What should you charge for babysitting?
Pick your state, the number of kids and the kind of job. The calculator uses 2026 rate data from 92 US metros to give you a range you can actually quote.
Sources: UrbanSitter 2026 booking study · Sittercity provider data, May 2026 · Care.com Cost of Care Report, n=3,000
How the number is built
| Factor | Adjustment | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| National base, 1 child | $24.50/hr | Midpoint of UrbanSitter $26.24, Sittercity $23.00 and Care.com $21.88 |
| 2nd child | +14% | UrbanSitter observed bookings ($26.24 → $29.87) |
| 3rd child | +8% more | UrbanSitter observed ($29.87 → $32.33) |
| 4+ children | +6% more | Extrapolated from the decay above |
| Holiday / NYE | +25% | UrbanSitter NYE page. Their guidance elsewhere says 1.5–2x, but their own published NYE dollar figures only support about +14–25%, so we use the conservative end |
| Overnight | $200–$325 flat | UrbanSitter, March 2026 |
| State | 0.82–1.13x | Interpolated from 92 metro figures — see the note below |
On state figures: no credible source publishes 50-state babysitting data. The widely-circulated state tables trace back to stale or misattributed numbers — one popular site publishes a table citing “Sittercity 2024” with figures 30–40% below what Sittercity actually reports. Ours are interpolated from real metro data and labelled as estimates where no metro in that state was surveyed.
Common questions
How much more should I charge per extra child?
Marketplace guidance says a flat $1–2 an hour. Actual booking data says far more — about 14% for the second child. Most sitters undercharge here.
What about overnight?
Two models are both in real use: a flat $200–325 for the night, or your hourly rate plus $3–5 with sleeping hours paid. Agree which one before the job.
Do babysitters pay taxes?
If a family pays you $3,000 or more in 2026, they owe household employment taxes — that is the IRS threshold for the year. At the national average rate you cross it at roughly 114 hours, or about two hours a week.
Are rates still going up?
Yes, but more slowly. Rates rose 4.9% in 2026 against roughly 3% inflation. The double-digit jumps of 2022 are over.