So, How Much Should You Pay Your Babysitter?
Most parents at some point during their child’s life are going to need to pay for the services of a babysitter or other childcare provider to look after their child. We all need a break from time to time and the importance of getting out and spending quality time with your partner or with friends cannot be underestimated. A recent survey found that 38% of America parents use a babysitter at least once a week and 60% said they would spend over $1000 dollars a year for the service.
The problem parents face when finding the right babysitter for their own child is not only in finding a good, reliable babysitter in the first place but also how much they should pay the babysitter once they have found them. Everybody wants value for money but at the same time, everybody wants to treat those people that they hire well and pay them the right price for their service. After all, we’re not asking them to mind our car or look after our antique collection. We’re leaving them with our most precious possessions, our family.
So how do you know how much is a fair price?
This isn’t a straightforward question as you might think and there are very many factors involved in determining how much is fair. It’s safe to say that not all childcare provider jobs are the same and a fair price for one sitter might not be fair for another with a number of factors to consider when deciding how much to pay.
First, you may have to consider the time of day of the childcare. It may be obvious to say but it’s often easier to babysit a sleeping child so fees can be cheaper in the evening. Evenings are considered a more normal babysitting time and will suit the part-time nature of the job and the sitter. Anything outside of this could possibly require a more specialized service and incur a premium cost.
What day of the week the child care is on?
It is often harder to get a babysitter during weekends when the babysitters themselves want to go out, so prices can be at a premium. The reverse can also be true if the babysitter is a college student whose weekdays are reserved for studying. The time of year may also be a consideration when thinking about cost. Holidays, such as Christmas or New Year, will understandably cost more as the number of people willing to babysit dwindles and the value of their time skyrockets.
One of the biggest factors in the cost of a babysitter is how much experience the babysitter has. A college student taking up the odd job at weekends will not cost as much as a professional childcare expert with years of experience. Another factor is whether they are certified? Most states offer a certification process for childcare providers and nannies. It’s safe to assume that if they carry a mark of certification then they will charge more.
The length of the sitter will impact on the fee
Are you looking for an entire day or just a few hours? Are you going to be out late? A babysitter will expect to be working until late into the evening but would they expect to stay if this stretches into the early hours of the morning? Probably not, unless an extra fee was involved. It is common practice to pay more if late night sitting is required.
Travel fees are another factor that you may need to consider. If your babysitter has to take a taxi or bus to and from your house then who is going to pay? If it goes late into the evening it is standard practice for the parents to pay for a cab to take the babysitter home, but this is not required.
The number of children will certainly have an impact on the cost
More children equal more work but more than one child doesn’t necessarily multiply the rate. For instance, 3 children shouldn’t cost 3 times the price of one. But, having said that the fee charged generally increases the more children required for babysitting.
Where you live can be a factor
The cost of living in certain parts of the country is understandably higher than others and as a result, the cost of a babysitter can increase but equally so will the ability of the parent to pay. A 2017 study shows that certain areas of the US charge up to 60% more than others, with the highest prices in places like New York and California The table below gives a snapshot of how the prices can vary:
| Atlanta, GA | $12.95/hr |
| Boston, MA | $18.16/hr |
| Chicago, IL | $12.80/hr |
| Dallas, TX | $14.10/hr |
| Denver, CO | $14.25/hr |
| Detroit, MI | $10.75/hr |
| Houston, TX | $12.14/hr |
| Los Angeles, CA | $15.48/hr |
| Miami, FL | $15.00/hr |
| New York City, NY | $18.19/hr |
| San Diego, CA | $11.66/hr |
| San Francisco, CA | $17.12/hr |
| Seattle, WA | $16.81/hr |
| Washington, D.C. | $15.35/hr |
| U.S. National Average | $13.95/hr |
You may wish to pay extra for the babysitter to perform some other work. Do you need ironing completing? Does the house need cleaning? There are many other services a good babysitter can complete. If you are willing to pay the correct fee.
So, all being said, what is a fair rate to pay your babysitter. Well, the answer is simple.
It depends.
https://nanniesandkidsunited.com/what-does-a-nanny-do/
