Babysitter pay in Oregon
The median wage for childcare workers in Oregon's 8 metro areas runs from $17.13 an hour in Medford to $19.03 in Portland, 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* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | $19.03 | $18.17–$21.99 | $22.00 |
| Bend | $18.04 | $17.02–$19.18 | $20.50 |
| Salem | $17.94 | $16.65–$20.00 | $20.50 |
| Grants Pass | $17.86 | $16.92–$18.93 | $20.50 |
| Eugene | $17.67 | $16.86–$18.66 | $20.50 |
| Corvallis | $17.21 | $16.31–$18.57 | $20.00 |
| Albany | $17.14 | $15.22–$18.14 | $19.50 |
| Medford | $17.13 | $16.86–$18.03 | $19.50 |
*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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coast Oregon | $17.43 | 200 |
| Eastern Oregon | $17.42 | 230 |
| Central Oregon | $17.40 | 180 |
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.