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What is a baby sitter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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A babysitter is someone ready to take full responsibility for the welfare and health of children when their parents are not around. You will be given the authority to be involved in every part of their lives, including meals, hygiene, education. Monitoring the everyday activities of the children is also your responsibility. This includes keeping the playground safe and sanitizing play equipment regularly to prevent germs and diseases.

You also need to teach the children the importance of good hygiene, including brushing their teeth twice daily, eating healthy food, using the toilet, and getting adequate rest. You will sometimes need to engage the children to read, assist with their homework and other extracurricular activities, create daily lesson plans that will be educational and interesting at the same time. You are allowed to discipline them, when necessary, encourage good behavior such as treating each other kindly and respecting their parents and elderly ones.

You will also discuss information about each child with their parents to know the scope of your authority and responsibility. As a babysitter, you must be responsible. You must also possess excellent communication skills, be a lover of children, and have problem-solving skills. The salary of a babysitter is $40,418, but you must possess a high school diploma.

ScoreBaby SitterUS Average
Salary
2.4

Avg. Salary $30,972

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.7

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.01%

Asian 6.76%

Black or African American 9.30%

Hispanic or Latino 21.07%

Unknown 6.22%

White 55.64%

Gender

female 85.85%

male 14.15%

Age - 35
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance
10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Baby sitter career paths

Key steps to become a baby sitter

  1. Explore baby sitter education requirements

    Most common baby sitter degrees

    High School Diploma

    37.3 %

    Bachelor's

    35.4 %

    Associate

    15.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific baby sitter skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Child Care49.94%
    Kids23.91%
    Nutritious Meals12.26%
    CPR5.01%
    Homework Assignments5.00%
  3. Complete relevant baby sitter training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New baby sitters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a baby sitter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real baby sitter resumes.
  4. Research baby sitter duties and responsibilities

    • Prepare and organize records for tax purposes and comply with DCFS licensing standards.
    • Provide and prepare daily meals and snacks according to DHS and FDA rules.
    • Job duties, babysit for working parents, last min plans, mommy helper.
    • Supervise safe activities for the children and provide tutoring and homework help; CPR train.
  5. Prepare your baby sitter resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your baby sitter resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a baby sitter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable baby sitter resume templates

    Build a professional baby sitter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your baby sitter resume.
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    Baby Sitter Resume
    Baby Sitter Resume
    Baby Sitter Resume
    Baby Sitter Resume
  6. Apply for baby sitter jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a baby sitter job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first baby sitter job

Zippi

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Average baby sitter salary

The average baby sitter salary in the United States is $30,972 per year or $15 per hour. Baby sitter salaries range between $21,000 and $44,000 per year.

Average baby sitter salary
$30,972 Yearly
$14.89 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do baby sitters rate their job?

5/5

Based on 2 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Baby sitter reviews

profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2022
Pros

I love working with kids

Cons

Working with kids means sometimes it can get overwhelming


profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Pros

I love being a role model telling the kids stories making them lunch coloring and drawing with them and making them happy and laugh

Cons

I honestly can’t complain because there was nothing I ever didn’t enjoy being a babysitter infact I want to work at w children’s hospital when I graduate and make the kids smile and happy


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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