Babysitter pay in South Carolina
The median wage for childcare workers in South Carolina's 8 metro areas runs from $13.30 an hour in Sumter to $15.32 in Charleston, 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* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | $15.32 | $13.88–$17.93 | $17.50 |
| Hilton Head Island | $14.78 | $13.18–$16.78 | $17.00 |
| Spartanburg | $14.15 | $12.76–$15.72 | $16.50 |
| Columbia | $13.87 | $11.95–$15.47 | $16.00 |
| Myrtle Beach | $13.87 | $12.63–$16.35 | $16.00 |
| Greenville | $13.67 | $11.30–$15.05 | $15.50 |
| Florence | $13.36 | $11.22–$14.38 | $15.50 |
| Sumter | $13.30 | $11.34–$14.08 | $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 South Carolina
- Augusta, GA $13.81 median
- Charlotte, NC $14.61 median
Outside the metro areas
| Area | Median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern South Carolina | $13.60 | 400 |
| Northeastern South Carolina | $13.30 | 290 |
| Southern South Carolina | $13.05 | 190 |
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.