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We ask their rates, and have found that they tend to be usually between $10-$15 an hour for a teenager. The cheaper end of the scale is one sitter who charges less when they are sleeping, which is a bonus for us because we tend to only go out when the kids are in bed!

I've done it both ways, and it's worked out fine. I advertised a job that was 2 nights a week for 2 hrs each time at a flat weekly rate via Care.com and got lots of applicants. I've also advertised for an occasional sitter, with a posted pay range of $10-15 and then asked interviewees what they charged.

For the 2 hr x 2 night job, I paid $60 a week ($15/hr), since it involved picking up and driving my daughter (more responsibility) and was a regular thing.

For occasional sitting, sitters usually tell me they charge around $12 per hr for one, though I've had a few who have said $10-11 and a few who have wanted $14 or $15.

ETA: All the sitters I have hired have been college students or college graduates. The sitter who did the 2 night/week for $60/wk for us for about a year was in her early 30s, had a college degree, and a regular full time job. I have hired one high school student who worked as a mother's helper and paid her $8-10 per hr.

I usually pay $15 to $20 an hour for two kids (1 and 3), and they usually go to sleep for at least part of the time! I recently saw rates on UrbanSitter upwards of $25/hr, and thought NO WAY! Fortunately no one has ever quoted me a truly outrageous rate, so I've never had to decide whether to negotiate or just make up a lame reason not to use them.