Over 90,000 house sitters currently work in the US. As a house sitter, you oversee a client’s house and take care of various responsibilities to maintain it. If you are interested in starting a house-sitting business, you will want to know how much does a house sitter make? This article will examine different stats about house sitter income and the correct house sitter insurance policies you need to boost your income.
As a house sitter, you will be responsible for watching and maintaining a home when the owners are away. You may only need to stop by occasionally to take care of basic tasks like feeding pets or watering plants. Other tasks you might need to do is taking out the trash for the owner, washing dishes, and getting the mail. However, someone may also pay you to watch their house for possible intruders or to keep an eye on a project. In those cases, you may stay the night at the house or spend multiple days at the location.
In addition to the pay you receive for house-sitting services, you typically receive free access to the home’s utilities like electricity, water, and internet. You may charge an additional fee for services like cleaning the home, giving dedicated pet care, and answering phone calls. Before you leave, you will want to change the bedding and ensure the house is as clean as you left it. While in the house, you are responsible for damages you cause and may be required to contact a repair service if something goes wrong. For example, a house might flood and need a plumber. A house might experience a power outage, and you must call the proper electric company to expedite restoring power.
Are you wondering about how much do house sitters earn for their services? Typical as a house sitter, you will charge between $50 and $100 a day to look after someone's house. If you are only required to watch the house overnight, you will charge closer to $30-50 per night. Other factors will affect the price too. These factors include:
Cats: If a house sitter has to look after a pet cat, they will charge extra. Typically this extra charge is between $20 and $50 per cat per day. A house sitter will feed and play with the cats for this fee. Clients will often leave a checklist for you to accomplish. You may need to give them medication at certain times and ensure they follow recommended feeding behaviors.
Dogs: The price you will charge to watch a dog is typically between $22 and $60 per dog per day. You must ensure dogs are properly fed with food that matches their dietary needs. Dogs need emotional support to maintain their mental health. This means you must play with them and keep their minds engaged. Your client will leave you other tasks, including taking the dog on a walk to get proper exercise.
1-hour visits: As a house sitter, your client may only need a 1-hour visit to check up on the house and feed any pets. Typically you will charge around $40 for a one-hour visit.
Dog walking: A client may just request that you come over a walk their dog for thirty minutes. You might charge $14 per dog for this service.
Cleaning services: You might offer basic cleaning services for a client’s house. This can include picking up clutter, dusting, vacuuming, washing dishes, etc.
Square footage: If you are looking after a larger house, you may charge an additional rate based on the house’s square footage. After all, a larger house requires more work than a smaller one.
Travel time: If a client has a house far from civilization, you may include a travel cost to watch the house. This ensures you are getting paid for the commute time and gas cost.
Stay duration: Another factor influencing how much you can make as a house sitter is the duration you agree to stay for a client. Typically if you are staying for a longer period, you will earn more overall but have a lower daily rate. If someone needs a house sitter last minute, they might have to pay more for the convenience than if they planned ahead.
The area you work in will also affect the average fee you earn for house sitting. Different markets will have different price ranges. This is because people in different areas have different standards of income and prices they are willing to pay. Your house-sitting competition may also affect the average daily rate. Prices may fall if there is too much competition for house-sitting services. Also, If there is a low demand for services, this will drive prices down. Some average daily rates you can make in some cities include:
New York: $38 per day
Los Angeles: $48 per day
Chicago: $37 per day
Houston: $37 per day
Philadelphia: $66 per day
Phoenix: $30 per day
Jacksonville: $44 per day
Columbus: $35 per day
Charlotte: $39 per day
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Do you want to know the answer to the question of how much money can you make house sitting per year? The answer is that you will make an average of $31,911 per year. The typical annual salary range for house sitters is between $23,692 and $42,176.
| Percentile | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $23,692 |
| 25th | $27,609 |
| 50th | $31,911 |
| 75th | $37,284 |
| 90th | $42,176 |
There are also several factors that can influence the salary you will earn on average. These include things like education and experience level. Below is an estimate of how these factors will affect your average annual salary.
