How much do I pay a babysitter? An age old question (and a good one). Experience, age, location – all contribute to finding the magic number. Here are my tips to deciding how much do I pay a babysitter…
How much do I pay a babysitter?
First, consider the minimum wage in your province or territory (or state). Remember adult minimum wages in Canada differ from students rates of pay. Minimum wage will at least give you a a starting point for deciding how much to pay a babysitter.
Next, consider scope of work. Is the babysitter caring for one child or multiple children? Caring for a newborn (who requires diapering, feeding, cuddling) or older kids (who require less hands-on child care)? Caring for a child with special needs? Long term care (i.e. a steady babysitting job) or a date night out? Will he or she be required to drive? Cook? Clean? These are all factors which go into deciding babysitter wage.
Consider experience. When looking for a once-in-a-while babysitter for my baby son I knew I was more comfortable with an adult or university student babysitter. I interviewed nannies, E.C.E. (early childhood educators) and university students – whose wage expectations ranged between $10-$18/hr.
My thirteen year old did a babysitting course where she was advised to charge between $5-10 an hour (the lower figure being as a mother’s helper – where Mom was at home while she was babysitting).
Consider location. Is the babysitting been doing at your home, the babysitters home, on location (like a hotel room if you were going to a wedding)? Are you picking up the babysitter and dropping them off (general etiquette). Or is the babysitter coming to you (and do you pay for a taxi/bus fare?).
Consider time. In my experience, daytime babysitting costs more than evening (because it is more difficult to find a daytime babysitter so you pay a premium). Special occasion babysitting (like on a holiday, during a vacation, for a special event like birthday party or wedding) can increase wage expectations as well.
How Much Do “I” pay a babysitter?
I pay $10/hr for evening babysitting for my child at my home (I like round numbers and there is no need to count pennies at the end of a date night out). I will have ordered a pizza (so no cooking). The kids will be watching a movie in pjs (so no bathing of kids). And we drive the sitter home.
I am in agreement with you at the $10 an hour. But if additional things need to be done, a little extra doesn’t hurt.
True – and spending a bit more sometimes puts you at the top of the client list for the sitter 😉
How come some babysitters don’t get payed very much if its a lot of work to keep the kids safe?
I think all parents should pay a proper wage for babysitters (they are providing a service). Mothers helpers make less than a babysitter because there is a parent on-site (thus the mother’s helper is “helping” more than being in charge). And a babysitter is caring for and ensuring the safety of the kids in her/his care – which is why I suggest at least the student or adult minimum wage(and ordering in pizza so they don’t have to cook doesn’t hurt either!)
I am surprised that Manitoba is that much, where I live they often seem to pay allot less.
Babysitting salaries have drastically changed since I was a kid.
We give our babysitter 10 dollars an hour as well. My girls help her out with their little brothers and supper is usually prepared. We’ve had our babysitter since my girls were little so we give her extra perks (bday gifts, dinner out with us, etc).
These are great tips! I recently was watching my friends daughter who has some problems. I def coulda used this chart to figure out my salary. It ended up being a nightmare and I had to leave.
i remember getting paid $1/hr
Having 7 children we mostly didn’t have this problem, as the older ones when they were old enough looked after the younger ones and we didn’t go out often before that. I do remember my older children earning very well doing babysitting for other families, they were sought after babysitters.
great article thanks for posting
You are most welcome!
I find it so hard to find sitters where I am. Grandma has been our date night sitter for years now. Thanks for posting, lots of information that I wouldn’t have thought about before!
I think $10 is reasonable.
Im lucky enough where Ive never had to pay for a babysitter. Thankfully. I think if I did though, I would wind up paying 10 and hour.
Great post. We never know what to pay when a new sitter starts.
It’s always great to pay extra for babysitting. Sometimes it’s not that easy to be a babysitter.
Wow, times have changed since I baby sat 43 years ago
This post has a lot of helpul information.thanks.
This is one of my constant struggles when we go out…How much do we pay!! I want the babysitter to come back but it can also make date night so expensive!
Wow! You really have covered all the bases. I am very glad that the days are over when I needed a babysitter. I had 5 children who are grown now and I occasionally take care of my grandchildren.
Looks like I wont be able to afford to go out much once I have children! 🙁
Sure you can…grandparents, neighbours, friends…
Great article. My husband and I were trying to figure this out last week!
This would be a very helpful article for both parents and babysitters. Fortunately I don’t need to worry about it at this point in my life.
My daughter is so fortunate, she has us or her mother in law to watch the children! Who can afford to got out if they have to pay $10 an hour.
Wow – $10 in PEI and in Ontario? Seems very skewed…