What should a kid charge for babysitting?

Babysitting is the business where kids most often undercharge, and the gap between what they ask and what the job is worth is enormous.

What they are really buying

Not childcare. Two parents who have not had a conversation without being interrupted in three weeks are buying an evening. A parent working from home is buying two hours where they can actually think.

Underneath that is something bigger: the feeling that their kid is safe with someone who is paying attention. That is close to priceless, which is why the adult rate is what it is.

What adults pay proves it

UrbanSitter's 2026 booking data puts the national average at $26.24 an hour for one child and $29.87 for two, from tens of thousands of real bookings. Sittercity's 2026 figure is about $23. Most families pay between $19 and $29 an hour depending on the city.

Those are adult sitters, often with references and sometimes CPR certified. Still, that is what an evening is worth to a family.

Where to start, and why

A young teen sitting for a family down the street usually starts between $12 and $18 an hour for one child, adding two to four dollars for a second.

The gap under the adult rate is not for being young. It is for being unproven, and for the genuine difference in what you can handle in an emergency. That is a real gap, and it is also a shrinking one.

The discount should not last

A sixteen year old with a CPR card, two years of families who rebook, and a reputation on the street is not offering less than the twenty six dollar sitter. They are offering the same thing, and can charge close to it.

The fastest way there is a CPR and first aid certification. It costs a little, takes a few hours, and moves you out of the neighbor-kid category in the eyes of a parent who is nervous about leaving.

Where you should not discount at all

Last minute, late nights, and holidays. A family whose plans just collapsed is not comparing rates, and New Year's Eve is worth more than a Tuesday to everyone including you.

Charging more for genuinely inconvenient hours is normal in every service business. Say the number in advance rather than after.

The mother's helper version

Working while a parent is home is a different job with less responsibility, often five to ten dollars an hour. It is also the best way in, because a family that trusts you in the next room will eventually trust you alone.

Say the rate before the job

The worst version of this is standing in a doorway at eleven at night while a tired parent guesses. One sentence when they ask you to sit, and the end of the night is just goodbye.

Check your own area

The spread between cities is more than ten dollars an hour. Look at what sitters near you charge.