Skilled domestic workers are commanding record-high salaries as wealthy American households compete for top-tier talent to manage their increasingly complex lifestyles. A new report from luxury staffing firm Morgan & Mallet International indicates that private chefs, estate managers, and chiefs of staff can now earn annual salaries reaching $300,000. This surge in compensation reflects a broader trend of affluent families expanding their real estate portfolios and seeking highly specialized support to maintain multiple properties.
Beyond traditional roles, the demand for sophisticated household management has evolved. Principals are increasingly prioritizing candidates with specific expertise, such as Michelin-starred culinary backgrounds or fluency in multiple languages for nannies. Personal assistants remain the most sought-after role, accounting for 22% of staffing requests in the United States. These positions often require advanced skills in technology, privacy management, and travel coordination to support the mobile, high-stakes lives of their employers.
Market analysts attribute these rising wages to a shrinking pool of experienced candidates and a volatile global economy that has prompted the ultra-wealthy to acquire more assets. As families add residences across different regions, the need for staff capable of overseeing these operations has intensified. Consequently, the competition for reliable, discreet professionals has accelerated, with employee turnover rates rising as workers seek better compensation packages.
While these six-figure salaries represent the upper echelon of the domestic service market, they highlight the growing economic divide in the United States. For perspective, the median household income in the U.S. was $83,730 in 2024. As the luxury staffing sector continues to grow, industry experts expect the pressure on wages to persist, driven by the ongoing expansion of the ultra-high-net-worth population and their evolving service expectations.