Babysitter pay in California
The median wage for childcare workers in California's 25 metro areas runs from $17.40 an hour in Bakersfield to $21.98 in San Jose, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). Pick your area for suggested babysitter rates built on those figures.
| Metro area | Median | Middle half | Experienced sitter* |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose | $21.98 | $20.07–$26.40 | $25.50 |
| San Francisco | $21.41 | $18.98–$23.62 | $24.50 |
| San Luis Obispo | $20.60 | $17.78–$20.95 | $23.50 |
| Modesto | $20.16 | $18.19–$21.55 | $23.00 |
| Napa | $19.98 | $18.41–$21.80 | $23.00 |
| Santa Rosa | $19.84 | $18.47–$22.72 | $23.00 |
| Riverside | $19.33 | $18.30–$22.57 | $22.00 |
| Stockton | $19.24 | $17.66–$21.56 | $22.00 |
| Los Angeles | $19.18 | $18.16–$22.01 | $22.00 |
| San Diego | $19.14 | $18.03–$21.87 | $22.00 |
| Salinas | $19.00 | $18.26–$21.62 | $22.00 |
| Vallejo | $18.68 | $17.82–$22.14 | $21.50 |
| Sacramento | $18.46 | $17.96–$21.45 | $21.00 |
| Santa Maria | $18.46 | $17.91–$21.26 | $21.00 |
| Oxnard | $18.43 | $17.65–$21.23 | $21.00 |
| El Centro | $18.37 | $16.90–$24.64 | $21.00 |
| Santa Cruz | $18.29 | $17.14–$21.78 | $21.00 |
| Redding | $18.18 | $17.01–$20.23 | $21.00 |
| Yuba City | $18.05 | $17.14–$20.88 | $21.00 |
| Visalia | $17.88 | $17.02–$20.51 | $20.50 |
| Hanford | $17.74 | $16.92–$21.14 | $20.50 |
| Chico | $17.63 | $16.87–$20.04 | $20.50 |
| Merced | $17.59 | $16.61–$20.81 | $20.00 |
| Fresno | $17.54 | $16.63–$20.27 | $20.00 |
| Bakersfield | $17.40 | $17.19–$18.46 | $20.00 |
*Our suggested rate for one child: 15% above the local median. Each metro area's page has the full range.
Outside the metro areas
| Area | Median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California | $20.69 | 200 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California | $19.18 | 550 |
| North Coast Region of California | $19.08 | 460 |
How we get the suggested rates
A babysitter does much the same job as a childcare worker, usually alone and often in the evening, so we start from what childcare work pays locally: a new or teen sitter at the local median wage, an experienced sitter 15% above it, and a pro (CPR-certified, years of experience) 30% above it. Each child after the first adds about $2.50 an hour. It's a starting point, not a rule. Late nights, holidays, last-minute bookings, special needs and extra duties like driving or cooking all justify more; our guide to how much to pay a babysitter goes through them.
What these figures cover
They come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' wage survey for May 2025, for the occupation it calls Childcare Workers: people paid to look after children at daycares, schools, businesses and in private homes. The survey asks employers, so it counts childcare workers on a payroll, and its technical note says it leaves out the self-employed and household workers. Babysitters paid directly by a family aren't in these numbers. Read them as what childcare work pays where you live, not as a survey of babysitting rates.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 39-9011 Childcare Workers. Suggested rates are Sitterday's rule of thumb, explained above.