How Much Should I Charge for Babysitting an Infant?

Providing infant child care in the United States is integral to many working families and is a quality service. Babysitters as providers of this service seek to understand what to charge families. This answer will take into account , job expectations, and the number of infants cared for. A babysitter can research these points before beginning a working relationship with the families.

Step 1

To begin, start with calculating your basic pay rate and adjust depending on the various factors. Your basic pay rate can be calculated by considering standard location/area pricing, years of infant experience, and the type of care desired.

Step 2

The amount of infant day care needed is necessary to adjust your pay rate per position. Consider if the job needs full-time care, part-time care, or occasional care. Also, take into consideration whether the hours needed are mostly during the week, weekend, day shift, or evening hours.

Step 3

There are different types of child care available in the United States. Geographical location can affect the pay you seek. Major metropolitan areas tend to have a higher demand for infant babysitters compared to rural areas and pay will be impacted.

Step 4

Type of care desired for the infant, the number of infants cared for, and if transportation is expected all account for higher rates of pay. Check into mileage compensation if using a personal vehicle, as well.

Step 5

Years of relevant experience and specialized education can increase rates of pay. Having more years of experience, CPR/First Aid certifications, Early Childhood background, or Newborn Care Specialist education will increase your desired salary. Pay should also reflect yearly increase based upon these factors if accrued and job performance.