Babysitter pay in Louisiana
The median wage for childcare workers in Louisiana's 9 metro areas runs from $10.49 an hour in Lake Charles to $13.28 in New Orleans, 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* |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | $13.28 | $10.59–$14.40 | $15.50 |
| Baton Rouge | $12.29 | $10.48–$14.05 | $14.00 |
| Slidell | $10.87 | $10.27–$14.00 | $12.50 |
| Shreveport | $10.86 | $10.40–$13.55 | $12.50 |
| Alexandria | $10.74 | $10.07–$13.48 | $12.50 |
| Hammond | $10.65 | $10.03–$13.58 | $12.00 |
| Houma | $10.63 | $10.29–$13.59 | $12.00 |
| Lafayette | $10.50 | $10.06–$13.46 | $12.00 |
| Lake Charles | $10.49 | $10.14–$14.03 | $12.00 |
*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 |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast Louisiana | $10.84 | 270 |
| Southwest Louisiana | $10.41 | 350 |
| Central Louisiana | $10.19 | 260 |
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.