Sittercity Review: How It Works and What You’ll Earn

Updated June 16, 2025.

Are you a CNA, caregiver, babysitter, nanny, or pet sitter looking for flexible work that gets you out of the house?

Would you prefer something local and hands-on instead of a remote, computer-based job?

Sittercity might be just what you're looking for. With part-time and full-time opportunities, you can set your own schedule, choose your rates, and find clients in your area.

Today, we’re taking a look at what Sittercity offers and how you can get started.

What Exactly is Sittercity?

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Chicago, Sittercity is an online company that connects both parents and guardians with sitters of all types. Over the years, they have been featured in or on:

NBC
Today
Huffpost
The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
Working Mother
Real Simple

In addition to their website, they also have a blog with numerous articles for both sitters and families looking for sitters.

There is also a Trust and Safety Center with resources and helpful tips to keep everyone safe and secure. Additionally, Sittercity has their own app, which is used to communicate and manage job-related messaging and connections on the go.

Sittercity makes a point of stating how seriously they take safety and security for all involved in the sitting experience—especially children and the elderly.

If you have ever used Care.com, you'll find Sittercity is similar to that and many other sites that pay caregivers. With the ability to set your own hours and rates as well as have a variety of duties and tasks, individuals from all walks of life, both students and professionals, are drawn to the sitting profession.

Once you sign up at Sittercity and create your own profile, you will have an opportunity to find jobs in your area for:

Babysitter
Nanny
Child Care
Special Needs Care
Companion Care
Pet Sitter

What Are the Requirements to Be a Sitter for Sittercity?

Once you sign up for an account and create a profile, you will be screened by Sittercity via the Family Watchdog Database. This applies not only to the potential sitters, but also to the families looking for those sitters.

When corresponding with potential clients or with Sittercity, you must use their app or website so that the conversations are monitored for safety and security.

There are also helpful references on Sittercity for best way to set up your profile and profile picture.

Your profile includes your photo and abbreviated name (no complete names for security reasons). For example, my name would show up as “LeisaG.” Then, your city, state, and zip code. Complete addresses aren't included.

Below your name is a navigation bar, and this includes the following tabs:

Interview
Message
Availability
Run background check
Write review
Share profile

The Interview tab is there so potential clients can interview you. The Message tab is used for corresponding once the assignment starts.

The Availability tab serves the purpose of offering dates and times for your availability. The Run background check tab is for clients who want to run a basic or extensive background check on you. You may also run those yourself and make the results available for clients.

Sittercity claims that those sitters who go ahead and run their own background checks (either basic or enhanced) generally receive five times more offers than those who leave this to the prospective clients.

A basic background check is $15 and an enhanced one is $60. There is a description of each one, as to what type of information is checked. None of them include a credit check. If the client runs the background check, then they are the ones responsible for paying.

We have a list of jobs where background checks are not conducted if you would prefer that.

How Much Money Can You Expect to Make at Sittercity?

That will really depend upon you, your geographic area, and what you want to charge and how much in terms of service you are willing to offer. Some clients do request cooking or light housekeeping.

Your fee should also be enough to cover any travel costs. Based on the profiles I've checked on Sittercity, most people seem to charge between $15 and $22 per hour, although some nannies in larger cities may earn more.

Sittercity is not responsible for collecting payments, so you must make arrangements yourself. Cash, check or PayPal seem to be the most popular methods of payment.

Even though the company doesn't involve themselves in fee collection, they do allow you to report someone who didn't pay as promised.

Is This Open Nationwide?

Sittercity is available nationwide in the United States. Availability of jobs will depend on your ZIP code and how many families in your area are currently hiring.

How Can An Interested Individual Start Working For Sittercity?

It seems pretty simple. Just decide what type or types of sitting you want to do. Then, go to their website and sign up as a sitter.

Good luck.