What should you charge for babysitting?
Most sitters undercharge because nobody ever told them the real number. Put in your state, how many kids and how long, and get a rate you can say out loud.
Calculate my rateYour number, in about ten seconds.
Built from state cost-of-living, the number of children, the hours and what the job actually asks of you.
What babysitters actually charge in 2026.
UrbanSitter tracks booking data across tens of thousands of jobs a year. These are their national averages, updated January 2026.
Average hourly rate by city
| City | 1 child | 2 children |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | $20.78 | $23.74 |
| Austin, TX | $23.39 | $27.58 |
| Boston, MA | $25.52 | $27.78 |
| Charlotte, NC | $23.56 | $28.67 |
| Chicago, IL | $22.21 | $25.83 |
| Columbus, OH | $19.98 | $20.71 |
| Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX | $19.25 | $22.58 |
| Denver, CO | $24.05 | $26.60 |
| Honolulu, HI | $27.22 | $29.38 |
| Houston, TX | $21.69 | $23.68 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $21.16 | $23.08 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $26.11 | $29.22 |
| Miami, FL | $21.15 | $26.56 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $21.35 | $23.46 |
| Nashville, TN | $23.43 | $24.53 |
| New York City, NY | $26.03 | $28.77 |
| North Jersey, NJ | $25.38 | $26.52 |
| Orlando, FL | $21.68 | $23.00 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $20.10 | $21.00 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $20.59 | $23.63 |
| Portland, OR | $23.98 | $27.07 |
| Raleigh/Durham, NC | $22.23 | $24.29 |
| Reno-Tahoe, NV | $23.90 | $30.50 |
| Sacramento, CA | $22.79 | $24.32 |
| San Antonio, TX | $18.21 | $21.94 |
| San Diego, CA | $24.39 | $27.06 |
| San Francisco, CA | $29.63 | $33.70 |
| Seattle, WA | $27.70 | $30.79 |
| Tampa Bay, FL | $21.26 | $25.58 |
| Washington, DC | $23.95 | $26.01 |
Rates from the UrbanSitter 2026 babysitting rates report, last updated January 2026. Your own number will move with the ages of the children, the hours and what you are asked to do — which is what the calculator above is for.
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 labeled as estimates where no metro in that state was surveyed.
Common questions
Knowing the number is the easy part.
Saying it out loud without dropping it is where most sitters lose money.
Give one number, not a range
A range is an invitation to pay the bottom of it. Say the single figure, then stop talking. The pause is not your problem to fill.
Show them why you are worth it
A sitter with training that a parent can actually check is not competing on price any more. That is what the babysitting certification is for.
Raise it on the regulars first
Families who already trust you are the easiest yes. The business course has the message to send and when to send it.
Rate questions, answered.
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.
Is $20 an hour too much to ask for babysitting?
In most of the country it is below average. UrbanSitter puts the 2026 national average at $26.24 an hour for one child. If you are in San Antonio or Columbus, $20 is around the going rate; in San Francisco, Seattle or New York you are leaving real money on the table.
Should I charge more for a baby than a ten-year-old?
Yes. Infants need constant hands-on care, feeding and safe sleep, and the consequences of getting it wrong are higher. A dollar or two an hour above your normal rate is standard, and training in infant care is what justifies it.
What do I say when a parent says that is more than we usually pay?
Say the number again, calmly, and give them the reason: you are trained, you are certified, and they can check it. Then stop. Most families say yes. The ones who do not were never going to be your best-paying clients.
How do I get paid?
Agree the rate and the rough finish time before the job, not after. Cash, Venmo, Zelle or PayPal are all normal. For regular families, a simple invoice ends the awkward conversation for good.
Know your rate. Now be worth it.
Six classes, a certificate parents can look up, and the confidence to charge what the job is actually worth.
Get certified — $45Want more detail? Read how much to charge for babysitting in 2026.