Babysitter pay in Illinois
The median wage for childcare workers in Illinois's 8 metro areas runs from $15.78 an hour in Kankakee to $17.60 in Chicago, 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* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $17.60 | $16.24–$18.37 | $20.00 |
| Springfield | $16.91 | $15.02–$17.51 | $19.50 |
| Champaign | $16.82 | $15.12–$17.53 | $19.50 |
| Decatur | $16.70 | $15.18–$17.95 | $19.00 |
| Rockford | $16.14 | $15.18–$16.99 | $18.50 |
| Peoria | $16.03 | $15.00–$16.95 | $18.50 |
| Bloomington | $15.93 | $15.68–$16.81 | $18.50 |
| Kankakee | $15.78 | $15.00–$17.12 | $18.00 |
*Our suggested rate for one child: 15% above the local median. Each metro area's page has the full range.
Metro areas that cross into Illinois
- Cape Girardeau, MO $14.04 median
- Davenport, IA $15.53 median
- Paducah, KY $12.89 median
- St. Louis, MO $16.02 median
Outside the metro areas
| Area | Median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| East Central Illinois | $16.30 | 540 |
| South Illinois | $15.60 | 630 |
| West Central Illinois | $15.27 | 630 |
| Northwest Illinois | $15.20 | 490 |
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.