How much should I pay my baby-sitter?

[Saartje]

I know this is a topic that's come up in various forms in the past, but there are so many factors I'm having trouble generalizing.

I have an exam prep course starting in a few days. It will be for eight hours a day (which means the friend who will be caring for Ishy while I'm there will be with him about nine hours, to give me travel time). I've never used a baby-sitter I needed to pay before, as it's always been family or a friend watching him for just a little while. For a 45-hour week, I'll pay her, obviously, and I want to pay her fairly.

We live in Chicago. I don't know what the going rates are for this kind of thing around here; anyone have any advice?

[shilo]

i would guess that chicago has a craigslist??? if so, you could see what posters re: sitters/liveout nannies are posting for wages.

hth,
lori

[jbowman]

Hi Sarah,

I don't know about the rates in Chicago (we live in a smaller town), but we paid our nanny $9/hour for watching Ellie last semester. FWIW, we also pay her taxes and social security (which might not affect you since it sounds as if you are hiring your friend for a short time). I mention this only b/c ultimately it gives her a higher per hour rate.

HTH! And good luck! :)

[Saartje]

I'll check on that, Lori, and thanks; but I find Craigslist wages tend to reflect what people are hoping to pay rather than the reality of what people will work for.

[JulesinChicago]

Hi there,

We live in Chicago too. DS is in a home daycare now but we had a sitter/nanny 3 days a week when I first went back to work. I asked around alot - the going rate seems to be $10 or $11/hr for looking after one child. Our sitter had a bunch of experience so we paid $11/hr.

Hope that helps!
Julie

[kijip]

I would expect to pay about $10/hour. So $450. Or depending on exp and the like, $400-$600 for the 45 hour week.

If it is a friend for a 1 week only, under the table gig, I would wager she would take $375 to $400 and a really nice dinner!

[janeybwild]

Ditto on the $10 an hour in Chicago for one child...good luck on your course :)

[Lynnie]

Often, it'll be cheaper by the week, as opposed to by the hour. You might want to talk to her, and see what she thinks about it. I would think around 400 would be fair. (and like the idea of a nice dinner out). And since she's a friend, I assume she'll be able to help herself to the food in the house, etc. (of course, my babysitters can do that too, but it would go doubly for a friend).

[Roleysmom]

Yep, $10 to $11 an hour in Chicago is what we pay. I do think it's worth a try to suggest a flat weekly rate. I think a weekly full-day rate for in home day care providers is about $280, so you could suggest something in that range.

Paula
Mom to Roley Julia, January '02

[wagner36]

We pay our regular sitter in Chicago $10/hour. Our superstar sitter gets more, but she is a dear friend's sister and knows more about children than I do.

I would talk to her - she may be expecting more/less given that it is a one week gig.

[kijip]

Home daycares take multiple children, thereby increasing thier total gross income. $280 for 1 on 1, in home care, for the week works out to be $6.22 per hour for a 45 hour week. A real steal IMO. I personally would not want to pay less than my state's minimum wage (which is over $7/hour). I don't give my employers a discount for paying me for the full week, in fact I expect them to give me comp time or overtime pay for hours that exceed 40. I don't think asking a sitter to heavily discount their weekly rate to the tune of 40% is any more reasonable than me doing the same for my employer.