| Factor | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Only high school education | $29,471 |
| <1 year of experience | $31,590 |
| 1-2 years of experience | $32,071 |
| 3-6 years of experience | $32,873 |
Are you wondering how much money do house sitters make per month on average? You can expect to make $2,659 on average as a house sitter. The typical wage range you will make semi-monthly as a house sitter will be between $1,974 and $3,515 monthly.
| Percentile | Average Monthly Wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $1,974 |
| 25th | $2,301 |
| 50th | $2,659 |
| 75th | $3,107 |
| 90th | $3,515 |
You will want to be aware that factors like education and experience may have an effect on the average monthly you will see. Typically less education and less experience reduce the wage you will earn overall.
| Factor | Average Monthly Wage |
|---|---|
| Only high school education | $2,456 |
| <1 year of experience | $2,632 |
| 1-2 years of experience | $2,673 |
| 3-6 years of experience | $2,739 |
As a house sitter, you will make $1,330 semi-monthly on average. The typical range for semi-monthly wages for house sitters is between $987 and $1,757.
| Percentile | Average Semi-Monthly Wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $987 |
| 25th | $1,150 |
| 50th | $1,330 |
| 75th | $1,553 |
| 90th | $1,757 |
See the chart below for a few factors that may influence the average semi-monthly wage you can expect.
| Factor | Average Semi-Monthly Wage |
|---|---|
| Only high school education | $1,228 |
| <1 year of experience | $1,316 |
| 1-2 years of experience | $1,336 |
| 3-6 years of experience | $1,370 |
As a house sitter, you can expect to make $1,227 bi-weekly on average. The typical range for bi-weekly wages is between $911 and $1,622.
| Percentile | Average Bi-Weekly Wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $911 |
| 25th | $1,062 |
| 50th | $1,227 |
| 75th | $1,434 |
| 90th | $1,622 |
Factors like your education level and years of experience will affect the average bi-weekly wage. These factors are minor when looking at the average but may greatly affect your personally when starting your house-sitting business.
| Factor | Average Semi-Weekly Wage |
|---|---|
| Only high school education | $1,133 |
| <1 year of experience | $1,215 |
| 1-2 years of experience | $1,234 |
| 3-6 years of experience | $1,264 |
Do you want to know how much does a house sitter earn every week? Your average house-sitting weekly wage will be $614. You can expect a typical weekly wage between $456 and $811.
| Percentile | Average Weekly Wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $456 |
| 25th | $531 |
| 50th | $614 |
| 75th | $717 |
| 90th | $811 |
Below are a few factors that will have a small influence on the average weekly wage. Typically a person with less educational attainment and house-sitting experience will earn less.
| Factor | Average Weekly Wage |
|---|---|
| Only high school education | $567 |
| <1 year of experience | $607 |
| 1-2 years of experience | $617 |
| 3-6 years of experience | $632 |
Assuming an average 5-day work week, you will make $122 per day. Your daily wage will typically range between $91 and $162. This number is an average based on your estimated income. You may have a house-sitting that offers you more or less money per day in the short term.
| Percentile | Average Daily Wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $91 |
| 25th | $106 |
| 50th | $122 |
| 75th | $143 |
| 90th | $162 |
The chart below compares your average daily wage based on your experience as a house sitter and educational attainment.
| Factor | Average Daily Wage |
|---|---|
| Only high school education | $113 |
| <1 year of experience | $121 |
| 1-2 years of experience | $123 |
| 3-6 years of experience | $126 |
Do you want to know how much do house sitters make per hour? Your average hourly rate working as a house sitter is $15 per hour. The hourly rate typically ranges between $11 and $20.
| Percentile | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| 10th | $11 |
| 25th | $13 |
| 50th | $15 |
| 75th | $18 |
| 90th | $20 |
Below is an estimation of how certain factors will affect your average hourly pay as a house sitter. Typically higher levels of education affect your hourly rate positively. The same is true as you gain more experience house sitting. People will pay more for an established and experienced house sitting. Also, getting more experience will make you more confident and better determine your worth.
| Factor | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| Only high school education | $14 |
| <1 year of experience | $15 |
| 1-2 years of experience | $15 |
| 3-6 years of experience | $16 |
As a house sitter, it is imperative to get your business protected with the right insurance. Without insurance, your business income may unexpectedly go to paying for a lawsuit or other damaging event to your business. With insurance, you save money on these events and boost your potential take-home income in the long run.
