Babysitting Rates by City (2026): Average Hourly Pay for 1–2 Kids

Methodology

These babysitting rates reflect average hourly pay from UrbanSitter bookings and are updated annually. For the past 15 years, we’ve tracked child care cost trends by analyzing tens of thousands of babysitting jobs each year to provide a comprehensive view of what families pay. City rates shown are based on the metro area listed and are reported for one child and two children.
How to cite: UrbanSitter. “Babysitting Rates by City (2026).” UrbanSitter Babysitting Rates. Last updated January, 2026.

Fun facts

• The least expensive city for a sitter is San Antonio at $18.21/hr for 1 child. 
• The most expensive city is San Francisco with a going rate for babysitting of $29.63/hr for 1 child.
• The national average babysitting rate for 3 kids is $32.33/hr.
  
  

Pay rates for other at-home care providers

Flat rates for babysitting

Some babysitters are open to being paid a flat rate, especially for overnight or multi-day jobs. Whether you’re calculating overnight babysitting rates, or wondering how much to pay a babysitter for weekend care, we’ve got the average going rates:

Key factors when deciding how much to pay a babysitter:

Beyond the average babysitting pay rate, there is a set of other key factors that can help determine what is a reasonable price for babysitting per hour for your child; or if you’re a sitter, how much to charge for babysitting.

1. Location.
   Start with the average babysitting rate in your city, then consider your specific neighborhood – are you conveniently located in the city center or in a suburb? For instance, if you live near a university where many babysitters live, babysitter rates will probably be much more affordable than a far away suburb that requires a long commute for sitters.
2. Job responsibilities.
   First, consider how many children will the babysitter be caring for. Babysitter rates don’t double or triple, but they will increase a dollar or two with each additional child.

   Next, ask yourself if there are additional responsibilities such as driving, homework help, meal preparation, household tasks, laundry, cleaning or walking the family dog. You can expect to pay more for these additions.

3. Skills and experience.
   Experienced sitters will certainly charge more than a high school sitter. Sitters with specialized certifications and Early Childhood Education degrees will command a higher rate.

   You can typically get a feel for the sitter’s experience by asking about how many years they’ve been babysitting and what age groups they’ve worked with (newborn, infant, toddler, preschooler, grade schooler, etc).

4. Transportation.
   Some sitters expect parents to cover their cost of transportation to and from the job — either by reimbursing them for mileage or funding a subway or bus card.

   If your child needs to be driven by the sitter (either in their car or yours), then consider a gas credit card specifically for the sitter’s use.

5. Additional expenses.
   Beyond transportation, the sitter may have additional expenses while on the job including meals, babysitting supplies, and children’s activity costs. Decide what you will cover, then factor this in when determining your overall child care budget.
6. Specialized needs.
   If you have a child with a disability, you should also expect to pay a higher babysitting pay rate for someone with qualified experience.