live, we have some valuable information for you.

UrbanSitter has published 2018 babysitter rates by location, so you can find out if you’ve been paying your sitter a competitive wage.

babysitter rates
Image: UrbanSitter

As you can see from the graphic put together by UrbanSitter, babysitter rates vary wildly from state to state, and even from city to city. It certainly makes sense, given the vast differences in cost of living around the country. And babysitters provide a really valuable service, and should be compensated appropriately!

The most expensive city to hire a sitter is (unsurprisingly) San Francisco, where the average hourly rate is $17.89 for one child. Phoenix clocks in at the least expensive with an hourly rate of $11.83.

The national average hourly rate is right around $16, which is pretty competitive in my own market. It’s interesting to note that average hourly babysitter rates have risen across the country since 2017. As more and more people struggle to pay for regular childcare, we’re seeing costs go up in other areas of the field, as well.

There are some other interesting tidbits from the UrbanSitter survey.

Date nights are the number one reason parents hire a babysitter, which makes sense and is actually good! Time away from your kids is important for any relationship, even if you can only afford to do it once a month or so. As far as “perks” that parents offer babysitters, 55% of respondents say they tip on top of the hourly rate. 83% offer other perks, like free food, WiFi, and the Netflix password.

Were you surprised by any of the data on babysitter rates? Have you been paying your own sitter a competitive wage, compared to the average in your area?

(Image: iStock/demaerre)

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