Cost guide · New York CityHow much does a babysitter cost in NYC?
Childcare in New York ranks among the most expensive anywhere. Here is what a babysitter or nanny really costs around the city in 2026, broken out by role and neighborhood, with sources.
Prices sourced July 2026 · NYC cost guide
In short
The average babysitter in NYC runs about $23 to $24 per hour, climbing to $25 to $40 per hour for occasional care like a date night. Hire a professional nanny and you are usually looking at $30 to $45 per hour. Manhattan tends to cost $2 to $5 per hour more than Brooklyn or Queens.
What it costs in NYC
| Type | Typical NYC price (2026) |
|---|---|
| Babysitter (average) | $23 to $24 per hour |
| Babysitter (occasional / date night) | $25 to $40 per hour |
| Professional nanny | $30 to $45 per hour |
| Manhattan premium | +$2 to $5 per hour vs outer boroughs |
| Full-time nanny (annual) | $55,000 to $72,000 per year |
Most of what you pay comes down to the role and how experienced the sitter is. An occasional evening or weekend sit falls in the $25 to $40 an hour band. An experienced nanny working regular hours asks $30 to $45. Extra responsibilities push it higher too, so watching more than one child, caring for an infant, or doing pickups all add to the hourly rate.
Neighborhood plays a part as well. A Manhattan family usually pays a few dollars more an hour than one in Brooklyn, Queens, or the Bronx, which comes down to local incomes and how much demand there is. The Upper East Side and Tribeca sit right at the top.
There is often another charge sitting on top of the sitter's pay. A lot of childcare platforms make families buy a monthly membership just to message caregivers, which is money spent before any care happens.
Paying less than the platforms
Care platforms such as Care.com, Sittercity, and UrbanSitter bill families a monthly membership just to message sitters, and it charges whether or not you ever book. Bobby is being built with no membership and a flat $1 per booking, so you pay the sitter's rate plus a dollar, and only when you actually book someone. The linked comparisons are below.