Babysitter pay in Florida
The median wage for childcare workers in Florida's 20 metro areas runs from $14.35 an hour in Tallahassee to $22.74 in North Port, 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* |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Port | $22.74 | $17.40–$33.10 | $26.00 |
| Jacksonville | $16.93 | $15.01–$17.86 | $19.50 |
| Ocala | $16.90 | $15.20–$22.18 | $19.50 |
| Miami | $16.71 | $14.83–$18.26 | $19.00 |
| Punta Gorda | $16.70 | $15.28–$18.60 | $19.00 |
| Naples | $16.67 | $16.03–$18.28 | $19.00 |
| Deltona | $16.65 | $14.83–$16.76 | $19.00 |
| Sebastian | $16.49 | $13.80–$16.76 | $19.00 |
| Port St. Lucie | $16.31 | $14.44–$17.52 | $19.00 |
| Tampa | $16.12 | $14.43–$17.52 | $18.50 |
| Palm Bay | $16.09 | $15.81–$18.10 | $18.50 |
| Crestview | $15.66 | $15.09–$17.46 | $18.00 |
| Cape Coral | $15.53 | $14.26–$17.55 | $18.00 |
| Panama City | $15.46 | $13.56–$16.95 | $18.00 |
| Pensacola | $15.41 | $14.77–$17.05 | $17.50 |
| Sebring | $15.21 | $13.00–$16.63 | $17.50 |
| Orlando | $15.00 | $13.40–$17.78 | $17.50 |
| Gainesville | $14.84 | $14.01–$16.81 | $17.00 |
| Lakeland | $14.79 | $14.29–$16.77 | $17.00 |
| Tallahassee | $14.35 | $13.51–$16.50 | $16.50 |
*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 |
|---|---|---|
| South Florida | $17.27 | 140 |
| North Florida | $15.62 | 210 |
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.