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If you love to spend time with other people and want to get paid for it, Care.com could be the perfect fit for your future employment.

Care.com has helped care seekers in need find caregivers for their loved ones for more than a decade. It matches care seekers with babysitters, tutors, caregivers for the elderly and special needs community, errand runners, pet sitters, and housekeepers.

The site has more than 22 million members in 19 countries. With more than 6.4 million unique visitors per month, the Care.com site is one of the most highly trafficked websites in the world. A new job is posted every 30 seconds on the platform.

Even if you aren’t looking for a dog walker, it’s hard not to appreciate the massive size of Care.com. On the other hand, if you happen to be a dog walker, baby sitter, au pair, or any other kind of backup care provider you might be wondering how you can sign up to offer your services at Care.com. We’ll show you how to apply to be a caregiver and break down the different categories of jobs you can do.

Joining the Careforce

Care.com’s entire business model relies on premium caregiving. So it’s no surprise that their screening process for caregivers requires more than just a name and an email address.

Care.com Requirements

The sign-up process is the same for everyone on Care.com regardless of the category you select. You’ll be asked about your relevant work experience, pay range, and any additional skills or certifications you might have that would be relevant to the job.

Whether you plan on tutoring teenagers or cleaning mansions, you will need to complete a background check before you can get started. However, once you’ve passed the initial screening, you can start applying to jobs.

Although you do not need any previous work experience to apply to Care.com listings, it will help you stand out. If you’re serious about joining the careforce (yes, that’s what they call it), here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Visit Care.com and select “Find Jobs” under “I want a care job”

Step 2: Choose what type of service you’ll offer

Step 3: Tell them whether your profile will represent a small business or an individual

Step 4: Fill out the sign-up form with your name, address, and contact information

Now that your account is created, they ask for a few more pieces of personal information like your phone number, a brief bio, and a background check or criminal check to verify your identity.

Also, depending on the type of care you selected on the previous screen, you’ll be asked to answer a several screening questions relating to your experience as a caregiver.

If you’d like to start getting paid as a care provider you’re probably wondering how much experience is required, if you need any certifications, and how much each category of care pays.

Categories of Care

Here is each type of care offered by Care.com to help you get a sense of the differences between them. Many experienced caregivers might already know they want to perform senior care, for example, or certain other care, so it’s important to understand their nuances.

Childcare

Childcare is the heart and soul of Care.com. When the platform initially launched in 2009 it was their only category. Even though they’ve added new categories over the last decade, childcare is still the most popular service.

The average pay for childcare jobs on Care.com is $11.75 per hour in the U.S. market. Childcare professionals don’t need any special certifications to get started, but many of the profiles we reviewed showed many years of experience, and some even had CPR certifications.

There are many identical postings for basic babysitting in childcare, so a good way to separate yourself from the pack is to specialize in certain types of care like bilingual care, or offer daycare.

Tutoring

Tutoring is the highest paying job on Care.com, but it’s not for everyone. Despite an average pay well above minimum wage at $14.25 per hour, tutoring can be tough on brand new care providers.

If you think you’re ready to hit the books, be warned that the most successful tutors come from academic backgrounds and typically have experience teaching or tutoring. English, math, science, and history are always in high demand, but you can also carve out a niche focusing on test prep or special needs tutoring.

Senior Care

If you were taught to respect your elders growing up then senior caregiving might be for you. Most of the jobs listed in the senior care category don’t require much more than checking in on someone’s father, or helping Grandma get into bed. For the right senior care provider, assisting seniors is an honor.

Although you don’t need any formal medical training for most of these jobs, experience with dementia, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and cancer patients is helpful. At an average hourly rate of $12.75, senior care is the second most popular category on Care.com.

Pet Care

Life can be ruff if you don’t have a personal assistant to do dog walking or cat sitting when you go out of town. Come to the aid of your furry friends and potential employers by becoming a pet sitter.

The average job pays $11 per hour, but for experienced dog trainers it’s often closer to $25. Outside of dog training, you won’t need any special certification to get started, however, you should be comfortable around animals and love taking care of them.

Housekeeping

With the second highest average hourly pay ($13) and a very low barrier to entry, housekeeping might be the best category for beginner care providers. You won’t need any certification or specialized training to get started, but you might need to purchase a few essential cleaning supplies before showing up for your first cleaning job.

If you find yourself falling in love with sweeping and scrubbing, then the live-in housekeeper sub-category might be perfect for you.

Special Needs Care

There’s nothing more rewarding than taking care of a special needs child. If special needs caregiving is your calling, these jobs are for you.

Expect the average listing to pay $12.50 per hour and require your complete attention from beginning to end. Many of the postings prefer RNs or LNAs to apply, but typically you aren’t providing medical care, just a backup care service.

Paywall

With 22 million members and counting, Care.com represents a huge opportunity for care providers — but there’s a catch. You can’t have full access to communicate with care seekers without paying for credits.

While anyone can sign up as a service provider on Care.com for free, you can only see responses from the care seekers for jobs you’ve applied for if you pay for credits. If you’d like to have premium access to Care.com, here’s how much the credits cost:

10 credits for $9 (only $0.90 per credit)

25 credits for $19 ($0.76 per credit — save 16 percent)

50 credits for $29 ($0.56 per credit — save 36 percent)

Pricing for each category is a little different, based on how much the different jobs pay. Your best value is to buy 50 credits, but to just get a few jobs locked in, 25 credits is a great place to start.

There’s a loophole to get jobs without buying credits, according to Care.com’s forums.

To avoid paying the fees, you can apply to jobs and include your contact information with your application. Several members of the forum reported getting jobs by getting in touch with care seekers over the phone.

Care as a Service

It’s easy to start your career as a caregiver with Care.com. Although the sign-up process is the same for everyone, you’ll want to pay close attention to the specific requirements for the type of care you plan to provide.

As Care.com grows, it’s becoming easier and more profitable to make a living taking care of the people (and pets) in your neighborhood. If you’re looking for a flexible job that makes a positive impact on the world, Care.com is for you.