This is a popular question among babysitters: “How much should I charge?”
If you charge too much you will lose business. If you charge too little you will make less than you deserve.
One way to decide on a fee is by asking babysitters in your area what they charge. Another way is to ask parents what their babysitters charge them.
Meeting with a New Family
When you meet with a new family, be prepared to discuss your fee. Decide on a fee that you think is fair. Make sure to discuss what you charge before accepting any new babysitting jobs. If the parents don’t ask about your fee, say something like this:
“Thank you for asking me to babysit. Before I accept, I’d like to tell you my fee. I charge $____ an hour. I that okay with you?”
They may say “yes”, or they may ask you if you are willing to charge them less. In that case you have to decide how low you are willing to go without feeling you’ve been taken advantage of. Your have 3 options:
In my book I discuss the 3 options and what to do in each case. I also show you one thing that you should never do when asked about your fee. Then I show you 9 things you should consider when deciding on a fee. You might charge different customers different fees depending on the situation. I discuss all the possible situations. I end with a short list of questions you should ask every parent before you decide on a fee.
It would be interesting to know what you charge and why, so leave us a comment.
I would say 5 dollars would be the maximum amount of money i would charge because if i were to go higher than that i probably wouldnt have anyone wanting me just because the price is tooo high!!!!!!!!!!
You make a good point. In some places 5 dollars an hour is the most you’ll get. But I know other babysitters who make more. It depends a lot on where you live. Thanks for your comment.
really? i would say 10 dollars maybe 12.
Hmm, 5 dollars? Really… the average amount is $8-$12. my business only charges $8. Well, then again I do have to drive 20 minutes. But, do consider that. You deserve as much as you can get
thanks for the awesome information
Check out my website and see what you think. I am trying to make it nice.
My question is? How much can I charge to take care of a 3 month old infant that has down sydrome an has to go to thyrapy twice a week.. I dont live in a big city an they want me to take care of the infant at there home.
Hi Cristie,
It’s whatever you feel is fair. I don’t know how much extra effort is involved in watching this particular child and whether or not you take the baby to therapy.
You may consider charging above your standard fee for 1) taking care of a baby, 2) any extra effort or knowledge required for this baby’s special needs (read my post on Babysitting Children with Disabilities), 3) Any extra transportation you are required to provide.
In my eBook I show how to determine the most that parents are willing and able to pay. Good luck.
Kayanne
I have two friends who work full time. I am a stay at home mom and student. They want me to keep their children. One is 4 and the other will be 2 soon. One paid her previous sitter $70 and the other went to a private daycare and paid $132. I am struggling to figure out what to charge them. They are my close friends and I don’t want to be too high or too low either. I have to provide for my little one as well. Any advice would be great. One thing I will point out is that they are my neighbors so they don’t have to drive far or anything.
I love this website.. It gives me some much i need to know.
Hello. I am a 17 year old female about to graduate high school in 2012. I really need some means of cash, and just recently a lot of my mother and father’s friends have been begging me to baby-sit. I’ve baby-sitted family member for free for as long as I can remember, and now that I am allowed to charge for babysitting I am completely clueless as to how much I should charge. All of the people are military families or prior military and we live in an urban area. I’m not certified in CPR yet, and that’s been my excuse for not babysitting. I just really need some guidance on how much is too much, and if I should make fliers or some type of brochure selling my services. Another question that I have is, if I do start babysitting will I need to get a license, and will the 3 kinds of taxes come out of my pay?
Anyone need help here….going to babysit a 1 year old 4 2 days and 1 night theywant to pay me $32 but I don’t think is fair and I wa.t to charge $50 but still dont know if its to much…help
I start with $6 then add a dollar per extra kid. So if I’m sitting 3 kids I charge $8 per hour. I don’t add on for extra for anything else, I let the parents do that If they think it’s worth that. Like if I’ve made the kids dinner or worked on a school project, or had to stay later than I expected, the parents are usually going to give me a bit extra. I don’t ask for money, it makes the parents like you more because they think you REALLY want to be with their kids (which I do
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I am only 13, and I don’t know what to charge??
Katie,
My book will give you lots of info about that
If i got paid it would depend on the amount of children so 1 would be 4 dollars and 2 would be 6 dollars an hour.
I have a healthy, very calm only child, age 7. How much should I pay a teenager to babysit (only – dinner made, daughter bathed and house clean) my daughter for a 6 – 8 hour evening?
Hi Lisa,
That’s a great question. There are 10 things to consider when deciding how much to pay a babysitter. They are the same things to consider when deciding what to charge AS a babysitter. They are listed in my book on page 14. I think you’ll find my book to be enlightening as well as entertaining – even as a mother who hires babysitters. Please let me know what you think.
Kayanne
I am a 37 year old mom with 3 children 7, 4 and 2. My husband works hard so i can be home with the kids. I have a family member that would like me to babysit their child in the Fall. He will be 4 months old. Mom is a teacher, husband is a engineer. I will be working the school schedule holiday, weekends and summers off. In the fall I will have 2 in school one of them 1/2 day K. I accepted the job verbally. later this weekend she told me she is paying me 20$ a day 100$ a week. I am having a hard time with this the more i think about it. She will bring the boy to my home, but i am providing all baby things, toys, crib, paknplay,strollers etc. gas when i’m going to do errands. She is providing formula/diapers. I obviously am an experienced mom with kids I feel I am worth alot more and will be doing more with the boy. I don’t t hink the family knows how much a newborn is (he will be 4 months old when i get him) ANy ideas, thoughts how much i should charge (this is all new to me as far as nanny/babysitting) how I should go about and tell her since they already decided 20$ a day. That is 3.33$ an hour lol I want to help at the sametime i don’t want to sell myself short Thank you in advance
In my book I explain how to evaluate how much to charge and how to ask for a raise. I hope it works out for you.
Kayanne
I usually charge about 4-5 dollars an hour per child if there are more than one; more if they require special care. Usually if there is only one child, I’ll charge about $6-10, depending on the parents, and the child’s energy levels and needs. I’ll charge less ($3-$4 a child [multiple] or $5-$9 for a single child) when the child is sleeping for a parent’s date night. The main thing is to know that if a child has a lot of energy, and I’ll be expected to run around, play LOTS of games, and use up a lot of energy, I’ll charge on the higher end of things. Then again, sometimes I just ask what the parents normally charge, since it is usually reasonable. They may have had other sitters, and are comfortable with that price. Also, don’t feel afraid of asking for a buck more an hour, babysitting can be a tiring job, and if you feel you deserve more, simply verbalize that wish. Usually the parents will comply.
Thanks for your comment, Shelbie,
Kayanne