How much babysitters earn in Sweden, and how to price your work

The most common question from new sitters is not how to care for children, most already manage that. It is what to charge without either underselling yourself or pricing yourself out.

Here are the 2026 numbers, how to set your hourly rate, and what you actually keep after tax.

Hourly rates across Sweden in 2026

Stockholm sits highest at 200–260 SEK per hour before RUT. Göteborg and Malmö run 190–240 SEK. Lund and Helsingborg 170–220 SEK. Smaller towns 150–200 SEK.

If you are new and have no reviews, position yourself mid-range, not at the bottom. A very low rate signals inexperience and tends to attract the families who change sitters most often.

Premiums that are completely standard

Friday and Saturday after 6 pm: plus 10–20%. Past midnight or overnight: a flat night rate of 500–900 SEK. Major holidays such as Christmas, New Year and Midsummer: plus 25–50%.

Three or more children: plus 20–30%. Bookings with less than 24 hours' notice: plus 15%. State these clearly in your profile so you never have to negotiate them case by case.

What you actually earn per month

Ten hours a week at 210 SEK is roughly 9,100 SEK invoiced per month. Fifteen hours a week is about 13,600 SEK. Twenty-five hours is around 22,700 SEK.

Those are pre-tax figures. As a sole trader, many sitters set aside about 40% for tax and social contributions, which leaves a safe margin and often a refund.

RUT makes you cheaper without cutting your rate

Because in-home childcare is RUT-eligible, the family only pays half the labour cost directly. Your 220 SEK per hour costs the family 110 SEK.

That is your strongest selling point, and the reason you never need to compete with cash-in-hand rates. Always show both your rate and the after-RUT rate in your profile.

How to raise your rate without losing families

Raise it for new customers first and hold the old rate for existing families for six months. Announce increases in writing at least a month ahead and justify them with something concrete, such as new CPR certification or fifty completed bookings.

An annual increase of 10–15% is entirely normal and almost always accepted by happy families. Most families would rather accept a new price than find a new sitter.

Build recurring income

One recurring family is worth five one-off bookings. Always propose a fixed weekly slot after a successful session, and offer a small package rate when a family books a whole term.

Four regular families at three hours a week each gives you a predictable calendar and removes the need to chase new requests every week.