Babysitter pay in Tennessee
The median wage for childcare workers in Tennessee's 10 metro areas runs from $13.24 an hour in Jackson to $16.56 in Nashville, 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* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $16.56 | $14.16–$18.08 | $19.00 |
| Knoxville | $14.23 | $12.99–$16.63 | $16.50 |
| Johnson City | $13.96 | $12.32–$16.60 | $16.00 |
| Chattanooga | $13.88 | $12.94–$15.49 | $16.00 |
| Memphis | $13.88 | $11.19–$15.66 | $16.00 |
| Cleveland | $13.71 | $11.67–$13.76 | $16.00 |
| Clarksville | $13.67 | $10.89–$15.34 | $15.50 |
| Kingsport | $13.55 | $12.49–$14.22 | $15.50 |
| Morristown | $13.37 | $11.85–$13.89 | $15.50 |
| Jackson | $13.24 | $10.54–$14.22 | $15.00 |
*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 |
|---|---|---|
| North Central Tennessee | $13.43 | 360 |
| South Central Tennessee | $13.37 | 390 |
| East Tennessee | $12.00 | 300 |
| West Tennessee | $10.74 | 280 |
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.