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Usually, you won't have to ask us this question because the sitters will include their rates right in their profiles -- it certainly takes out the guess work!

But, if you're curious to know how a sitter's rate matches with the average rate in your local area, head over to Sittercity's Babysitter Rate Calculator, hands-down the best tool on the web for determining how much to offer a sitter. Using information from thousands of jobs posted on Sittercity, the Rate Calculator should be able to give you an idea of what's fair.

Generally, sitter rates are determined using five different criteria:

• The age of the sitter
• The distance of your area from a metro location
  
• The number of kids/pets you have (and the closeness of the children's ages)
• The time period and type of job
• The amount of experience the sitter has

Babysitters:
The average rate for a college babysitter in a metro area in the US is $10-12/hour.
If you have more than two kids, consider raising your rate to $13-14/hour.
If your sitter is younger than college-age, expect their rates to be around $2 lower.
In several cases, you may see sitters billing themselves at $15-20/hour. These sitters often have tons of experience and are qualified with CPR, first aid and more.

Petsitters:
Petsitting rates can vary widely depending on several factors, such as the kind of service involved (dog walking? Overnight stays? Feedings only? An elderly, young or sick pet who needs extra attention?), how many visits per day are required, the type of pet needing care, how many pets total, etc. Your best bet is to do a little research and find out what other petsitting businesses are charging in your local area. Click here to see a breakdown of what petsitters typically charge.

Regardless of the type of caregiver, the farther away that you move from a metro area, the more the rates change. For example, anywhere from 10-40 miles out, rates can drop $1-2/hour for babysitters of any age. Over 50 miles away, expect to see everything from $3-10/hour.