A babysitter is a godsend to moms and dads who want a little time to themselves, so it’s only fitting that they get paid well for their services, and according to a new report, they do in fact get paid very well.
According to Urbansitter’s 2018 report, the average babysitting rate for one child is $16.43 an hour, which is up 8% from last year, when it was $15.20 an hour. And if you have two kids that number goes up to $18.86 an hour, and $20.56 an hour for three kids.
With such rates, getting a night out from your kid certainly costs a pretty penny. Since most babysitting sessions run about four hours, that’s about $65 for someone with one kid, not including a tip, which 55% of parents also include. In total, 60% of parents say they spend about $1,000 a year just on babysitters. And then there’s the cost of perks, with some parents saying that while they don’t tip their babysitter, they do offer them things like free food or delivery, paid transportation, and use of their entertainment center, including on-demand movies.
Of course, in certain cities those expenses cost even more. According to Urbansitter, folks in San Francisco shell out the most for babysitting one kid, $17.34 an hour, while those in Phoenix pay the least, only $11.83 an hour.
Source: Moneyish