Babysitter Base Pay Calculator

Actually, I'm not sure it does; when I clicked on the link, it came up with a ZIP near mine, but not exactly mine...definitely not where MrsK lives...

Oh good. It came up w/a Kansas zip that wasn't mine, so I figured it was hers.

[Gwendolyn]

We use a nanny service with background checks and stuff and it is $15 an hour for three kids. We often get grad students with education and nursing degrees. Now I feel like we are getting a smoking deal. The calculator said $14.50/hour. Like anyone pays in 50 cent increments

We always have over paid too. I've often used students as babysitters and I didnt want any confusion about grades for work, etc. Then when they weren't students...ack...it's my kid. For some reason I've made the equation that well paid=good care. (If I could put an eye roll guy here on my phone I would)

What rule of thumb do you use for tipping? That is what messes me up...I've even heard from some that you should't tip babysitters, just up the hourly wage if they are worth it...what do you do?

[SuzySunshine]

I don't tip my sitters but I do round up by the 1/2 hour.

[SoonerTexan]

I was never tipped. The calculator seems to put out 1-2 dollars above what I was normally paid in the 2002 to 2006 era, which might be about right. Number of kids never really mattered too much though. Time was time and a cranky 2 year old could often be harder than 3 older kids who just chilled