Babysitter pay in West Virginia
The median wage for childcare workers in West Virginia's 6 metro areas runs from $12.19 an hour in Huntington to $14.00 in Wheeling, 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* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeling | $14.00 | $12.58–$14.43 | $16.00 |
| Morgantown | $13.64 | $13.25–$14.72 | $15.50 |
| Weirton | $13.45 | $11.37–$14.40 | $15.50 |
| Parkersburg | $13.28 | $11.33–$13.50 | $15.50 |
| Charleston | $13.16 | $11.48–$13.80 | $15.00 |
| Huntington | $12.19 | $10.86–$13.50 | $14.00 |
*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 West Virginia
- Hagerstown, MD $15.26 median
- Washington, DC $18.08 median
- Winchester, VA $15.43 median
Outside the metro areas
| Area | Median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Southern West Virginia | $13.00 | 200 |
| Northern West Virginia | $11.36 | 500 |
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.