California Parents Shell Out Big Bucks For Babysitters: Survey

When it comes to babysitting costs, gone are they days when parents can give $20 and a pizza to a responsible teen for a night on the town. Now, parents in California expect to shell out a pretty penny for babysitters, according to a survey by a nanny and babysitter service.

California parents can expect to shell out nearly $17 an hour for babysitters, making it the most expensive state in the nation, according to the 2017 Babysitter Survey by Care.com. Nationally, the average amount parents pay in 2016 for babysitters is $13.97 per hour — up 11 percent from 2010.

Northern California parents can expect to pay $16.68 an hour for babysitters. Southern California parents don't fare any better. Parents in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area can expect to pay babysitters $14.75 an hour, according to the survey.

“Parents are increasingly paying more for a babysitter,” said Joyce Hodel, data scientist at Care.com. “What surprised us is that parents are also willing to pay even more in certain circumstances."

Parents were more likely to pay extra for help with homework or for sitters with safety training or child-care certification, according to the report, which surveyed 800 parents.

"We’re seeing that this is a babysitter’s market with parents recognizing that sitters have a huge responsibility and are providing a priceless service," Hodel said.

Cost was also a factor for parents who decided against hiring a babysitter. According to the report, 41 percent of parents say that they spend at least $1,000 a year on babysitting; another 22 percent say they spend up to $2,000 a year.

One of the factors for the discrepancy in costs is that babysitters in major metropolitan areas cost more. Higher cost of living often means higher wages. The highest cost for a sitter is in San Jose, which costs an average of $16.68, compared to Youngstown, Ohio, which is about $11.81, making it the least expensive city in the report.

Which days are parents most likely to hire a babysitter? According to the data, in 2016, parents were pawning their kids off to the sitters on New Year's Eve, the day before Valentine's Day and the Saturday before Halloween.

Tell us in the comments how much you pay for a sitter.

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