How much do you pay the babysitter? The rate in our area has risen over 20% in the past five years to a pretty hefty hourly wage. You might be surprised to find out that you're not paying nearly enough.

According to a survey published by Marketwatch.com, babysitters in Poughkeepsie pull in an average of $13.64 an hour. That's well above Albany's average of $12.68 an hour but still below New York City babysitters, who rake in over $15.

The survey found that in all 75 cities that were polled, none of them averaged lower than $11 per hour. That's well above the minimum wage, and up considerably from just five years ago. The reason, according to the website, is because parents today have higher standards.

The feeling may be that if you're paying more, you'll get more. Parents seem willing to shell out big bucks in hopes of having the sitter take their job more seriously. In fact, the $13.64 an hour is just the tip of the iceberg for Poughkeepsie babysitters. 25% of those surveyed said that they also tip on top of the hourly rate, and nine out of ten respondents said that they give out a yearly raise to their babysitter.

The city with the highest paid babysitters was San Francisco at $16.65 an hour. San Jose, Boston, New York and Washington DC rounded out the top five. If you're looking for the best bang for your babysitter bucks you'll have to travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan where a night out will only set you back $11.31 an hour.

We want to know how much you pay your babysitter? Is it the Hudson Valley average of $13.54? If not, do you plan on paying your babysitter more after reading the results of this survey?

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