What's the going baby-sitting rate?

Where I live, it’s between $8 and $15 per hour, depending on the age and education of the babysitter. Right now we have one that we’re paying $250 a week to basically be a friend of our kids. She’s entering her senior year in high school, and is about five years older than my daughter. We don’t really need a babysitter, but they have more range of possibility with an older girl around. They tend to stay in the house too much if they are on their own.

I’m in the midwest and I pay my sitter $5.00 an hour for three school aged children. My regular sitter is young man who is 15 years old, as far as I know this is his first babysitting gig, but he is wonderful!

@supermouse, I think you’re getting a great deal. My daughters pay $10.00 an hour and say that’s the current going rate.
And to think of all the hours I worked for 50 cents an hour!

I babysit very, very often, and it depends entirely on the region, age and education/experience of the sitter, and how many kids need sitting and how old each of the kids are.
@SuperMouse is getting a great deal, which you would never get around here (CT). I typically ask for 8$ an hour if it’s 1–2 young kids who will be asleep most of the time. I babysit for two families at least twice a week, and they both started at 8$ an hour and gradually increased to about 12$ an hour once they began to rely on me as their only sitter. For families with more than 2 kids and when the kids are older, I ask for about 10$ an hour, more if the kids are generally awake the whole time I’m there or if I have to make dinner, bathe them, put them to sleep, etc.

(I’m also 18 with 4 years experience working in a daycare and am known around my neighborhood for having a lot of experience with kids, so I could easily get away with charging up to 13$ an hour starting rate for just 1–2 kids, but I personally feel that’s too much).

Hope this helps.

I live close to @daloon and he is correct. It definitely depends on the experience and the work you are looking for. If you need someone to just supervise, and make sure the children don’t get into trouble, then you have to pay between 8–12.
If you want someone to be a nanny, 10–15 is what you have to pay (possibly more if the nanny has more experience.)
I’ve been a nanny, but didn’t make a lot since I was younger and relatively inexperienced. It was good money at the time though.

I do always give him a generous tip!

I babysit for relatives and I get paid 10$/hour. The kid is 6 and now more than ever needs attention because he just became an older brother.

I don’t have any experience, really, though I’ve looked after my four-year old cousin a few times… would $10/hr be too much—should I ask for $8? Unfortunately, I haven’t heard yet about the kid’s age or the exact details of the job, but I do think there’s just one of them.

@MindErrantry How old are you? I’d say ask for 8$/hr, as that’s a reasonable price for almost any scenario, and see what they say. Most people (from my experience) tend to think 8$ is actually very low, and might pay you 10$/hr anyway.

I’m 21, for what it’s worth :)

21 is worth a lot, people pay more for older sitters because they associate age with level of responsibility, reliability, and trustworthiness. As weird as it is, in this case you can charge for your age.

You all are scaring the ever loving spit out of me. I would have guessed $5.00 and thought I was on the high end.

I have a 6 and a 4 year old. I am never going out. I only made $2 and hour.

@Bri_L ; that was better than my 50 cents and hour!! I had one lady who never called me again because I told her that after she got married and they blended their family (6 kids) I had to raise my price to 75 cents an hour. Boy do I feel OLD!!!

@Judi – Wow. She needed a reality check!

i only babysit my cousins and i get $10 an hour