It's a question my wife and I already have asked each other when it comes to our two children: how much should we pay the babysitter?

The people at care.com have released a new survey, and the answer might be more than you think:

In the past five years, the average pay of babysitters nationwide has jumped 28% to $13.44 an hour, according to a 2015 survey by Care.com — and in not one of the 75 cities examined were babysitters paid less than $11 an hour on average, a figure significantly higher than minimum wage. What’s more, more than one in four people tip their babysitter on top of the hourly rate they pay them, and nearly nine out of 10 say they will give their sitter an annual raise.

Why the big jump? The report says it has a lot to do with the fact that today’s parents have higher standards for sitters. A separate survey from Care.com found that 53% of parents now want babysitters with first aid and CPR training. And they're willing to pay for it, apparently.

So how much is appropriate here in Rockford? Well, the survey says the average pay is $13.72/hour in Chicago and $12.94/hour in nearby Madison. So, considering the relative cost of living differences, perhaps around $12 to $12.50/hour might be appropriate.

 

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