Babysitter pay in North Carolina
The median wage for childcare workers in North Carolina's 15 metro areas runs from $13.34 an hour in Pinehurst to $15.46 in Asheville, 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* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | $15.46 | $13.52–$18.46 | $18.00 |
| Fayetteville | $15.46 | $13.05–$17.70 | $18.00 |
| Burlington | $14.92 | $12.51–$16.34 | $17.00 |
| Durham | $14.89 | $13.61–$17.83 | $17.00 |
| Charlotte | $14.61 | $11.89–$17.57 | $17.00 |
| Winston-Salem | $14.45 | $11.43–$17.57 | $16.50 |
| Goldsboro | $14.23 | $12.39–$16.35 | $16.50 |
| Jacksonville | $14.09 | $12.58–$15.75 | $16.00 |
| Greensboro | $14.06 | $12.53–$17.10 | $16.00 |
| Wilmington | $13.96 | $12.67–$16.97 | $16.00 |
| Raleigh | $13.79 | $11.48–$16.96 | $16.00 |
| Hickory | $13.68 | $12.78–$17.04 | $15.50 |
| Rocky Mount | $13.52 | $11.44–$17.05 | $15.50 |
| Greenville | $13.51 | $10.85–$16.04 | $15.50 |
| Pinehurst | $13.34 | $11.53–$15.85 | $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 North Carolina
- Virginia Beach, VA $14.32 median
Outside the metro areas
| Area | Median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Western North Carolina | $14.38 | 690 |
| Central North Carolina | $13.92 | 960 |
| Eastern North Carolina | $13.68 | 850 |
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.