Determining Hourly Babysitting Rate for Teens

As a teenager, you’ll need to determine your babysitting rate per hour if you want to work as a babysitter. Before you start babysitting, take some time to set up the perfect rate that will satisfy both you and the parents. 

If you are a parent wondering how much to pay your teen babysitter, you can also use this guide to learn how rates are determined.

What Is the Hourly Rate for Babysitting?

Teenagers don’t have a typical babysitting rate. There are many factors that determine your babysitting fees:

  • The location
  • Children’s number
  • Sitting time
  • To name a few, your experience

According to Care.com, the “typical” pay rate is currently between $15.00 and $18.00 per hour.

Find the Average Babysitting Rate for Teenagers in Your Area

How much does babysitting cost? A typical babysitting rate for teens in your area won’t be hard to find since it’s one of the most popular part-time jobs for teens. Check with your best friends to see what they charge. 

Find out how much parents in your neighborhood pay their sitters. For an evening of babysitting, do other babysitters charge by the hour or a flat rate? What is the cost of watching two children at the same time if other sitters charge more? Babysitting rates can be determined by asking around.

The Easy Teenage Babysitting Rate Quiz

Let’s say that all of your friends charge $15 to $18 an hour for babysitting. Parents in the neighborhood agree that this is the typical rate. You can use this quiz below to determine whether your rate should be higher or lower.

Quiz Instructions

Please answer the following questions. It’s just a handy way to figure out what your hourly rate should be – there’s no right or wrong answer. Give yourself one point for each “yes” you answer.

  1. In my area, I have the same amount of experience babysitting children as the majority of babysitters.
  2. Whether online or in a classroom, I have taken a babysitting course.
  3. Parents can see a current babysitting certification I have from a class I took.
  4. Parents in the neighborhood already know you by name and are likely to hire you because of my relationship with them.
  5. First aid and CPR for infants and/or children have been taught to me.
  6. As a child care provider, I have worked with children ranging in age from four months to four years.
  7. With older children, I have experience.
  8. In the past, I have cared for more than one child at a time.
  9. I have personal references who will attest to my abilities as a sitter.
  10. To and from my babysitting jobs, I have my own transportation. It can lower your hourly rate if the parents of the children you babysit provide transportation.
  11. Taking or transporting children to activities is something I have done.
  12. After school, I can take care of the kids.

Make a Final Decision on Your Babysitting Hourly Rate

You can use the quiz to determine how much you should charge. You can interpret your score as follows:

Mostly Yes

You should charge the higher going rate in your area if you answered “yes” to all or almost all of the questions. The amount would be between $18 and $20 in this example. Choose a middle-of-the-road hourly babysitting rate of $15 if about half the questions were answered with a “yes.”

Mostly No

It might be a good idea to start at the lower end of the typical rate for your area, or somewhere around $12-$15 an hour if most of the questions were answered no. This doesn’t mean you won’t be a great babysitter, but it does mean you have less experience than other babysitters, and parents are usually willing to pay more for more experience. 

You don’t need to worry! Your rates will increase as your experience grows. Take some babysitting courses to get a head start on your babysitting career.

When Should I Charge More?

Occasionally, you should give yourself a raise as a babysitter. An hourly rate increase may be one-time or permanent.

Special Occasions and Holidays

On special occasions and holidays, parents are willing to pay more for a sitter they like. It’s certainly fair to increase your rates on a special evening like New Year’s Eve. You’re not having fun with your friends, you’re working. For special events and holidays, you and the parents you sit for should charge one to three dollars more.

Short Notice Sitter

You can also ask for a dollar or two more an hour if a parent wants you to babysit for them. Even though you may love the kids you babysit for, you have the right to charge more if you need to change your personal plans (such as canceling a movie night with your friends) to help a family in need.

Permanent Increase

Babysitting hourly rates should be permanently increased for the following reasons:

  • Previously, you answered “no” to most or all of the above quiz questions.
  • One year has passed since you started babysitting regularly.
  • When families in your neighborhood need a sitter, they call you first.

A $1 or $2 increase in your regular babysitting hourly rate is perfectly reasonable if you haven’t raised them in a year. Babysitting should also offer raises to teens.

The Cost of Your Time

You can continue to sit for parents at your old hourly rate if they don’t want to pay you a fair raise, or you can stop. Babysitting can be difficult in this regard. While you may love working for a family, if they get upset over a typical raise, you need to rethink how much your time is worth. 

A raise is a reasonable request if you work hard and are a valuable asset to the families you sit for.

Knowing Your Worth

As a 16-year-old looking for employment experience, babysitting can be a great way to make money. However, babysitting rates are not set in stone, and there isn’t a magic number. 

Find out what your friends and parents in your area charge, then think about your skills and experience as a babysitter. Making sure you are charging the right amount can help you determine your worth.

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