According to a December 2009 Fox Business article and the International Nanny Association, the national average rate to pay a babysitter was $13 per hour. But this rate can vary depending on your location, number of kids, the babysitter's experience and any extra qualifications she may have. Your babysitter may have a flat rate in mind or you may need to negotiate the rate with her before leaving the children. You may also want to discuss how payment is to be made and how often if it is a regular babysitting gig.
Identification
Not only should you talk to your babysitter about how much you should pay her, but also check with other neighborhood parents. Find out the average they have paid a babysitter per hour. When you check the babysitter's references, you can check with her past clients to see how much she has charged them. Take into account how many children were watched. More children means a higher hourly rate.
Geography
Fox Business states the closer you live to a major city, the more you are going to have to pay your babysitter. Due to the high cost of living, residents in a major city may need to pay a babysitter as much as $15 per hour.
Experience
The experience of a sitter is a factor when deciding on how much to pay her. The babysitter's age and years of experience can determine a fair amount to pay. Less than one year of experience may be paid less than $9 an hour while sitters with more than five years of experience typically make upward of $12 per hour.
Considerations
Special fees may need to be considered when paying your babysitter. For instance, you may need to pay her extra for special holidays such as New Year's Eve or if you are late getting home. According to Fox Business, you might need to pay out an extra $1 to $2 per child for any special duties performed such as cooking dinner, cleaning the house or transporting the children.
Potential
If you want to get an average rate in your area, you can find online babysitting calculators at your disposal. For instance, the Sitter City website requests you put in your ZIP code and number of children. Further information required is the years of experience of the babysitter and age. It will then give you an average hourly rate based on your criteria.
