Los Gatos Parents, Do You Overpay For Babysitting?

Babysitting can be a big moneymaker, especially in Silicon Valley.

San Francisco Bay Area babysitters are the best paid in the United States, a recent Huffington Post article reported.

A babysitter in Los Gatos watching one child should be paid between $15.25 an hour, according to online rate calculators, which is better than the recently upped minimum wage of $10 per hour in neighboring San Jose.

That's on par with regional averages: $14.50 per hour for one child for a babysitter age 18-21 and $20 or more for three children, according to a new report from UrbanSitter.com. The data shows Bay Area parents who use the website pay more for childcare than parents in any of the 13 other U.S. metro areas the site serves.

“One reason for this disparity is New York has better public transportation,” UrbanSitter’s founder Lynn Perkins told 7x7. "The babysitters say that matters."

UrbanSitter, which started in San Francisco, matches parents and care providers using social networks. More than 9,200 parents and 3,100 sitters are using the service, according to 7x7.

UrbanSitter, along with national networks Care.com and SitterCity.com, provide profiles, reviews and suggested rates to parents selecting babysitters.

The online rate calculator on Care.com puts the going rate for a sitter with any experience watching one child in Los Gatos at $13 an hour.

Parents, how much do you pay for babysitting in Los Gatos? How do you find your sitters? Tell us in the comment section below.

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