Babysitter pay in New York
The median wage for childcare workers in New York's 13 metro areas runs from $16.17 an hour in Watertown to $18.21 in New York, 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 York | $18.21 | $17.27–$21.02 | $21.00 |
| Ithaca | $17.99 | $16.74–$18.62 | $20.50 |
| Kingston | $17.48 | $16.74–$18.66 | $20.00 |
| Kiryas Joel | $17.42 | $16.77–$18.68 | $20.00 |
| Albany | $17.39 | $16.43–$19.44 | $20.00 |
| Binghamton | $17.25 | $15.72–$18.28 | $20.00 |
| Glens Falls | $17.05 | $15.86–$17.81 | $19.50 |
| Buffalo | $17.03 | $15.54–$17.93 | $19.50 |
| Utica | $16.92 | $15.50–$17.92 | $19.50 |
| Rochester | $16.87 | $15.88–$17.60 | $19.50 |
| Syracuse | $16.53 | $15.73–$17.64 | $19.00 |
| Elmira | $16.43 | $15.50–$17.64 | $19.00 |
| Watertown | $16.17 | $15.65–$16.51 | $18.50 |
*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 |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest New York | $16.68 | 960 |
| Capital/Northern New York | $16.51 | 580 |
| Central East New York | $16.38 | 750 |
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.