Babysitting hourly rate?

Question

Ok so i'v babysat before but this weekend i'm takeing a red cross babysitting course. anyway right now i charge $7 an hour for one child and an additional $2 per additional child but i don`t think i`m charging enough i live in a fairly affluent community in Calgary, Alberta. so what do you think i should

do thanks oh ya i`m 13

Answer 1

I would say 7-9 is about average.  you are young and with more experience later may be able to charge more.  i babysat for years and years near detroit and made around 5-7 and that was about 5-10 years ago that i was babysitting.  i agree if you set it at a higher rate you have the possibility of negotiation or you might find people you babysit finding someone else in which case you'd need to lower your price.

Answer 2

Sounds like you are charging the perfect amount! I charge the same, but I have more experience.. But if you are unhappy with the pay, maybe start charging $7.50/$8 an hour.

Answer 3

Yeh i think your charging about the right amount, if anything then  your charging a bit too much.

Your only 13 so be happy with what your getting.

Answer 4

honestly, that's a lot of money for a young girl your age. I bet there are many adults who don't make that much!

But why don't you try raising your price, and the worst case scenario is that you'll have parents asking you to negotiate your price, and then you can decide then if it's okay

Answer 5

get a real job if you want to get pay 7 dollar an hour will I live babysitter charge $2 an hour and min wage is $7.95 I will not pay $7 an hour that is lots of money will be left with barley anything I will be working only to pay the babysitter

Answer 6

Is this a summer babysitting job, watching kids while parents are at work or is this a occasional babysitting job, watching kids while parents go out?

We pay our occasional babysitter $10/hour and we have 2 kids.

If it is a summer job, I think you may be charging too much. I would say $3/hr and $2/hr for each additional.