What to pay a babysitter in Longview, WA
Childcare workers in the Longview–Kelso metro area earned a median of $20.34 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's more than in 98% of the 385 US metro areas BLS reports. It's 2nd of Washington's 11 metro areas.
Suggested babysitter rates in Longview
For one child, built on that local median:
| Kids | New or teen | Experienced | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 child | $20.50 | $23.50 | $26.50 |
| 2 kids | $23.00 | $26.00 | $29.00 |
| 3 kids | $25.50 | $28.50 | $31.50 |
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 Longview
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $17.87 |
|---|---|
| Bottom quarter earn less than | $18.18 |
| Median | $20.34 |
| Top quarter earn more than | $22.02 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $22.02 |
| Average | $20.06 |
| Median for a year of full-time work | $42,300 |
| Childcare workers employed | 30 |
Childcare jobs are less common here than nationally: 0.77 in every 1,000 jobs, 0.23 times the national share. Pay is tightly bunched: nine in ten earn between $17.87 and $22.02.
Elsewhere in Washington
- Seattle, WA $21.02 median
- Mount Vernon, WA $19.30 median
- Bellingham, WA $18.66 median
- Bremerton, WA $18.60 median
- Olympia, WA $18.46 median
- Wenatchee, WA $18.33 median
- Kennewick, WA $18.19 median
- Spokane, WA $17.90 median
- Yakima, WA $17.57 median
- Walla Walla, WA $17.33 median
Outside its metro areas, Washington's 2 nonmetropolitan areas pay medians from $18.24 to $18.37. All of Washington →
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.