The short answer: most babysitters in Canada charge $16 to $25 per hour in 2026, with the national average around $18–$19/hour for one child. Teen sitters run a few dollars under that; experienced sitters with first aid certification charge $20 to $30. Where you land depends on your province, the kids' ages, and how many of them there are. Here's the full picture — and how to turn it into your rate.
Babysitting rates across Canada (2026)
Rates track the local cost of living, so the spread between Vancouver and rural Atlantic Canada is real. These are per-hour ranges for one child:
| Province / region | Typical hourly rate | Experienced sitter |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia (Vancouver, Victoria) | $18–$25 | $22–$30 |
| Alberta (Calgary, Edmonton) | $16–$22 | $20–$26 |
| Ontario (Toronto, Ottawa, GTA) | $17–$25 | $22–$30 |
| Quebec (Montreal, Quebec City) | $15–$20 | $18–$25 |
| Prairies (Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina) | $15–$20 | $18–$24 |
| Atlantic Canada | $15–$19 | $17–$23 |
Ranges compiled July 2026 from published Canadian rate data including Babysits.ca (national average $18.68/hour; Vancouver ~$20.50, Calgary ~$18), Sitly's 2026 rate report ($16–$22/hour typical, $20–$25 in big cities), and the Care.com Canada pay calculator. Professional nannies with regular hours bill $20–$30+; the figures above are casual and part-time sitting.
What should you charge?
Two picks and a slider — your range, your projected income.
That's the plan — Biller is how it actually lands in your account.
Turn regulars into a real little businessEstimates from this guide's market ranges — your market decides the rest.
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Start free — no credit cardWhat changes the rate
The table gives you a base for one school-age child on a normal evening. Almost every real job moves off that base:
- Extra kids: add $2–$3 per hour per additional child — up to $5 in high-rate cities. Two kids isn't twice the work, but it's real extra supervision, and parents expect the bump.
- Twins: the extra-child premium applies even though it's one drop-off. Infant twins stack the infant premium on top — $23–$26/hour is reasonable where a single school-age child would be $18.
- Infants vs. school-age: babies under two mean feeding, diapers, and no half-attention, ever. Charge $2–$4/hour more than your school-age rate. Kids old enough to entertain themselves for stretches sit at your base rate.
- Overnights: don't bill sleeping hours at your full rate — and don't give them away either. Quote a flat fee, commonly $100–$180 for evening-to-morning: full rate until bedtime, a block rate for the night, full rate from wake-up.
- 24-hour care: weekend-away jobs are your evening rate, your overnight block, and a full day shift combined. A day rate of $180–$300 is the honest way to quote it.
- Certifications: a St. John Ambulance babysitting course, Red Cross Babysitter certification, or standard first aid/CPR moves you up $2–$4/hour — lead with it when you quote, because it's exactly what parents are paying for.
- Teen sitter vs. adult professional: a 15-year-old sitting for the neighbours prices at $15–$17/hour. An adult sitter with references, a vehicle, and years of experience is a different product — price like one, at $22–$30.
Setting your own rate
The market range tells you what's plausible. Here's how to pick your number inside it:
- Set your floor at minimum wage — then go above it. Your province's minimum wage ($15–$17.85/hour in 2026, depending where you live) is what an employer with payroll and a schedule pays. You're on-call, unsupervised, and responsible for someone's children. Casual sitting below minimum wage is underpricing, full stop.
- Charge a date-night premium. Friday and Saturday evenings are when every family wants you at once. $1–$2/hour above your weekday rate is fair, and nobody who's tried to book a sitter on a Saturday will blink.
- Reward your regulars. A family that books you every Thursday is predictable income with zero re-quoting. Hold their rate steady while your new-client rate creeps up — that's the discount, and it keeps them loyal.
- Set cancellation expectations early. A same-day cancellation cost you a night you could have booked. Regulars get grace; for everyone else, a half-fee for cancellations inside 24 hours is a normal, professional term — mention it when you confirm, not after it happens.
And the simplest signal of all: if you're turning down jobs every weekend, your rate is too low. Raise it by $2/hour for new families and let your calendar tell you when to stop.
Are you undercharging?
Five quick questions. Be honest — nobody's watching.
Are you booked solid more than two weeks out?
A full calendar is the market telling you your price is too low.
