What to pay a babysitter in Milwaukee, WI
Childcare workers in the Milwaukee–Waukesha metro area earned a median of $16.00 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's more than in 64% of the 385 US metro areas BLS reports. It's 3rd of Wisconsin's 13 metro areas.
Suggested babysitter rates in Milwaukee
For one child, built on that local median:
| Kids | New or teen | Experienced | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 child | $16.00 | $18.50 | $21.00 |
| 2 kids | $18.50 | $21.00 | $23.50 |
| 3 kids | $21.00 | $23.50 | $26.00 |
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 Milwaukee
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $11.85 |
|---|---|
| Bottom quarter earn less than | $14.38 |
| Median | $16.00 |
| Top quarter earn more than | $17.65 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $20.28 |
| Average | $16.08 |
| Median for a year of full-time work | $33,280 |
| Childcare workers employed | 1,840 |
Childcare jobs are less common here than nationally: 2.24 in every 1,000 jobs, 0.67 times the national share. BLS's estimate for this area is less precise than most (relative standard error 36.1% for employment), so treat the figures as approximate.
Elsewhere in Wisconsin
- Green Bay, WI $16.66 median
- Madison, WI $16.56 median
- Sheboygan, WI $15.88 median
- Racine, WI $15.61 median
- Appleton, WI $14.97 median
- Oshkosh, WI $14.88 median
- La Crosse, WI $14.77 median
- Eau Claire, WI $14.64 median
- Kenosha, WI $14.56 median
- Wausau, WI $14.52 median
- Janesville, WI $14.44 median
- Fond du Lac, WI $14.07 median
Outside its metro areas, Wisconsin's 4 nonmetropolitan areas pay medians from $14.43 to $18.60. All of Wisconsin →
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.