Let’s talk about babysitters. Because something weird has happened since we were kids:
They’re making actual money now. Like, real, adult-level money.
If you were paid in pizza and a crumpled $10 bill for six hours of toddler wrangling back in the day, congrats — you helped subsidize today’s babysitter inflation boom. The going rate to watch your sticky-handed gremlins in 2025? Over $23 an hour in most cities. For one kid.
And if you’ve got two or three kids? Sitters will straight-up double their rates like they’re the IRS, but cuter and with a bag of Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies.
Sticker shock is real — but you’re not alone. We asked three parents how they’re navigating rising babysitter costs, and they came through with hacks, trade-offs, and a few hard truths about the price of a night off.
But first, let’s take a look at rates so you can see who’s paying what.
National babysitter rates in 2025
📍 Average for 1 kid: $23.61/hr
📍 Average for 2 kids: $26.57/hr
Let those national average rates, per Urban Sitter, sink in. That’s more than some entry-level jobs. That’s more than some actual jobs with 401(k)s and key cards.
Sitter City’s data shows an average per-hour rate of $22.50 per hour, but they differentiate between babysitters (fewer credentials, less experience) and nannies, who earn a much higher rate.
Babysitter pay by state: How much are you really shelling out?
Of course, many spendy urban areas skew average babysitting earnings. When looking at average babysitter wages, by state, the picture is slightly less bleak.
But babysitting is not the below-minimum-wage job it used to be.
Below is the average hourly rate to hire a babysitter in each state (thanks to ZipRecruiter data).
Breathe.
Average babysitting rate in every state
| State | Avg $/hr |
| Alabama | $15.19 |
| Alaska | $17.20 |
| Arizona | $15.62 |
| Arkansas | $13.11 |
| California | $17.41 |
| Colorado | $20.25 |
| Connecticut | $15.34 |
| Delaware | $18.94 |
| Florida | $12.52 🙃 |
| Georgia | $14.15 |
| Hawaii | $16.63 |
| Idaho | $16.68 |
| Illinois | $15.37 |
| Indiana | $15.95 |
| Iowa | $15.25 |
| Kansas | $14.33 |
| Kentucky | $13.79 |
| Louisiana | $13.95 |
| Maine | $16.97 |
| Maryland | $18.33 |
| Massachusetts | $17.36 |
| Michigan | $16.76 |
| Minnesota | $15.98 |
| Mississippi | $15.22 |
| Missouri | $17.88 |
| Montana | $15.38 |
| Nebraska | $17.91 |
| Nevada | $16.26 |
| New Hampshire | $16.48 |
| New Jersey | $16.77 |
| New Mexico | $15.93 |
| New York | $18.48 |
| North Carolina | $17.37 |
| North Dakota | $16.95 |
| Ohio | $15.54 |
| Oklahoma | $17.35 |
| Oregon | $16.96 |
| Pennsylvania | $16.93 |
| Rhode Island | $15.71 |
| South Carolina | $17.74 |
| South Dakota | $16.02 |
| Tennessee | $14.84 |
| Texas | $16.59 |
| Utah | $14.83 |
| Vermont | $18.09 |
| Virginia | $18.62 |
| Washington | $20.31 🔥 |
| West Virginia | $13.08 |
| Wisconsin | $16.58 |
| Wyoming | $16.19 |
Rationally, I understand that times and market rates have changed. Today’s babysitters do less and earn more.
Irrationally, it feels like next-level hucksterism.
Want to get really angry? Look at what they’re charging in Washington, then scroll back up to Kentucky, and tell us you’re not ready to move.
Average babysitter pay based on metro area
Sitter City has done research on hourly averages based on metro areas. The figures are higher than what ZipRecruiter shows but still paint an expensive picture.
| Top Cities | Babysitter |
| San Jose, CA | $28.75/hr |
| San Francisco, CA | $27.50/hr |
| Seattle, WA | $26.50/hr |
| Boston, MA | $25.00/hr |
| Los Angeles, CA | $25.00/hr |
| New York City, NY | $25.00/hr |
| Stamford, CT | $25.00/hr |
| Denver, CO | $24.00/hr |
| San Diego, CA | $24.00/hr |
| Honolulu, HI | $23.50/hr |
| Thousand Oaks, CA | $23.25/hr |
| Austin, TX | $22.50/hr |
| Chicago, IL | $22.50/hr |
| Miami, FL | $22.50/hr |
| Nashville, TN | $22.50/hr |
| New Haven, CT | $22.50/hr |
| Philadelphia, PA | $22.50/hr |
| Portland, OR | $22.50/hr |
| Providence, RI | $22.50/hr |
| Sacramento, CA | $22.50/hr |
| Washington, D.C. | $22.50/hr |
| Worcester, MA | $22.50/hr |
| Sarasota, FL | $22.25/hr |
| Hartford, CT | $22.00/hr |
| Minneapolis, MN | $22.00/hr |
| Albany, NY | $21.50/hr |
| Atlanta, GA | $21.50/hr |
| Baltimore, MD | $21.50/hr |
| Charleston, SC | $21.50/hr |
| Phoenix, AZ | $21.50/hr |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $21.50/hr |
| San Bernardino, CA | $21.50/hr |
| Tampa, FL | $21.50/hr |
| Charlotte, NC | $21.00/hr |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $21.00/hr |
| Columbus, OH | $21.00/hr |
| Dallas, TX | $21.00/hr |
| Houston, TX | $21.00/hr |
| Orlando, FL | $21.00/hr |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $21.00/hr |
| Raleigh, NC | $21.00/hr |
| Cincinnati, OH | $20.50/hr |
| Cleveland, OH | $20.50/hr |
| Detroit, MI | $20.50/hr |
| Las Vegas, NV | $20.50/hr |
| St.Louis, MO | $20.50/hr |
| Indianapolis, IN | $20.25/hr |
| Milwaukee, WI | $20.25/hr |
| Kansas City, MO | $20.00/hr |
| Louisville, KY | $20.00/hr |
| New Orleans, LA | $20.00/hr |
| Norfolk, VA | $20.00/hr |
| Richmond, VA | $20.00/hr |
| San Antonio, TX | $20.00/hr |
| Tucson, AZ | $20.00/hr |
| Grand Rapids, MI | $19.50/hr |
| Jacksonville, FL | $19.50/hr |
| Columbia, SC | $19.00/hr |
| Greenville, SC | $19.00/hr |
| Memphis, TN | $19.00/hr |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $18.50/hr |
Variables that crank the cost up even more
🚼 More kids = more dollars. Most sitters add $1–$3 per hour per additional kid.
