How Much to Pay a Teen Sitter
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How Much to Pay a Teen Sitter
Sept 2009
Hi,
My teen daughter is set to begin babysitting. We haven't found
anywhere the information on what the ''average'' or ''normal'' hourly
charge is these days for babysitters. Does it vary by the number of
children? And, what about the charge for staying overnight? Thanks
for any information / advice / etc.
Teen wants to sit
My 13 year old son is being paid $6/hr to walk kids from elementary
school to Hebrew School and tutor them there. I have paid high
school sitters $8/hr for evening sitting. I pay my experienced
college age sitter $10/hr and when she has sat overnight, such as on
New Year's Eve., we negotiated an overall rate such as $70 to give
them dinner (pizza), put them to bed, etc. That was for two children
of elementary school age. She was the one who didn't want to feel
she was overcharging when most of the hours would be sleeping ones.
kl
My 15 yr old daughter gets paid $7.50/hr for one child or $10/hr for
two, and she doesn't even have CPR certification. I would think an
adult sitter would be most appropriate for an overnight. We used to
trade weekend overnight sits with one other family (extra fun-- we
would take our own kids and trade houses).
It seems like there's only a small window of a couple of years when
teens babysit, before they get too busy with school.
There are a couple of babysitting co-ops in the Albany/Berkeley
area. We found this to be an excellent and flexible option: in
exchange for your commitment, you get to know a small group of
parents; one adult may sit your kid while you schedule yourself to
sit for another family a different time. Sometimes two adults from
the co-op would tag-team watch our kids when we had an all-day
event. There are books on starting your own co-op; you may find like-
minded parents in your kids' schools.
been there
Feb 2009
My 13-year old daughter wants to start babysitting (she
has one sitting experience, for our neighbors' 4 and 7
year olds). What are teen sitters charging these days?
She won't be caring for infants yet, or making meals.
It's been years since I hired a sitter...
Unless they are a mother's helper, a babysitter should be paid at
least minimum
wage. $10 is a good place to start for a more experienced babysitter.
My going
rate is $12 plus gas as I am very experienced and can perform CPR.
N
Nov 2008
Re: Going rate for recent college grad
I can't help you on the tutoring rates, but as for
babysitting, I pay college students $16 per hour, plus $10
per day for gas (taking care of my son involves picking
him up after school and doing some errands). So for
working 4:30-6:30 the sitter earns $42. If it is an
nighttime job, no driving, just $16 per hour. I would pay
a recent grad the same. Hope that helps!
Fran
Feb 2007
We're new to the area. What are the going rates for a good, attentive
baby-sitter who is
in high school, doesn't drive (we pick up from about 20 minutes away),
and cleans up
after cooking with the kids (worth a lot right there). Thanks.
ellen
My daughter is almost 14 and she babysits for our neighbors and friends'
kids who are between 3 and 7 years old. She charges $6.00-$8.00 per
hour, for one or 2 kids. My sense is that this is a little low, but I
wanted her start lower and work up to a higher rate as she got older.
christa
Jan 2007
How much is the going rate for a 16 yr old baby sitter these
days? My baby is 7 months old and to start I'm having the
teen hang out with him while I am home getting some work done.
If it goes well, the arrangement could include other
responsibilities and leaving him alone with her.
New Mom
I pay my neighbor's daughter (she just turned 17) $7.50/hour. She comes here once a week for two
hours. She can do a lot, such as clearing garbage cans, folding laundry, washing dishes,
vacuuming, and still has lots of energy to run around with my 7 years and 4 years old boys. She is
my life saver. I am mostly home, but often I am taking a nap or in a different room when she is
here.
I love my mother's helper!
I always ask the babysitter up front if he or she has a set rate. If they don't, I usually give $5
an hour. (I have two kids, an 8 year old and a 3 year old.) But I think it depends what you are
asking the babysitter to do. If you're talking about watching the child for a few hours, $4 to $5
an hour may be enough. If watching the child involves feedings and baths, $5 to $6 an hour is
probably more appropriate. If you're adding housework, cooking, etc., then you should bump it up
according to the amount of work. I tend to pay more if I'm out after 10 p.m. and on special nights,
such as New Year's Eve. Also, does your 16-year-old babysitter drive? When I don't have to pick up
and drop off, I usually add $1 an hour to cover their gas expenses.
A mom of three
Hi. I have a 2 year old and fraternal twins that are 2 1/2 months. Consequently, I have been using
a variety of nanny services and teenage babysitters. I have been paying between $9 and $10 per hr.
