Rate guide · Teen sitters
Teen babysitter rates: what to pay a 12- to 17-year-old
What the data says (not much), what changes the rate as sitters get older, and the wage and tax rules that apply to teens.
Short answer
UrbanSitter puts teen babysitters at about $8.50 to $17 per hour, below the $19.81/hr–$26.24/hr that adult sitters charge nationally. Younger teens and mother’s helpers sit at the low end; older, experienced teens in high-cost areas can approach adult rates.
How age and experience change the rate
No survey breaks rates down by the sitter’s age, so treat these as a way to think about it rather than a price list. What you’re really paying for is responsibility: how long the sitter is alone with the kids, how many there are, and what they handle.
| Sitter | Typical role | Where the rate tends to fall |
|---|---|---|
| 12–13 | Mother’s helper while a parent is home, or short daytime sits with older kids | Low end of the teen range |
| 14–15 | Evenings alone with one or two kids; bedtime routines; may have taken a babysitting course | Middle of the teen range |
| 16–17 | Sole charge for longer evenings, several kids, maybe driving; often repeat sitters | Top of the teen range; near adult rates in high-cost areas |
Raise it for
- Three or more kids, or a babyMore hands-on work; see rates for more kids.
- Late nightsEspecially past their own curfew, plus a safe ride home.
- TrainingA babysitting or first-aid/CPR course.
- Extra jobsCooking dinner, homework help, tidying.
What a night costs
Base pay for a 4-hour evening at a few teen rates:
| Rate | 4 hours |
|---|---|
| $10/hr | $40.00 |
| $12.50/hr | $50.00 |
| $15/hr | $60.00 |
| $17/hr | $68.00 |
Wage and tax rules for teen sitters
Minimum wage. Federal law exempts babysitting on a casual basis, and the regulation names teenagers working outside school hours as a typical example. States can differ: California excludes babysitters under 18 from its domestic worker minimum wage, Virginia excludes babysitters working under 10 hours a week, and Oregon exempts babysitting from its state minimum wage. A teen who babysits as a regular, near-full-time job is a different case.
Taxes. Wages you pay a sitter who is under 18 at any time in the year don’t count for Social Security and Medicare unless household work is their principal occupation, and it never is for a student. See babysitter taxes in 2026.
Training. The American Red Cross’s in-person Babysitter’s Training course is designed for ages 11 to 16, and its online Babysitting Basics course for ages 11 and older.
SitterRate for iPhone
For parents and the teens they hire
SitterRate works out the night to the cent, so there's no awkward rounding at the door, and a sitter can be sent an itemized text summary.
- Exact time worked, even past midnight
- Save your regular teen sitter and their rate
- Share a plain-text summary of the night
- Live timer from the moment they arrivePro
Get SitterRateFree on the App Store · iPhoneFree download. Pro is a one-time in-app purchase, with no subscription. What’s in the app
Questions people ask
How much should I pay a 13-year-old babysitter?
No U.S. survey publishes rates by age. UrbanSitter puts teen sitters at roughly $8.50 to $17 an hour. A 12- or 13-year-old is usually at the lower end of that, especially as a mother's helper while a parent is home; check your state's rules, since some states set minimum wages that can apply to babysitting.
How much should I pay a 16-year-old babysitter?
An experienced 16- or 17-year-old who takes sole charge of the kids, handles bedtime and maybe drives is often paid toward the top of UrbanSitter's teen range, and in high-cost areas close to adult rates ($19.81/hr to $26.24/hr nationally in 2026).
Does minimum wage apply to teen babysitters?
Under federal law, babysitting on a casual basis (occasional, usually 20 hours a week or less, not the sitter's vocation) is exempt from minimum wage. State law can differ: for example, California excludes babysitters under 18 from its domestic-worker minimum wage, and Virginia excludes babysitters working under 10 hours a week.
Do I owe taxes on what I pay a teenage sitter?
Usually not Social Security or Medicare: wages paid to an employee under 18 at any time in the year don't count unless household work is their principal occupation, which it isn't for a student. That holds even above the $3,000 threshold.
What age can a child babysit?
There is no federal minimum age, and state rules differ. The American Red Cross designs its in-person Babysitter's Training course for ages 11 to 16, and its online Babysitting Basics course for ages 11 and older.
Sources
- UrbanSitter, “Babysitting Rates by City (2026),” last updated January 2026.Teen sitter range and national averages.
- Care.com, “How much does a babysitter cost?” updated February 12, 2026.
- 29 CFR 552.104: babysitting services performed on a casual basis
- IRS Publication 926 (2026)
- American Red Cross, babysitting classes