5 Best Babysitting Jobs You Can Find Online

Being a babysitter is an enjoyable career, but it also entails some obligations and a high degree of responsibility

Full-time working parents entrust you with their greatest treasure, their children, and expect you to be a patient, fun, and caring person.

If you possess these traits, you’ll enjoy babysitting jobs.

Whether you’re a parent, have experience in childcare, or enjoy playing and teaching little ones, a career in babysitting can be a good side gig.

Types of Babysitting Jobs

You can provide one of these babysitting services:

1. Nanny or Live-In Sitter

In this job, you’re usually in charge of a single family, and you live with them or travel there every day.

It’s a good job for experienced full-time sitters with caregiving as their primary occupation. 

2. Permanent Sitter

Clients hire you on the same day every week or month, for example, when they must work long hours or night shifts.

You can go to the clients’ houses or take care of the kids at your place.

3. Part-Time Sitter

You work two to three times a week for a few hours or one full workday and a few hours on other days.

You can work as a babysitter or nanny-share, which is a good way to earn more by sitting kids from different families at the same time.

4. On-Call Sitter

As an occasional sitter, you must be flexible. You can take care of kids whenever their parents work overtime or have some unplanned events, and there’s no planned schedule.

That’s a good option if you plan to babysit in your spare time and you’re fine with taking on jobs with no fixed schedule.

5. Remote Sitter

This is where babysitting meets new technologies. You can take care of kids online, using apps like Facetime or Skype, while adult family members are always around.

You teach, entertain, or just distract them while their parents are at home.

Top 5 Platforms to Find Babysitting Jobs

Here are some platforms where you can find babysitting jobs:

1. Sittercity

Sittercity allows you to create a profile for free and set your hourly pay since this website has no pre-set rates.

If you have specific skills like caring for disabled or kids with ADHD, parents needing your services will find you easily.

The platform screens sitters and clients, providing access only to caregivers with no marks in their histories.

There’s also a review system, as both parties can leave feedback on their babysitting experience through this platform.

The competition is stiff, so you have to do your job well to ensure a good reputation in Sittercity and gain more clients.

Pros

• Setting up a profile and applying for job posts is easy—you contact clients and have an interview with families if they like you.
• You’re free to set your hourly rate.
• There’s a large number of jobs available.
• Happy clients can leave feedback, which is an excellent way for babysitters to build their reputation and gain even more clients.

Cons

• This platform has nothing to do with your payments, so you have to handle them on your own.
• The competition on the Sittercity website is fierce, so no one can guarantee you’ll get a job.

2. SeekingSitters

After creating a profile at SeekingSitters, you can set your work schedule, accept or decline jobs as needed, and look for clients in your area.

You can even access free learning materials to work on your babysitting skills.

Both babysitters and families using this website undergo background checks so that sitters can choose clients based on their reputation.

You can work within your community and build a network of recurring clients.

Pros

• The website provides enhanced security as sitters and childcare seekers undergo background checks.
• There are handy learning materials to upgrade your babysitting skills. 
• The SeekingSitters website processes your payments, meaning they’re secured, and the chance of not being paid is minimal.

Cons

• You cover all your driving costs.

3. UrbanSitter

When joining UrbanSitter, you can create a unique profile with videos showing your skills.

This option can help you “sell” yourself to families needing an experienced nanny.

You can set your working hours, availability, and hourly rates, and the website takes no commission. But to get access to job offers, you have to pay an annual membership fee.

UrbanSitter has no specific requirements on who can sign up and look for babysitting jobs.

But it’s not the best place if you’re a beginner, as most parents there look for nannies with strong babysitting experience. 

Pros

• Showcasing your babysitting skills with videos is an excellent way to attract clients.
• You’re free to determine your hourly rates based on the types of babysitting work you provide.
• You can directly contact interested families and discuss details.

Cons

• Unlike many similar websites, this one isn’t free. You have to pay an annual membership to access job offers.
• This platform isn’t for beginners.

4. Care.com

Care.com has an excellent reputation among job seekers and families needing childcare since the platform has been active for 16 years.

You pay nothing to create a profile, and then the platform runs background checks, putting you on the market in minutes.

Applying for jobs is simple—you reach out to clients, they check your profile, and if you’re a good match, they get back to you. 

Pros

• The platform is easy to use.
• You don’t have to pay membership fees, but if you’re serious about your babysitting job, you can get a premium account to boost your profile in searches.
• This website doesn’t take a commission, so everything you earn is all yours.

Cons

• You can apply for as many jobs as you want but don’t expect a high response rate.
• Care.com doesn’t take care of your payments—it’s an agreement between you and the client.

5. Bambino

Unlike other websites for babysitting jobs, Bambino isn’t just about showing job offers and available sitters.

It focuses on local searches, and it connects childcare seekers with sitters available in their area.

This platform also provides categories of babysitters available to parents in need, so even minors (it’s one of the available jobs for 13-year-olds) can apply for babysitting jobs.

Everyone is paid through this website, and every payment request outside it will result in banning your account.

Pros

• There are no application fees or commissions.
• Great for new babysitters as you need to be only 13 to have a profile there.
• All payments go through the Bambino platform, and you’ll get your money after every sit.

Cons

• Rates are usually non-negotiable, from $12/hour for beginners to a $25 hourly full-time rate for experienced nannies.

What You’ll Need to Do Babysitting Jobs

You can find many offers for babysitter jobs with more or less the same requirements.

Previous experience is desirable, but not a must, so you can be a babysitter even if you’re a student.

If you work as a full-time nanny, parents might expect you to do cleaning jobs and meal prep unless you’ve agreed otherwise.

It’s also advised that you be an active driver with a clean driving record because you might have to take kids to and from school. 

Parents who hire regular sitters expect them to help kids with school activities, homework, and learning.

In some cases, you may be asked to involve kids in age-appropriate activities, so it’s good to have some pedagogical knowledge.

Tips to Find a Babysitting Job

If you’re into babysitting, start spreading your network.

Besides using mentioned platforms, you can ask your friends and neighbors to spread the word about your childcare services and use social media platforms to offer them.

You can check the market and spot competitive wages offered by agencies and individual sitters.

Just in case, prepare a resume in writing, as some people would like to double-check your qualifications once you get to their homes.

Try to gain more knowledge about babysitting and childcare. Even if you’re not a pro, there are many online resources you can use.

You can even get a babysitting certification from Red Cross for CPR and first aid, which will look good in your babysitter cover letter.

Frequently Asked Questions

To Sum Up

Babysitting is a fulfilling career, whether you do it as a side gig or a primary occupation.

With the help of reputable platforms that match sitters and parents who need babysitting services, you can find a well-paid job and enjoy working with the youngest ones.