A business owner’s policy is considered one of the most comprehensive forms of insurance because it combines multiple coverage. Typically, this policy provides commercial property and general liability coverage. NEXT is an affordable provider of a business owner’s policy. Their business owner's policy covers the same territory as their general liability policy. You get instant access to a live insurance certificate online upon completion of your policy purchase.
You can get online quotes that estimate the cost to your business from the answers you provide. NEXT handles its own claims, so you can be sure you are getting the best possible service. You can save with NEXT when you combine multiple policies. NEXT offers a 10% or more discount on your business insurance when bundling. Customers rate NEXT highly. They gave NEXT a 4.7/5 in its customer reviews. NEXT has an A- rating from AM Best.
A general liability policy is essential to protect you against third-party claims. The policy protects from incidents related to property damage, bodily injury, and advertising injury. For example, while watching a house, you may accidentally damage an expensive piece of furniture or painting. If that happens, this policy will help you pay the damages or legal expenses.
Thimble is our pick for general liability insurance. With Thimble, you can purchase short-term policies to cover the length of your house-sitting job. They are a fast-growing insurance company that has sold over 125,000 policies. Thimble has an A+ score from the Better Business Bureau.
Professional liability insurance protects your business from negligence claims, copyright infringement, and libel suits. It covers most claims about business mistakes, omissions, or errors you make as a house sitter. Hiscox is our recommendation for this insurance policy. They serve over 500,000 customers with customized insurance policies. Their agents work with you to determine your needs so you only pay for necessary coverage. You can get a 5% discount when bundling insurance with Hiscox. They have a 14-day refund policy if you are unsatisfied with the policy. This allows you to shop for insurance without the pressure of buying. Hiscox has an A rating from AM Best.
Commercial property insurance covers you in instances of fires, water damage, vandalism, theft, explosions, and wind damage. This policy covers your business assets like your business building and equipment. CoverWallet is the recommended insurance platform for commercial property insurance. You can shop options from over ten trusted insurance providers like Hiscox, Markel, and Travelers. CoverWallet allows you to shop for insurance with no buying commitment on quotes. If you don’t feel like filling out a form, call them at a toll-free number. CoverWallet operates in 48 states and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
When using a vehicle for business purposes, you need commercial auto insurance. Your personal auto policy will not cover most business activity uses of your vehicle. With this policy, you can also cover damage from uninsured motorists and repair your own vehicles when damaged. For commercial auto insurance, choose Tivly. Thanks to their flexible targeting system, you get matched to the right insurer and policy. They offer a selection of over 200 partners where you can buy policies that include coverage like gap insurance, rental reimbursement, and more. Tivly has a 4-second response rate for phone calls. The Better Business Bureau gave them an A rating.
Workers' compensation insurance protects your employees when they are sick or injured. Most states require you to purchase this coverage if you hire employees to increase your earning potential. The policy pays for medical treatments, prescriptions, and all reasonable costs for your workers to recover. Also, this policy will pay employees to compensate them for lost income due to the injury. The Hartford is our recommended pick for workers' compensation insurance. They employ nurse case managers on your policy to ensure employees get the correct treatment. Their workers' comp policy gives employees access to over 65,000 pharmacies to fill prescriptions for their injuries or illnesses. The Hartford has an A- rating from AM Best and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. This company has been writing policies for over 200 years. You can trust the immense industry knowledge and experience they have gained since then.
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This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
Their general liability insurance purchase process is simply the best online experience I've ever had in my life!
As long as they cover your line of business, you're literally covered! best rates, best coverage, best online experience, best professionals, can't be happier that I chose them!
It really can't get any better than this... wow
Not all those who wander are lost.
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