Babysitter pay in Indiana
The median wage for childcare workers in Indiana's 11 metro areas runs from $13.56 an hour in Terre Haute to $14.81 in Muncie, 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* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muncie | $14.81 | $13.99–$18.17 | $17.00 |
| Lafayette | $14.77 | $13.62–$16.83 | $17.00 |
| Indianapolis | $14.73 | $14.03–$17.01 | $17.00 |
| Fort Wayne | $14.45 | $13.35–$16.80 | $16.50 |
| Kokomo | $14.39 | $11.63–$15.15 | $16.50 |
| Evansville | $14.36 | $13.37–$17.43 | $16.50 |
| South Bend | $14.35 | $13.28–$14.78 | $16.50 |
| Elkhart | $14.32 | $13.77–$14.82 | $16.50 |
| Bloomington | $14.19 | $13.49–$14.63 | $16.50 |
| Michigan City | $13.93 | $13.14–$14.97 | $16.00 |
| Terre Haute | $13.56 | $11.66–$14.07 | $15.50 |
*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 Indiana
- Chicago, IL $17.60 median
- Cincinnati, OH $14.50 median
- Louisville, KY $14.50 median
Outside the metro areas
| Area | Median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Central Indiana | $14.30 | 320 |
| Southern Indiana | $14.26 | 450 |
| Northern Indiana | $13.83 | 520 |
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.