What to pay a babysitter in St. Louis, MO
Childcare workers in the St. Louis metro area earned a median of $16.02 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's more than in 65% of the 385 US metro areas BLS reports. It's the highest of Missouri's 8 metro areas. The metro area also takes in part of Illinois.
Suggested babysitter rates in St. Louis
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 St. Louis
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $14.12 |
|---|---|
| Bottom quarter earn less than | $14.60 |
| Median | $16.02 |
| Top quarter earn more than | $17.63 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $20.78 |
| Average | $16.58 |
| Median for a year of full-time work | $33,320 |
| Childcare workers employed | 5,710 |
Childcare jobs are unusually common here: 4.25 in every 1,000 jobs, 1.28 times the national share.
Elsewhere in Missouri
- Kansas City, MO $15.27 median
- Springfield, MO $14.23 median
- Cape Girardeau, MO $14.04 median
- St. Joseph, MO $14.01 median
- Columbia, MO $13.98 median
- Jefferson City, MO $13.75 median
- Joplin, MO $13.75 median
Outside its metro areas, Missouri's 4 nonmetropolitan areas pay medians from $13.75 to $14.61. All of Missouri →
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.