How much should you pay a babysitter?

1. 81

   angela_michelleposted 15 years ago

   How much should you pay a babysitter?
   
   I am a babysitter for four kids, and I get paid decent. But I also have a six year old little girl, and thinking about hiring a high schooler to watch her for four or five hours on a random Friday night. How much should I pay her. I live in Michigan if that matters any.

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2. 59

   KAZZY4posted 15 years ago

   Hi Angela,
   
   I'm actually based in London so I have no idea about the baby sitting rates there - what you can do is probably check with an agency or neighbours or your local library for some reasonable estimates.  But, it might be worthwhile asking the neighbours who they use for random babysitting - its likely that their babysitter can recommend a high school friend.

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3. 60

   jxmeltonposted 14 years ago

   I pay $25 for an evening.  Typically $5 an hour.  But i have 4.

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4. 78

   barbergirl28posted 14 years ago

   It kind of depends. It depends on the age and it depends on the time. If i have a babysitter for a holiday I will pay more. But, if I have a young teenager sitting at my house watching TV and playing on the internet while my kids sleep, I usually go for about $20-$25 a night. I don't believe that having a date night should break you. They will get more business from me and make more money if it is affordable.

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5. 61

   freecampingaussieposted 14 years ago

   In Australia I was getting $20 an hour , someone younger about $10 an hour , I had a minium of 3 hours to make it worthwhile .That was a while back though.

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6. 59

   AutoClaimsManagerposted 14 years ago

   Rates vary by the degree of care. Newborns and toddlers require a greater deal of care and attention while pre-teens and teens are mostly self sufficient and generally just need oversight more than anything else. What you pay largely depend on the geographics and demographics. My wife is a professional childcare worker and she gets a higher rate from the affluent than she does from middle class families. It is ultimately a negotiable thing. So to answer the question, pay as much or as little as you can but remember, it's your child and you will get what you pay for.

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