Care.com 2017 Babysitter Survey Reveals
National Average Babysitter Rate is Nearly $14.00, An Increase of
26% Since 2010
Care.com (NYSE: CRCM, www.care.com), the world’s largest online
destination for finding and managing family care, today announced
the results from its 2017 Babysitter Survey. From sitter
responsibilities to how much families are willing to pay, the
Care.com 2017 Babysitter Survey provides an in-depth look at
today’s demand for babysitters.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170417005292/en/
Care.com (NYSE: CRCM, www.care.com), the
world’s largest online destination for finding and managing family
care, today announced the results from its 2017 Babysitter Survey.
(Graphic: Business Wire)
“Parents are increasingly paying more for a babysitter, and in
2016, the national average hourly rate was $13.97,” said Joyce
Hodel, data scientist at Care.com. “What surprised us is that,
according to the Care.com 2017 Babysitter Survey, parents are also
willing to pay even more in certain circumstances. They say they’ll
pay extra to help them get through the chaotic hours before and
after school; when they’re in need of a last-minute sitter; and for
babysitters who have additional skills, education, and training.
We’re seeing that this is a babysitter’s market, with parents
recognizing that sitters have a huge responsibility and are
providing a priceless service.”
Care.com released the topline data, which asked parents about
key financial data, as well as intimate details around how and why
they’re hiring the sitters they choose. The full survey is
available via PDF, by request.
CARE.COM BABYSITTER SPENDING DATA
- National Average Rate for Babysitters:
$13.97 per hour (up 26% from $11.11 in 2010).- Five Most
Expensive Big Cities to Hire a Babysitter (per hour):
1. San Jose, CA: $16.682. San Francisco, CA:
$16.523. Bridgeport, CT: $15.744. Boston, MA: $15.515. New York,
NY: $15.23
- Five Least Expensive Big Cities to Hire a Babysitter (per
hour):
1. Youngstown, OH: $11.812. Toledo, OH:
$12.243. McAllen, TX: $12.364. Lakewood, FL: $12.525. Akron, OH:
$12.67
- When Are Families Willing to Pay More?
- Sitters hired for before and after
school hours are paid nearly $2 extra.
- 50% of parents would pay at least $3
more per hour for a last-minute sitter.
- A majority of parents (66%) would pay
more for a sitter with safety training.
- 41% of parents would pay more for a
sitter with an early education degree.
- 1 in 3 parents would pay more for a
sitter who has the same state-level child care certification
required for preschool teachers.
- How Parents Tip: Approximately 1 in 3 (34%) tip on top
of the hourly rate (compared to 26% in 2015).- Annual Sitter
Spend: 41% of parents spend at least $1,000 on babysitting; 22%
spend at least $2,000.- Annual Raises: 77% would give their
favorite sitter a raise.- Minimum Wage: 83% think sitters
should be paid above the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.- What
Families Think About How Much They Pay: Even though costs are
up, 77% of parents don’t think they pay too much.
CARE.COM 2017 BABYSITTER SURVEY
INSIGHTS
Who’s Hiring the Babysitter? It depends on who you ask.
41% of dads say they and their partner are equally involved, while
only 15% of moms say it’s equal. Overall, though, moms still handle
the bulk of the babysitter booking: A majority of moms (56%) report
handling the hiring on their own, compared to 20% of dads who say
they’re solely in charge of hiring sitters.
How Can Families Save on Sitters? With hourly costs
rising, a majority (62%) of parents say they would share a sitter
with a friend, and 38% say they would work out a deal with the
sitter to work a certain number of hours per month for a lower
hourly rate. Already, 40% say they have cut a date short to avoid
paying an extra hour, and 76% pay a lower rate when their kids are
sleeping.
How To Find the Perfect Babysitter? The top three ways
parents hire a babysitter: 88% rely on recommendations from friends
and neighbors, 81% ask extended-family members to babysit, and 73%
use an online service like Care.com.
Pain Points: What Would Help Parents Find a Babysitter?
