Household staff employed by America’s wealthiest individuals are commanding salaries of up to $300,000 annually, according to a recent report from luxury staffing firm Morgan & Mallet. The study reveals that growing shortages of experienced domestic workers, combined with increasing demand driven by wealthy clients’ acquisition of multiple properties, are propelling wages to unprecedented levels.
What Happened
Morgan & Mallet disclosed that the labor market for skilled household employees—such as private chefs, nannies, chauffeurs, property managers, and personal assistants—is tightening sharply in the United States. This shortage of quality, experienced staff has forced employers to offer significantly higher salaries to attract top-tier talent. In particular, private chefs with Michelin star credentials or expertise in specialized diets can earn from $100,000 to as much as $300,000 annually. Other high-paying roles include chiefs of staff and estate managers, with pay ranges between $150,000 and $300,000.
Key Facts
The report outlined salary ranges for key household positions in the U.S.:
- Private chefs: $100,000–$300,000
- Chiefs of staff: $150,000–$300,000
- Personal assistants: $80,000–$250,000
- Executive assistants: $120,000–$200,000
- Estate managers: $150,000–$200,000
Personal assistants represent the most in-demand role, comprising 22% of staffing requests from wealthy clients. Additionally, nannies who speak multiple languages are securing premium wage packages. For context, the median household income in the United States was $83,730 in 2024, per U.S. Census Bureau data.
What This Means
The surge in salaries for household staff reflects broader economic and social trends affecting the ultra-wealthy and their demands. Wealthy individuals are increasingly purchasing multiple properties to serve as secure refuges amid global economic volatility. Managing these estates requires a growing number of specialized, highly skilled workers, driving demand and wages upward. This trend not only elevates compensation for household staff but also highlights the widening divide in labor markets, with exceptional earning potential concentrated in niche roles tailored to high-net-worth clients.
For ordinary workers, this development could signal enhanced opportunities in luxury staffing sectors, but also raises questions about accessibility and competition in these exclusive jobs. Moreover, wage inflation in this category underscores the broader challenges of labor shortages in service industries, a factor that may eventually influence costs for luxury services offered to affluent households.
Background
Morgan & Mallet’s report comes at a time when staffing shortages have become pervasive across many sectors in the U.S. economy. For the wealthy, the imperative to maintain multiple estates and customized lifestyle needs has intensified the hunt for skilled domestic professionals. The report confirms that finding quality staff with proven backgrounds has become increasingly difficult, leading to “record highs globally” in wage offerings aimed at retaining the best candidates.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following sources:
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