Have you raised your rates in the last 12 months?
Costs went up this year. If your rate didn't, you took a pay cut.
When you quote a price, does anyone ever say no?
If nobody ever pushes back, you're leaving room on the table.
Do you charge for travel time — or build it into your price?
Unpaid driving between bookings quietly eats your real hourly rate.
Do you drop your price whenever someone asks for a deal?
Discounting on request trains clients to always ask.
Priced about right
You're showing the classic signs of healthy pricing — price pushback now and then, regular raises, travel accounted for. Your next win isn't the rate, it's the time you lose to admin between bookings.
You're leaving money on the table
A couple of undercharging signals showed up. The fix is usually one honest raise for new clients — $5 more per booking on a full week is thousands a year you're currently donating.
You're seriously undercharging
Almost every signal fired. Booked solid, never raising, never hearing no — that's not luck, that's a price well below what your market would pay. Raise your rate for every new client starting this week; your regulars can follow later.
Regular families are the whole game. Keep them organized.
Biller turns every Thursday-night booking into a scheduled job, invoices the month in one tap, and matches each parent's e-Transfer to the right family automatically.
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Not ready? Try the free invoice generatorGST/HST and babysitting income
Two things are true at once here, and it's worth keeping them straight. First: casual babysitters almost never charge GST/HST. Most sitting income is nowhere near the $30,000 small-supplier threshold, and child care services for children 14 and under are generally GST/HST-exempt anyway — so even a busy sitter typically adds no tax to what parents pay. The full rules are in our plain-English GST/HST guide.
Second: all of it is still taxable income. Cash, e-Transfer, twenty bucks left on the counter — the CRA expects it reported on your return. Keep a running record of every payment as it lands and tax season is a ten-minute job instead of an archaeology project.
Common questions
How much should I charge per hour for babysitting?
Most babysitters in Canada charge $16 to $25 per hour in 2026 for one child. The national average sits around $18 to $19 per hour, with Vancouver and Toronto at the top of the range and smaller towns closer to $15 to $18. Experienced sitters with first aid certification charge $20 to $30.
How much should I charge for babysitting 2 kids?
Add $2 to $3 per hour for the second child. If your base rate is $18 per hour for one child, $20 to $21 per hour for two is standard. Some sitters in high-rate cities charge up to $5 more per extra child — more kids means more supervision, not just more of the same.
How much should I charge for twins or infants?
Infants under two are the most demanding age — feeding, diapers, and constant attention. Charge $2 to $4 per hour above your school-age rate. Twins combine the infant premium with the extra-child premium: a sitter charging $18 for one school-age child can reasonably charge $23 to $26 per hour for infant twins.
How much should I charge for overnight babysitting?
Quote overnights as a flat fee, not pure hourly — commonly $100 to $180 for an evening-to-morning stay. A typical structure: your full hourly rate until the kids are asleep, a reduced rate or flat block for the sleeping hours, and full rate again from wake-up. All-nighters where a baby may wake repeatedly should price at the top of the range.
How much should I charge for babysitting as a teenager?
Teen sitters in Canada typically charge $15 to $17 per hour in 2026 — a few dollars under the adult market, but not far under, and never below your province's minimum wage as your mental floor. Finish a recognized babysitting course and first aid training and you can close most of the gap to adult rates.
How much should I charge per day for babysitting?
For a full day (8 to 10 hours), most sitters discount slightly off straight hourly: commonly $120 to $200 per day depending on region and number of kids. For true 24-hour care — parents away for the weekend — quote a day rate of $180 to $300 that covers the overnight block plus two full waking shifts.
Do I charge GST/HST on babysitting, and do I have to report the income?
Almost never on the first question — babysitting income is usually far below the $30,000 small-supplier threshold, and child care for children 14 and under is generally GST/HST-exempt anyway. But yes on the second: every dollar you earn babysitting is taxable income the CRA expects you to report, whether it arrived as cash or e-Transfer.
Sitting pairs naturally with other flexible work — if you also tutor or watch pets, the going rates are in our tutoring guide and pet sitting guide.
Rates are market ranges compiled from public Canadian sources in July 2026 and will vary by market and job. This is general information, not pricing or tax advice — for GST/HST and income-reporting specifics, check the CRA or talk to an accountant.