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Teen Babysitting Rate

Updated on September 28, 2015

Are you a teen who is unsure of how to set teen babysitting rates?  Obviously, an issue on any teen’s mind when babysitting is how much to fairly charge parents when doing this type of job. Read on to learn what factors you should consider when setting your hourly babysitting rate.

Photo by Scott Rothstein at Dreamstime.com
Photo by Scott Rothstein at Dreamstime.com

Teen Babysitting Rate Factors

Is it your first time babysitting? If so, you may have no clue on how much to charge for your babysitting. A good base rate for new babysitters (young teens) is $7-10 dollars per hour. This is based on ONE child and only babysitting- no additional chores aside from caring for a child. If you have friends who are babysitting, you may also ask them what they charge for their services to help you decide what you should charge in your area.

How Many Children Need Babysitting?

When you take on a babysitting job, it is important to know how many children you will be babysitting. If you’re new to the business, you should carefully consider how much you can really handle. Most first time babysitters start with just one child, then work their way up to two or three children total. This is largely dependent on the age of the babysitter, their babysitting experience and the temperament of the children. If there is more than one child, the babysitting rate should go up, usually by $1-2 dollars per child.

Are Additional Chores Expected?

Some parents will request that you do additional, light housework. This should be agreed upon BEFORE you tell the parent your babysitting rate, because it should be considered in setting your rate for that particular family. Typical chores include washing the dinner dishes, putting a load of baby clothes in the washer or dryer, folding laundry and feeding a family pet. You shouldn’t be expected to wash floors, windows or cars as part of your babysitting duties. Your main job should be watching the children, not being a house cleaner. If a parent asks you to do these things, seriously consider whether you want the job or not. You could end up in trouble with the law if children are injured while under your care.

If additional LIGHT chores are required, charge $1-2 more per hour for your services.

Length of Job

During the summer, additional babysitting jobs are abundant. Parents may need someone to watch their children during the day while they are at work. Setting babysitting rates for the long term is something that needs to be seriously considered. Before you jump at the chance to make, for example, $200 per week, consider how many hours per week you’ll be working, the number of children and then divide the amount per week by those figures. ($200 divided by 40 hours is equal to $5 per hour).

Before agreeing to any long-term babysitting jobs, be sure both you and the parent fully understand what your job duties are. If the parent wants to add additional duties, you may agree to add a certain dollar amount per week for the chores, or an additional dollar amount for each specific chore.

In addition, be sure to agree upon when you will be paid. People have different dates that they are paid by their employers; some are paid each week, some bi-weekly and others only once per month. Avoid disappointment by agreeing upon when you’ll be paid.

Will the Parents be On Site?

Occasionally, parents need help babysitting while at home. The reasons may be that they are ill, have a project they are working on or they work out of their home. In this case, babysitting on site, while a parent is still there, changes the rate you should charge. If you are babysitting under these circumstances, the basic hourly rate is $2-3 per hour. That is because the parent is technically still in charge. You’re just there to be an extra set of eyes and to entertain the children.

Babysitting Certifications

Some parents feel more confident hiring babysitters if they are certified.  To help teens wanting to babysit, and to ensure they have a good foundation in basic child care, several organizations offer babysitting courses.  Places to find these courses include your local fire department, 4-H groups, Girl Scouts, the YMCA/YWCA,  and in some cases, your local high school.

CPR certifications are also a good thing to have.  The local Red Cross, fire department and the YWCA/YMCA offer Infant and Child CPR classes.  There is usually a fee for this particular certification; the cost varies by location.   Call these organizations for more information on when the class will be offered in your area. 

Most babysitters don’t add an additional charge to their babysitting fee for these certifications.  Instead, they usually get more jobs because of these certifications.

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