Paying a babysitter or a nanny is often one of the biggest items in a family budget. This calculator turns an hourly rate into weekly, monthly and yearly costs, with an extra charge for each additional child, so you can compare options and plan ahead.
How the cost is calculated
- Hourly rate = rate for one child + extra per additional child × (children − 1)
- Weekly cost = hourly rate × hours per week + transport or extras
- Yearly cost = weekly cost × weeks per year
- Monthly cost = yearly cost ÷ 12
Example
At $22 an hour for one child plus $2 for a second child, the sitter earns $24 an hour. Ten hours a week cost $240 a week. Over 48 weeks (leaving time for vacations), that is $11,520 a year, or about $960 a month, which is $5,760 per child.
What babysitters charge
Rates depend mostly on where you live and on what you ask. Typical drivers are:
- City and region: big metropolitan areas often pay $20 to $30 an hour, smaller towns less.
- Number of children: many sitters add $1 to $5 per extra child.
- Experience and skills: CPR and first aid training, a driver’s license, tutoring or special needs care raise the rate.
- Timing: late nights, holidays and last-minute bookings usually cost more.
- Tasks: cooking, cleaning or driving children to activities add to the job.
Babysitter or nanny?
A regular nanny working many hours for one family is usually that family’s household employee. In the United States, once cash wages reach the IRS threshold for the year (it was $2,800 in 2025), the family must withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes and may owe federal unemployment tax, and state rules can add more. A payroll service can handle this. Occasional babysitting by a teenager under 18 is usually exempt.
Tax help for child care
Care for children under 13 that lets parents work can qualify for the Child and Dependent Care Credit and for a dependent care FSA through an employer, which lets you pay for care with pre-tax money. The rules and limits change, so check the current year’s IRS guidance.
Tips
- Agree in advance on the rate, the hours, overtime and cancellations.
- Count guaranteed hours: many nannies are paid for a set schedule even if you come home early.
- Add gas money or mileage if the sitter drives your children.