What to pay a babysitter in Denver, CO
Childcare workers in the Denver–Aurora–Centennial metro area earned a median of $21.31 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's more than in 99% of the 385 US metro areas BLS reports. It's the highest of Colorado's 7 metro areas.
Suggested babysitter rates in Denver
For one child, built on that local median:
| Kids | New or teen | Experienced | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 child | $21.50 | $24.50 | $27.50 |
| 2 kids | $24.00 | $27.00 | $30.00 |
| 3 kids | $26.50 | $29.50 | $32.50 |
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 Denver
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $17.24 |
|---|---|
| Bottom quarter earn less than | $18.94 |
| Median | $21.31 |
| Top quarter earn more than | $22.41 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $23.70 |
| Average | $21.04 |
| Median for a year of full-time work | $44,320 |
| Childcare workers employed | 7,870 |
Childcare jobs are unusually common here: 4.89 in every 1,000 jobs, 1.47 times the national share. Pay is tightly bunched: nine in ten earn between $17.24 and $23.70.
Elsewhere in Colorado
- Boulder, CO $20.86 median
- Colorado Springs, CO $17.86 median
- Greeley, CO $17.64 median
- Fort Collins, CO $17.51 median
- Grand Junction, CO $17.02 median
- Pueblo, CO $16.94 median
Outside its metro areas, Colorado's 3 nonmetropolitan areas pay medians from $17.52 to $21.44. All of Colorado →
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.