The top two reasons families don’t hire a babysitter? Because it’s
too stressful to find someone they like and trust (64%), and
because it costs too much (59%). Of parents who think hiring a
sitter is cost prohibitive, 82% say a sitter’s rate would need to
be at least $3 less per hour to become financially feasible. To
calculate local babysitter rates and determine affordability,
parents can use our interactive babysitter calculator.
When Do Parents Need a Babysitter? One in 10 parents have
hired a before school sitter and 13% have hired overnight sitters.
According to Care.com, 74% of parents hire a sitter at least once a
month, with August being the most popular month for babysitter
needs, and the three most popular holidays parents seek babysitting
help are around New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween.
Date night sitters (65%), daytime sitters (61%), and after school
sitters (26%) are the top three types of sitters parents hire.
The Paradox of Single Parents and Babysitters: Although
single parents are more likely to say cost prevents them from
hiring a sitter, they’re actually more likely to spend at least
$1,000 on babysitters than their married counterparts (58% vs. 38%,
respectively). Single parents are also more likely than married
parents to consider their babysitter to be a member of the family
(44% vs. 28%, respectively).
What are a Babysitter’s Responsibilities? The top five
things parents ask their sitter to do are feed the children, put
them to bed, read to them, play games and sports, and offer
parent-approved media choices (e.g., TV shows, movies, apps).
What Makes A Bad Babysitter? When it comes to babysitter
don’ts, 76% of parents ask their sitter not to be distracted by
their phone, and 65% ask that they don’t post photos of their
children on social media. Yet, the top three things parents have
caught their sitter doing without their permission is excessively
texting (14%), playing on social media (11%), and watching TV
(10%).
How Much Do Families Value a Good Babysitter? 77% of
parents would give their favorite sitter a pay raise if they asked
for one, and almost 1 in 3 (31%) consider their sitter a member of
the family. At the end of the day, one of the most important things
parents look for when hiring is whether the kids will love the
sitter (60%).
For more information on the Care.com 2017 Babysitter Survey,
hiring guides, background checks, or to find out how much a
babysitter costs in your neighborhood, visit
Care.com/babysittercost.
About the Care.com DataThe
Care.com 2017 Babysitter Survey captured responses from more than
800 parents in the United States during the month of February 2017.
Respondents were recruited from Care.com membership. The Care.com
member data, which includes pay rate data for sitters, is from
Care.com babysitter jobs posted from all 50 states during 2016.
About Care.comSince
launching in 2007, Care.com (NYSE: CRCM) has been committed to
solving the complex care challenges that impact families,
caregivers, employers, and care service companies. Today, Care.com
is the world’s largest online destination for finding and managing
family care, with 12.9 million families and 9.9 million caregivers*
across 19 countries, including the U.S., UK, Canada and parts of
Western Europe, and approximately 1.2 million employees of
corporate clients having access to our services. Spanning child
care to senior care, pet care, housekeeping and more, Care.com
provides a sweeping array of services for families and caregivers
to find, manage and pay for care or find employment. These include:
a comprehensive suite of safety tools and resources members may use
to help make more informed hiring decisions, such as third-party
background check services, monitored messaging, and tips on hiring
best practices; easy ways for caregivers to be paid online or via
mobile app; and Care.com Benefits, including the household payroll
and tax services provided by Care.com HomePay and the Care Benefit
Bucks program, a peer-to-peer pooled, portable benefits platform
funded by household employer contributions which provides
caregivers access to professional benefits. For enterprise clients,
Care.com builds customized benefits packages covering child care,
back up care and senior care consulting services through its
Care@Work business, and serves care businesses with marketing and
recruiting support. To connect families further, Care.com acquired
community platforms Big Tent and Kinsights in 2013 and 2015,
respectively. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Care.com has
offices in Berlin, Austin, New York City and the San Francisco Bay
area.
*As of December 2016.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170417005292/en/
Care.comJacalyn LeePublic Relations Directorjlee@care.com
Care com (NYSE:CRCM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Care com (NYSE:CRCM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024