If you’ve been babysitting for a family for a long time, there’s a good chance parents have asked, or will ask, about watching the kids overnight. While the opportunity for movie marathons and bedtime snuggles may seem like a no-brainer for you, there is an accompanying elephant in the room: How much to charge for overnight babysitting?
Even though you’re likely to get some downtime after the kids go to bed — not to mention, time to sleep yourself — Michelle LaRowe, lead educator at CACHE-accredited Global Nanny Training, says you should still be paid every hour. “Babysitters should be paid the agreed-upon rate for any hours you are responsible for the children,” she explains. “It’s important to remember that even when the children are sleeping, you are responsible for their safety and care.”
Wondering how to determine the right overnight babysitting asking rate? Experts and veteran sitters weigh in.
Should I charge hourly for overnight babysitting?
When determining your asking rate for an overnight babysitting job, you should figure out an hourly pay rate, which yes, should include the time you spend sleeping. “If parents have a set amount in mind, work backwards to calculate your hourly rate,” LaRowe advises.
And if getting paid while you’re technically asleep feels weird, think about it this way: Regardless of the hour, you’re still on the clock. “If a child wakes up in the middle of the night, you are the only one there and you’re responsible,” says Sam Zariwala, owner of Little Einsteins Babysitting and Nanny Services in Saskatchewan, Canada, who adds that, when watching babies who still wake up throughout the night, sitters should ask to be paid a premium.
“If a child wakes up in the middle of the night, you are the only one there and you’re responsible.”
—Sam Zariwala, owner of Little Einsteins Babysitting and Nanny Services
“When we left our daughter for the night with our sitter, we worked with her to determine a rate,” says Liz Harris, a parent of one from New Canaan, Connecticut. “When broken down, it was more than her normal hourly rate,” she explains, “but considering the added responsibilities of dinner, bath time and bedtime, it seemed fair.”
Current posted overnight babysitting rates in top U.S. cities*
| City | Hourly babysitter rate | Overnight babysitter rate |
| Seattle, Washington | $23.84/hr | $25.84/hr |
| Brooklyn, New York | $21.53/hr | $23.53/hr |
| San Diego, California | $21.01/hr | $23.01/hr |
| Denver, Colorado | $20.71/hr | $22.71/hr |
| Washington, D.C. | $20.57/hr | $22.57/hr |
| Portland, Oregon | $20.21/hr | $22.21/hr |
| Miami, Florida | $18.80/hr | $20.80/hr |
| Chicago, Illinois | $19.42/hr | $21.42/hr |
| Atlanta, Georgia | $19.04/hr | $21.04/hr |
| Phoenix, Arizona | $18.59/hr | $20.59/hr |
What should be my asking babysitting rate for a full weekend?
Zariwala notes that, when setting your asking rate for a full weekend, you should propose either your normal hourly rate or “$1-2 more per hour.” She also notes keeping the following in mind for reimbursements:
- Activities, like if you pay for admission to a museum or movie tickets.
- Mileage, to and from any activities, whether you’re driving kids to their Saturday morning soccer practice or their favorite park with the cool slide across town.
- Groceries, including any snacks or a frozen pizza.
If a family proposes a flat overnight babysitting rate for the whole weekend, again, LaRowe advises making sure it’s fair when broken down by the hour, especially if the kids are on the younger side.
“Babysitters should be paid for every hour from the time they arrive until the time they leave, especially if the children are young and still wake up during the night,” she says. “For families with older kids who generally don’t wake up, sitters can agree to a flat overnight fee or a reduced rate for the hours the kids are sleeping.”
Krysten Barone, a veteran babysitter in Clinton, New Jersey, has always agreed on a flat rate before babysitting overnight or for the weekend. “I’ve always been paid a flat rate that wound up being lower than my normal hourly rate overall,” Barone says of the family she overnight sits for. “But when broken down, I’m paid more for the hours I work, without getting paid when the kids are sleeping.”
Regardless of how you determine a fair asking rate, LaRowe advises deciding on it prior to taking on the job to avoid a discrepancy. “I work with a number of families, and they all pay differently when it comes to overnight sitting rates,” says Kayla McAfee, a veteran babysitter in Middle Village, New York. “No matter what, though, I always make sure we agree on something fair beforehand, so there aren’t any surprises when I get paid.”
What factors to consider when setting your overnight babysitting rate
When figuring out your asking overnight babysitting rate, consider these factors, which can affect your fee.
Number of children
“Generally speaking, the more children a babysitter is responsible for, the higher the hourly rate will be,” says LaRowe. While a number of factors go into setting your typical babysitting rate, many sitters tack on an extra dollar per child.
Experience
The more experience you have as a babysitter, the higher wage you can command, according to LaRowe.
Ages of the children
According to Zariwala, the younger the kids are, the more pay you can request (as it’s more likely the kids will be up at night). “The newborns and infants our nannies and sitters watch generally wake up at least twice a night, with the preschoolers waking up about once,” Zariwala says, adding that, with the former, there are a number of duties involved, including diapering, feeding and rocking to sleep.
“The newborns and infants our nannies and sitters watch generally wake up at least twice a night, with the preschoolers waking up about once.”
—Sam Zariwala
Location
Where you live will also help you to determine what to pay. Use the Care.com Cost of Care calculator to see what the asking pay rate is in your area.
