Babysitter Pay

We have date night weekly and our daughter is now old enough that we don't use a weekly sitter but here is what we did....Most of my sitters were high school, early college aged.

We guaranteed $40 CASH for the night because she saved her night for us., then we paid $10 per hour. Our date nights ran $60-$80 but we always had a good sitter and others who wanted the job.

My 15 yr old daughter has babysat and she was paid $10 per hour and a family with 3 little ones paid her $15 per hour.

Hope that helps

I would pay your sitter $6/hour. Give her a little bit extra if she really picks up and does things outside of being the "babysitter." I used to do the dishes, unload/load dishwasher, fold clothes that were in the dryer, etc.

I've been paying between 6-10 per hour. Crazy, but that's the going rate now. When I babysat 15 years ago, I got 4-5 per hour so I figure that's about right.

I think it really depends on where you live and the age of the babysitter. For a 12 year old, I would think $5 to $6 an hour would be fair. I would assume this would not include any late nights.

We usually have high school girls....15-18. We pay $8 to $10 an hour (for 3 kids...although we paid the same for 2...it is still time) (we live in Northern CA...in LA and SF areas I hear much more is expected). Usually ends up being about $10 with tip if house is picked up and dishes done. I really like to have the same babysitter, so I try to pay a bit more then they would expect, so they will come back. When I was in highschool, over 20 years ago, my neighbors paid me $6 to $7 an hour...which was a lot back then, but I was always available for them :)) To me that is important.

I also don't really take into account if the kids are awake or not (or how many kids). She is still at your house watching your kids and her time should be worth the same. Everyone has some down time at work and you aren't paid differently, you still have to be there.

Ask around your neighborhood and see what the going rate is. It really is different in different areas.

We pay $10/ hour for 2 kids and $15/hour for 3 kids (sometimes we go out with my brother-in-law and my nephew is there too). It seems to be the going rate here in Ft. Lauderdale. OH might be cheaper. I can't find any babysitters much older than 15 - they usually have regular jobs.

I asked the same question a little bit ago and got some great advise ... http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/13937352101559599105

I ended up settling on $5/hour. Hope that helps.

For us, it depends on the sitter. I have a really good one that works at a daycare. She takes a base rate. We have 3 kids. She will take $20-$25 for a few hours. We paid her $45 to spend the night once (we came home at 8am)
I also have a few high school girls I will use if my regular one is not available. They want $10 per child.
So it really depends on the sitter.

Hi L.
I had this problem a couple months ago and needed a babysitter for a set amount of hours each week. I offered my 17 year old babysitter a set price per week ($50) for both my kids and he was happy with that. It worked out about $8 an hour and I actually think I went in a bit high because he was really really pleased with that. It really does depend on your babysitter but I would think for a 12 year old $5-$6 an hour would be fine.

We do $5 per hour and have 2 children.

Hope this helps!

I pay my high school babysitters $8-10 per hour, depending on how much they have to do with the kids while they are there. Maybe $6-8 for a 12 year old, unless she is really doing alot of work vs. just putting them to bed and hanging out at the house...

my little sister (15 yrs.) its babysitting my baby every weekend (Friday after classes she stay in my house till Sunday afternoon) i pay her $20 for the weekend and she is happy cause at the end of the month she have $80 and can buy whatever she likes......actually im doing this to help her cause she wants to get a job to pay her cellphone @ least she's here with her family and having fun. anyways...
i think that a 12 yrs old should not be getting much money out of work. you should make a pay-planner...if you need her to babysit once in a while or the whole weekend or some hours the day you should put a rate pay ...for example: $10 a day (no matter how many hours you need her) or $20 a week (no matter how many hours she actually work.) i think thats the best way to pay a kid....the price you have to choose it...but i think 20 a week its more than enough ...if you only need her once in a while then pay her $10 per day ....

good luck

Mine depends upon how much "active" work time they have. Usually I pay $6-8/hour, and I have two children. My kids go to bed at 7pm, so I expect a sitter to only have two hours "active" time when they tend our kids in the evening and then they can do whatever the rest of the time. If they tend our kids during the day, then I pay a little more.

I usually hire HS girls, so I pay something akin to what they would get at a regular wage job.

I think it depends on the age of the sitter... When my son was very young and I had someone 4 days per week (set schedule), I paid 13.00 per hour to a woman in her 60's... As my son got older I hired a sitter that is in her 30's and she asks for 10.00 per hour... A few times I had a 15 year old that only asked for 7.00 per hour.. It really depends I think.