MIAMI – It seems it really pays to be a babysitter these days.



Sitters are now making an average of $12 an hour across the country, according to a Labor Department study, which was first reported by the Boston Globe.



That's much higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.



The study cited several reasons for the higher sitter rates: Both parents in more and more households are now working.



Also, because high school students are more consumed by SAT prep or community service to make themselves more marketable to colleges, their time has become more limited.



And because of the weak job markets, more college students and recent graduates are making themselves available for sitter work, albeit at a higher price.