Hourly rate for a babysitter.

[Anonymous]

New to the area, and using a a babysitter for the first time. This is a 22 year old grad student whose mom lives in the neighborhood. Kids are in Kindergarten, 4th and 5th grades. I used to pay $20 an hour for someone similar age. Would that be fine in this area or too low?

[Anonymous]

I would ask her rate and if she doesn’t have one, I’d do $20/hr at a least and round up generously.

We pay $20/hr in south Arlington for 2 kids and they are asleep most the time.

[Anonymous]

$20/hr for consistent once a weekday evening babysitting. I pay that for weekends too. These are occasional college age sitters looking for pocket money

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$20/hr for consistent once a weekday evening babysitting. I pay that for weekends too. These are occasional college age sitters looking for pocket money

This is for 1 elementary school kid

[Anonymous]

My high schooler asks for $15. She is often paid more but that’s her standard response when asked. That’s for 1-2 kids, she will ask for more with 3.

[Anonymous]

The fact that her mom lives in the neighborhood is irrelevant.

Three kids is about $25 an hour.

[Anonymous]

$20/hr is fine. It is easy, low commitment, tax free money

[Anonymous]

We pay $25 for 2 which I'm fine with because I "win" every time our sitter has multiple offerings for the same night. She's super reliable, my kids adore her, I never have to wonder if they're ok when we are out. Worth it.

[Anonymous]

I posted recently on a college listserv (DC area), offering $20/hour and got 7 responses within an hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My high schooler asks for $15. She is often paid more but that’s her standard response when asked. That’s for 1-2 kids, she will ask for more with 3.

For two kids? She needs to go up to $20/hr for new clients and up to $18/hr for present clients. It's her time and her responsibility is the same as a college student

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My high schooler asks for $15. She is often paid more but that’s her standard response when asked. That’s for 1-2 kids, she will ask for more with 3.

Same. MY HS kid is still a freshman though. I don't feel comfortable with her charging much higher at this stage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My high schooler asks for $15. She is often paid more but that’s her standard response when asked. That’s for 1-2 kids, she will ask for more with 3.

For two kids? She needs to go up to $20/hr for new clients and up to $18/hr for present clients. It's her time and her responsibility is the same as a college student

It’s kind of sad that there’s an expectation for a high schooler to get paid $20/hr tax free to eat pizza, play with kids for a couple of hours and then scroll on their phone for a couple hours once the kids are in bed whereas minimum wage adult factory workers are lucky to make 15/hr pre tax….and yes that’s the typical rate I pay to our high school sitters (who typically can’t even be bothered to load their dirty dishes in the dishwasher) for my two early elementary kids because it’s standard for our area but objectively it’s ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My high schooler asks for $15. She is often paid more but that’s her standard response when asked. That’s for 1-2 kids, she will ask for more with 3.

For two kids? She needs to go up to $20/hr for new clients and up to $18/hr for present clients. It's her time and her responsibility is the same as a college student

That seems ridiculous to me. She isn’t some professional babysitter with a ton of experience. I don’t think any teenager should be getting more than $15/hr. The money is tax free and in cash.

[Anonymous]

In Maryland is $25 per hour for 2 kids. 1 kid is $23 per hour. Sometimes there's $20 per hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My high schooler asks for $15. She is often paid more but that’s her standard response when asked. That’s for 1-2 kids, she will ask for more with 3.

For two kids? She needs to go up to $20/hr for new clients and up to $18/hr for present clients. It's her time and her responsibility is the same as a college student

It’s kind of sad that there’s an expectation for a high schooler to get paid $20/hr tax free to eat pizza, play with kids for a couple of hours and then scroll on their phone for a couple hours once the kids are in bed whereas minimum wage adult factory workers are lucky to make 15/hr pre tax….and yes that’s the typical rate I pay to our high school sitters (who typically can’t even be bothered to load their dirty dishes in the dishwasher) for my two early elementary kids because it’s standard for our area but objectively it’s ridiculous.

Np. Listen your kids are work. My dd babysits and the kids are rude. Parents don't see how rude/mean they are. My kid puts up with it so should be paid well.