What to pay a babysitter in Richmond, VA
Childcare workers in the Richmond metro area earned a median of $16.14 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's more than in 67% of the 385 US metro areas BLS reports. It's 2nd of Virginia's 9 metro areas.
Suggested babysitter rates in Richmond
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 Richmond
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $13.59 |
|---|---|
| Bottom quarter earn less than | $14.14 |
| Median | $16.14 |
| Top quarter earn more than | $17.37 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $17.86 |
| Average | $15.98 |
| Median for a year of full-time work | $33,570 |
| Childcare workers employed | 2,610 |
Pay is tightly bunched: nine in ten earn between $13.59 and $17.86.
Elsewhere in Virginia
- Charlottesville, VA $16.41 median
- Winchester, VA $15.43 median
- Staunton, VA $14.80 median
- Virginia Beach, VA $14.32 median
- Harrisonburg, VA $14.28 median
- Lynchburg, VA $14.19 median
- Roanoke, VA $13.99 median
- Blacksburg, VA $13.98 median
Outside its metro areas, Virginia's 4 nonmetropolitan areas pay medians from $14.29 to $15.10. All of Virginia →
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.