How to use the babysitter pay calculator
- Enter the start time and the end time. An end time earlier than the start is taken to be after midnight.
- Enter the hourly rate, the number of children and the add-on per hour for each child after the first.
- Optionally set a late hourly rate and the window it applies to, a rule for billing in blocks such as 15 or 30 minutes, and a minimum number of hours.
- Read the total pay, the hours billed and the pay for the regular and late parts of the job.
Formula
hourly rate with children = hourly rate + add-on x (children - 1)
billed minutes = job minutes rounded up to the block, but at least the minimum hours
pay = regular minutes / 60 x regular rate + late minutes / 60 x late rate
each part of the pay is rounded to the cent, half up
The late window runs from the late start time through midnight to the late end time, on every day. Minutes added by rounding or by the minimum are counted at the end of the job.
An evening for two children
From 18:00 to 23:30 is 5 hours 30 minutes. At $18.00 an hour with $3.00 added for the second child the rate is $21.00, so the pay is 5.5 x $21.00 = $115.50. If a late rate of $20.00 applies from 22:00, the first 4 hours are $84.00 and the last 1 hour 30 minutes are paid at $23.00 an hour, which is $34.50, for a total of $118.50.
A job from 21:00 to 01:00 at $15.00 with one child and a late rate of $22.00 from 22:00, billed in 30 minute blocks, has 1 hour at $15.00 and 3 hours at $22.00, a total of $81.00. A job from 19:00 to 20:10 for three children at $16.00 plus $2.50 per extra child, billed in 15 minute blocks, is 75 minutes at $21.00 an hour, which is $26.25. A minimum of 2 hours for a one-hour job at $16.00 is $32.00.
Agreeing on the rate
All the rates in this tool are examples. Talk with the family or the sitter in advance about the rate, whether it changes late at night, what happens when the job runs over, and who pays for travel and food. Writing the agreement down avoids surprises when it is time to pay.
What this tool does not cover
The tool does arithmetic. It does not know the local rules on pay for household workers, tax on earnings or whether the family must report the pay. Those rules vary by place, so check with the local authority if the work is regular. To check the length of an evening, use the Time Duration Calculator, and for pay with premiums for odd hours the Shift Differential Pay Calculator.
More everyday money and school tools
For related everyday calculations, try the Cloth vs Disposable Diaper Cost Calculator and Reading Fluency WCPM Calculator.
Assumptions and limits
- The job lasts under 24 hours, and an end time earlier than the start time means after midnight.
- The late rate, if given, replaces the regular rate during the late window.
- The add-on is charged per hour for each child after the first, in both the regular and late periods.
- Money is rounded to the cent, half up, for each part of the pay.
- All rates, times and the number of children in the form are examples to replace with your own.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I pay a babysitter?
That is for the family and the sitter to agree. Rates vary with place, experience, the number of children and the hour. This tool turns whatever you agree into a total.
What does billing in blocks do?
It rounds the length of the job up to the next block, for example to the next 30 minutes. A job of 4 hours 10 minutes billed in 30 minute blocks counts as 4 hours 30 minutes.
How is the late window counted?
It covers the time from the late start through midnight to the late end, every day. A job from 21:00 to 01:00 with a window of 22:00 to 06:00 has 3 hours of late time.
Can I use it for a nanny or a pet sitter?
Yes. Any hourly job with an optional extra rate for more people or animals and a night rate works the same way.