It seems to work out well. Of course, I should mention that the baby sitter is not expected to sit
w/ all 3 at a time being paid this amount. She watches the twins at one given job time and then
maybe my 2 year old daughter at another time.
Hope this helps.
Kelley
It depends on experience. I started out at $6 an hour, but that was when I was maybe 13. When I
was 16, it was about $8 and then that year increased to the $10-15 range as I got more experience.
Since the job doesn't involve driving any kids and since you are home, probably $10 is very good.
It also depends on your neighborhood. I mostly babysit in Lafayette and Orinda, and when I sit for
families in Walnut Creek I usually get paid a bit less.
High school sitter
March 2004
What is the current 2004 rate for paying a teen babysitter? The
recomendation list indicated that for 2003 it was between $5-6.
Is it still the same for one child? Does age of the child
matter?
seeking teen sitter
My 14-year-old gets about $6.00 per hour to watch one (quite
easy) 3-year-old. If the parents are out fairly late, they
give a bit more. We are in Albany - don't know if it varies by
area.
babysitter's mom
I'm currently paying a college senior $10/hour to sit with our
two year old daughter. If I found a high schooler, it would
probably more like $8/hr. I've checked with friends who pay
$10/hr for a high schooler to sit with two pre-teen boys. Hope
that helps.
Lori
August 2003
I'm
interested in hearing what others pay neighborhood babysitters
for one child. There's a 13 year old in the area charging
$8.00/hour and that just seems like a lot to me. Is this the
normal rate these days and I just need to accept it?
Stephanie
A 13-year-old babysitter who asks $8 per hour?! For one kid? I'd
expect her to do windows as well for such a sum. I guess my
almost-14-year-old must be a soft touch, because she charges $4
an hour for minding the 8-year-old son of a lower-income single
mom. (It's her first official babysitting experience.) Anyway, I
obviously think $8 an hour kind of outrageous; $5 is more in
line.
Eight dollars an hour for a 13 year old (is she babysitting just
one child?) sounds steep to me! Our babysitter is 16 and watches
our two children and we pay her $7/hr, which I think is fair
(she plays with them for an hour or two and then they are asleep
for the rest of the night). My friend's daughter, who is 15,
charges $8/hr for two children.
Good luck
My 15 year old has Bananas babysitting and CPR certificates. He
has three years' experience with individual kids and groups.
Around Albany/North Berkeley, he charges $6.75 (minimum wage) for
the first kid and, I think, half that for each additional kid. In
the institutional setting, I think he gets $12/hour for however
many show up.
Dana
$8/hour is high for a 13-year-old. The teens I know of charge
$5 - $6/hour even for several children. Minimum wage for adults
is between $6 - $7/hour -- too low for a living wage for a
parent supporting a family, but the guidelines parents I know
tend to follow state that teens should be paid less than minimum
wage. Maybe because they are still living at home and have all
their expenses met.
I live in the Contra Costa County area and $8. per hr. is the
going rate out here. I do have 3 children though. And we don't
pay per child.
Michelle
I've heard that babysitting rates vary with the neighborhood.
We live in El Cerrito and my 13 year old charges $5/hour. As
she gets more experienced, she may raise it to $6/hr. Ask other
families in your area. They may be able to recommend someone
with more reasonable rates. I think $8/hr is high for a 13 year
old, especially if there are only one or two children to watch.
Wendy
What service is the teen providing? Is it the same as if it
were an adult babysitting your child? If so, you should pay the
same rate (isn't it age discrimination otherwise?). If the teen
is more of a mom's helper, then adjust accordingly. My 14 year
old neighbor sits for us in the afternoons when I'm here or out
on short errands and we pay her $7/hr (she leaves a mess with
the kids, but keeps them safe and they all have a great time);
my 17 year old neighbor watches my two kids at night (dinner,
bath and bedtime) and we pay $10-12.
Jen
Like anything else, teen babysitter rates are set by the laws of
supply & demand. $8/hr for a 13 yo sitter sounds to me like it's
on the high side, but if she's getting work from other clients
at that rate, then she's probably better than the average sitter
and the rate is fair. If she's not getting as many jobs as she
wants, though, then I suspect she should be charging less. I pay
18 year old sitters $10 or $11 per hour; that's my basis of
comparison.
Fran
We pay our 13 year old sitter $10/hour. That is for two pre-
school age kids. She baths them, gives them dinner (that
we 'get started' for her), gets them in bed, reads to them,
settles them down for sleep and then cleans up. She still has
time for some TV or homework after all that. We have a
regular 'gig' with her so that we can go out to dinner and have
at least one intelligent, uniterrupted conversation per week.
