What to pay a babysitter in Columbus, OH
Childcare workers in the Columbus metro area earned a median of $14.56 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's more than in 47% of the 385 US metro areas BLS reports. It's 4th of Ohio's 12 metro areas.
Suggested babysitter rates in Columbus
For one child, built on that local median:
| Kids | New or teen | Experienced | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 child | $14.50 | $16.50 | $19.00 |
| 2 kids | $17.00 | $19.00 | $21.50 |
| 3 kids | $19.50 | $21.50 | $24.00 |
Work out a total in the calculator →
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 childcare work pays in Columbus
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $12.53 |
|---|---|
| Bottom quarter earn less than | $13.97 |
| Median | $14.56 |
| Top quarter earn more than | $18.47 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $21.19 |
| Average | $15.93 |
| Median for a year of full-time work | $30,280 |
| Childcare workers employed | 2,580 |
Childcare jobs are less common here than nationally: 2.33 in every 1,000 jobs, 0.70 times the national share. BLS's estimate for this area is less precise than most (relative standard error 27.3% for employment), so treat the figures as approximate.
Elsewhere in Ohio
- Springfield, OH $14.72 median
- Youngstown, OH $14.67 median
- Cleveland, OH $14.64 median
- Cincinnati, OH $14.50 median
- Akron, OH $14.49 median
- Sandusky, OH $14.22 median
- Dayton, OH $14.01 median
- Toledo, OH $13.94 median
- Lima, OH $13.84 median
- Mansfield, OH $12.87 median
- Canton, OH $12.79 median
Outside its metro areas, Ohio's 4 nonmetropolitan areas pay medians from $13.23 to $14.03. All of Ohio →
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.