🍼 Babies = extra cash. Newborns = unpredictable, poop-powered liabilities.
🎓 Certs and degrees = cha-ching. CPR training? Early childhood ed? That’s money, honey.
🧼 Bonus chores = bonus pay. If you want dishes done or leftover pizza put back in the fridge, expect to cough up more.
🎄 Holidays = surge pricing. You want a sitter on Valentine’s Day? That’s time-and-a-half, sweetheart.
Understand there’s a ‘cost’ to not hiring a sitter
But let’s say you skip the sitter entirely to save cash. Sure, you’re not out $25 an hour, but you are paying in other ways.
“Uninterrupted time as a couple and sleep” are the biggest sacrifices, says Shanon Morris, a travel advisor and new mom of one.
Shanon and her husband travel full-time and choose to juggle care themselves, rather than paying for outside help. “We have to strategically utilize naptime and bedtime to practice making baby number two or completing tasks that weren’t able to be completed during the day,” she adds.
Setu Shah, founder of Financial Doula, points out that skipping childcare altogether could also quietly drain your mental health (and relationship).
“Less one-on-one quality time could lead to resentment, animosity, and conflict,” she says, especially if kid-free time is already rare. “It could also delay important conversations that are needed for the family to prosper and reach goals.”
Meanwhile, Nataliia Storozhuk, a brand strategist and mom, admits that skipping sitters sometimes means skipping life. “Having to miss business events, going to restaurants and sports — this is unfortunate,” she says.
Creative hacks to cut babysitting costs
Okay, so what if you don’t want to pay full freight but still want the occasional night off? Parents are getting scrappy.
YMCA outings, au pairs
Setu recommends building babysitting swaps or co-ops with other local families, where you trade free care nights. “Our local YMCA does ‘parents’ night out’ every few months, too,” she notes, for gym members.
She also sees more families bringing in au pairs, especially for multiple kids. “The Au Pair program is regulated by the U.S. government, and the weekly payment stipend is around $200/week for 45 hours a week for up to 5 children,” Setu explains. There are extra costs for housing and meals, but still, that’s a screaming deal compared to full-time daycare and separate babysitting rates.
Hiring an au pair, says Setu, is much less expensive than other forms of childcare – but you are sacrificing private family life.
Stealth pizza parties and parenting rethinks
Nataliia’s approach is more casual but just as effective: She taps into older kids from her social circle for unofficial babysitting gigs. “Sometimes for money, sometimes just ‘hey come over, I made pizza. By the way, we’re going out to a restaurant for four hours. Why don’t you watch our daughter?’”
She and her partner also swap weekend care with other parents. “Then one couple can safely have two couples’ weekends a month without kids.”
But what about parents without a local village of co-parents?
Shanon suggests a bigger rethink. “Try to worry less about affording childcare and more about building the life you want for your child,” she advises. Her family prioritizes working remotely and shaping their careers to allow for full-time parenting. “Consider taking your child with you to work, or finding an option where you can do both.”
Learn to love Netflix and “family” date nights
My husband and I have adopted this approach. We lean heavily into Netflix and date nights at the grocery store, with kids in tow.
Once a week or so, we eat dinner at the supermarket (hot buffet grill or at the on-site restaurant if we’re feeling fancy). After, it’s a group scavenger hunt to get groceries.
Couple-only dates are Groupon-priced. (We don’t use actual Groupons, but if you’re curious, Groupon is still a thing. Kind of.) Dinner and a show has morphed into supper without drinks — and free bar trivia.
The TL;DR if you’re budgeting for babysitting:
● Don’t expect to pay minimum wage unless your sitter’s name is Grandma.
● Expect $20–$30/hour in bigger cities.
● Add $1–$3/hour per additional kid.
● Babies and toddlers cost more.
● Florida’s rates are suspiciously low. Good luck with that.
● And if you want to save? Get creative — swap, barter, or make a mean pizza for your neighborhood teens.
Hot take: Should sitters make this much?
We’re not saying all sitters should be paid in Goldfish crackers like back in 2003… but $28/hour to FaceTime your crush while our kid watches Paw Patrol? Maybe not.
At the same time, if you’re trusting someone with your baby’s literal life, maybe paying them like a real adult is fair game? Even if it still stings? Especially given how much today’s parents are shelling out Santa Claus money for Easter Bunny baskets. (For real. Some kids get kiddie pool-size baskets full of goodies. Read and marvel.)
Or learn to love being with your children 24/7. For some moms, like Shanon and her husband, it’s worth it.
“We brought her into the world. It’s our responsibility to raise her.”
And for those who are pondering parenthood and balking at childcare costs, Shannon has some parting words of wisdom. “Think about who you want to raise your kids and plan your life around it. Personally, we think our daughter is our responsibility and priority…therefore, we prioritize her.