We are usually out for 2-3 hours so it is not hugely expensive.
For long nights, like going to a concert or something, we try to
enlist the help of Grandma :-)
We have family with small kids all over the country and at a
recent family get togther we compared baby sitting rates. It
ranged from $5/hour for four kids in the mid-west (what a deal!)
to our $10/hour for two kids here in CA.
I pay a few 16 yr olds $8/ hour and college students around age
20 yr old $10/hr. $8 for a 13 yr old sounds high to me!
another mom
Our babysitter charges $6/hr. to watch our 4 year old son.
The sitter is a 15 yr. old just entering Piedmont High School.
$8 for a 13 y.o. sounds like a lot.
A mom.
We pay a 20 year old, with a ton of babysitting experience: $9
per hour for our 2 children. the 14 year old neighborhood girl,
we pay $7-8. It adds up quick, doesn't it!
eve
When the babysitter is inexperienced, i.e. I'm the first
customer, I paid $3/hr, then raised to $3.50/hr after 4 sits.
When I ask for last minute sits or it's extra work for them,
then I raise to $4/hr. I live in Moraga, and I think other
parents have paid as high as $5/hr.
When I share a babysitter with another child, then the rate
dropped to $3/child, with 3 kids max per teen.
I think it's more important to start low and raise their rates
gradually as a reward for being reliable, etc...
Anonymous
My daughter who is almost 16 charges $7/hour for toddler up, and
takes care of one or two children at that rate. She wants the
experience of taking care of an infant so I would encourage her
to charge the same. The parents pick her up and bring her home
too. One family has one child and housework and the other has
two young children. I know she is a very hard worker and a
devoted attentive caretaker, so I think they are getting a great
deal for the price. When I had three children, all school age,
I paid $10/hour for an adult who could drive. That was eight
years ago. We ask a lot of these substitute parents! I think
more easy, informal, just be there situations are different, but
the work she does involves commitment and aggressive taking of
responsibility.
anon
July 2003
I have a new baby and a potential babysitter (the neighbor's
daughter). I was wondering what the going hourly rate is for
teenager to babysit.
amy
We pay $7 to $10 per hour, but $10 is usually when there are two
kids.
Holly
Our neighbor's daughter charges $6/hour.
We currently pay our teenage babysitter $8/hour to care for two
children (ages 2.5 and 6 years) so we can have a ''date night''
once or twice a month.
-Sharon
Dec 2002
What is the fair payment for a teenage babysitter who lives
around the corner from me who will be babysitting my 9 year old
and 5 year old about 3-4 hours a week while I go to the gym? She
will watch them 5:30-6:45 AM one morning and 7:30-9:30 on
Saturdays. I will drop her off and pick her up for the early AM
hours. Should she receive night differential for the early AM
hours? I have no idea what is fair. No house work or anything
expected except telling the kids to get dressed for school if
they wake up.
thank you in advance
Single mom desperate for a workout
We pay our teen babysitter $10/hour for two kids (age 6 and
almost 2) or $6/hour for one kid. I think this is about going
rate, and she is terrific. She typically works for us evenings
(caring for our son and friends' daughter while all four parents
are at our once-a-week choir rehearsal), so I don't know about
the early a.m. question, but we don't usually provide
transportation and she works pretty hard, often feeding one or
both kids dinner, giving them a bath, and getting them to bed.
Yours has it harder with the hours but easier with the actual
care.
Holly
Heh, I know that desparation for a workout!
I haven't used my teen babysitter yet, but friends have; I asked
her her rate and she said $7/hour. I think that's fair. You can
ask, or just offer. Have a good workout!
Jennie, a single mom
Nov 1999
I have 3 teens who babysit. The 16 yr old receives $8-10 which
includes cooking their meals, cleans the kitchen, unpack the dishes from
the dishwasher, cleans up after the kids, sometimes the living
room/family room. The 15 yr old does the same work as the 16 yr old but
receives $7-9 and the 14 yr old receives $5-6 - orders pizza, cleans the
dishes and plays with the kids. If there are 4 or more kids, they are
paid at the higher end. Age does make a difference as you can see.
There is no driving involved now but the kids said once driving begins,
the rate is definitely $10-12.
Contact Bananas on Claremont and ask them what people are paying.
They also offer workshops for teens on babysitting strategies. They
have free mailings letting people know what is happening in this area
too. Doreen
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