What should I charge for babysitting?

ashley*nicole

ashley*nicole

Member
Feb 9, 2007
65
0
#1
I'm 16 years old and need a job to pay for my car, so I have decided to get a job babysitting. My grandma posted an ad saying that I was looking for a babysitting job at the college where she works. She has had two people ask about it. One person wants to know how much I would charge per hour for babysitting occasionally. I have never given the people I'm babysitting a price beforehand and have always accepted what they pay me. I was thinking about $5 an hour sounds reasonable. Another person asked about babysitting weekly and wanted to know how much I would charge for that. I have never babysat weekly before so I have no idea what to ask for. I looked online and most answers were $100-$200 a week. My question is for those of you who pay for babysitting and if you think what I'm planning on asking for sounds reasonable to you? Also what do you pay your sitters if you don't mind me asking? I have also taken a babysitter's training course.
 
#4
I don't have kids so have never paid a baby-sitter, and if I have ever baby-sat it has been for friends so I haven't charged.

Personally, $5 an hour sounds a bit low to me. I know when I was 14 I started work at Hungry Jacks (burger king) and earned $5.37 an hour - and that was minimum wage. (I am in AU - so obviously exchange rate comes into it). I would ask for $10 per hour (actually I would ask for more, but I am quite a bit older than you).
 
#5
I think you should charge at least minimum wage (which in CA is $8.50? I think?) -- if it's $5.00 where you live, maybe that would make sense. I know that babysitters here tend to charge more than that, but it depends. Do you have experience? Are you cleaning, folding laundry, or only caring for the children? If they ask you to do more, you should ask for more, in my opinion. BTW I don't have kids, but I used to babysit when I was younger
 
#6
depending on the kid's personalities/age/amount of kids, I think you could charge a lot more!!! and parents basically have to go for it - because they can't go out/go to work if they don't accept your price! ?
 
#7
LeaD said:
depending on the kid's personalities/age/amount of kids, I think you could charge a lot more!!! and parents basically have to go for it - because they can't go out/go to work if they don't accept your price! ?
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I'm going to gently disagree. :smile: Parents won't go for you if you have zero experience and cannot guarantee the safety of thier child . I don't have kids.. but most of my parent friends will ditch a night out if they can't find a *decent* sitter (i.e. one who has experience). Most of the $10/hr jobs I see go to college students.
 
#9
I babysit in Charlotte, North Carolina and am paid just over $12 an hour. Hate kids, but will babysit a specific few that I can cope with. I think it depends on the area, really. A friend of mine is paid $7 an hour in a small town just below Charlotte, but in upscale Charlotte areas, there appears to be a pay increase.

Which probably sounds bad but that's just how it goes from what I've seen when it comes to babysitting.
 
#10
This, it seems, would depend on where you live and the age of the children. Here in NYC we pay anything between 12- 15 an hour.

$5 an hour is much to low.

We payed more than that for the bird & hamster sitters, and they were in cages.
 
#13
I live in a small town of NC and i pay our babysitter 8 dollars an hour or a flat rate for the 'night' (no specific time to get home) 5 bucks is way to low IMO....esp. if you have any experience or training!!
 
#14
You don't say where you live, metropolitain areas probably around 10.00, suburbs about 8.00, rural about 6.00. Flat rate is popular here too.

Contact the american red cross in your area and take the babysitting class they usually offer, it is a 1 day class, will give you CPR training and other needed skills, it also usually lets you know going rate in your area and often has referrals.

Good luck :smile:
 
#15
Neeya said:
I babysit in Charlotte, North Carolina and am paid just over $12 an hour. Hate kids, but will babysit a specific few that I can cope with. I think it depends on the area, really. A friend of mine is paid $7 an hour in a small town just below Charlotte, but in upscale Charlotte areas, there appears to be a pay increase.

Which probably sounds bad but that's just how it goes from what I've seen when it comes to babysitting.
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im sorry cause i wanted to bite my tongue but i couldnt,,

i think its really horrible to take care of children and say that you hate kids,,,,how would the parents feel if they knew you hated kids and just were around them for $? I know if i were a parent i would never EVER want my kids left with someone who hated kids and just dealt with them,,,, i think a babysitting , nanny or anyone who works with children needs to have some interest and love for kids, or they cannot truly care for the child properly, kids deserve love, respect, fun, and energy from a babysitting, not someone who is just there to try and put up with them so they can make a few $$'s


i sorry to call you out on saying that i just think its a really sad thing that there are people who hate children out there caring for some parents pride and joy,,,


As far as the $ is concerned, i think for someone in high school who doesnt have a ton of experience that $7-8 an hr sounds reasonable

i think college students can get $10-12, and persons who work with children as a profession and nanny on the side should make around $15+

those are just the sorts of pricings ive seen here in NYC but prices for everything, and i mean everything are higher then other places, so these are just avgs maybe a tad higher then if you live somewhere where rent and life just cost a bit less then here in nyc :smile: but generally i think these are good estimates :smile:!


goodluck please please i know you are earning $ for a car, but care and love the kids, be there and be fun with them, dont do it if you hate kids,,,, thats the saddest thing and if thats how one feels maybe a job at Gap is better,,, :smile:
 
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