How many household staff do you need?

Just like the houses they work in, household staff come in all sizes and structures. In this guide, we will help you put together a team that keeps your home in order and your family looked after, wherever your property is located, and no matter the size.

Read on to learn about each of the household staff roles and their average salaries. Before that, however, you will need to understand your unique household requirements.

Calculate your household needs

If we were to ask you, ‘How many household staff do you need’? how would you respond? There are several factors to consider:

• Size of your property – larger houses will need more cleaning staff, and likewise larger gardens will need more gardeners or a groundskeeper. You might even need to hire an estate manager.
• Size of your family – if you require kitchen staff, the size of your family could affect your chef recruitment needs.
• Age of your children – if you have young children up to around eleven years old, you may wish to hire a nanny.
• Your lifestyle – how busy you are and how often you are away from your property could influence your chauffeur hiring or security recruitment

Types of staff

Once you’ve calculated your needs, you should research the types of household staff and the tasks they cover. Some will have the skills to cover several job roles so, when it comes to hiring, it’s worth inquiring about this.

Let’s look at the most typical household staff.

Butler

The role of butler is one of the most varied of all household staff, and they can be an invaluable help if you have a particularly busy lifestyle. Their responsibilities include greeting and waiting on guests, answering phone calls, looking after the family’s schedule, cooking, housekeeping, managing other staff, and more. The best butlers can often perform many other tasks as well, making them a more cost-effective option for mid-sized properties.

• Butler average salary (2023): $80k-$120k p.a.

Chauffeur

As your on-call driver, a chauffeur is of great benefit to you in countless situations. Perfect if you live in a remote area, need to work on the go, or are often back and forth from the airport.

• Chauffeur average salary (2023): $70k-$120k p.a.

Chef and kitchen staff

Chefs and kitchen staff are a great help to a single working homeowner, or a household where both partners work and need help preparing dinners and schools lunches for their children. Depending on your schedule, you may want to hire a private chef full-time, part-time, or even temporarily for a summer house or dinner party.

You should also consider whether a private chef is necessary, or if a butler or housekeeper with cooking skills will cover your needs. Private chefs are specialists who will create highly bespoke meals, but their salaries may be much higher as a result.

• Private chef average salary (2023): $80k-$130k p.a.

Domestic couple

In larger properties needing constant work and attention, a domestic couple is a practical solution. They are often entrusted with a combination of housekeeper, chauffeur and butler tasks, taking care of all aspects of household running. Due to the necessary closeness of the relationship between the family and domestic couple, great care needs to be taken to find the right match between both parties. Your recruitment consultant will advise you on this.

• Domestic couple average salary (2023): $1300k-$200k p.a.

Estate manager

For significantly larger properties, including those with multiple buildings and extensive grounds, an estate manager is highly recommended. An estate manager will oversee all maintenance and upkeep of the properties and grounds, such as hiring building contractors, landscapers and groundskeepers. They may also manage household staff.

• Estate manager average salary (2023): $100k-$400k p.a.

Housekeeper

If you’re looking for a simple all-round option to keep your small to mid-sized property in top shape, a housekeeper is a great choice. Sometimes called maids or servants, the duties of a housekeeper include cleaning, laundry management, stocking cleaning products, and occasionally greeting guests and cooking. These last two tasks are not always completed by housekeepers, so you will need to inquire with your recruitment consultant, but if you can find a housekeeper with experience in all these areas, they can present a more cost-effective alternative to a butler.

• Housekeeper average salary (2023): $40k-$130k p.a.
• Head housekeeper average salary (2023): $70k-$130k p.a.

House manager

If you have decided to hire several of the above positions, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the logistics and schedules. A house manager is the perfect remedy for this. They will oversee all household staff, arranging their schedules, pay, holiday, and sick leave. As your point of contact for all other members of staff, they streamline many processes, and can help advise on additional hiring needs.

• House manager average salary (2023): $80k-$180k p.a.

Nanny

If you are juggling young children and a busy lifestyle, you may benefit from hiring a nanny. Nannies can be hired on an ad-hoc basis when needed, or as a permanent live-in or live-out member of the household. You may also wish to hire a traveling nanny to accompany you on family holidays. Qualified nannies will typically provide care for children from birth to around eleven years old.

• Nanny average salary (2023): $50k-$120k p.a.

Assessing your staffing needs

Now that you have a better idea of the different specialists you can hire for your household, you can match them to your needs and budget. Make an honest assessment of the tasks you’ll need assistance on and those you can handle yourself.

Managing household staff

Before hiring household staff, you should also consider how you will manage each member of the team – setting their schedule, assigning tasks, arranging payment and booking their time off. With a smaller team, you may be able to take care of this admin yourself but, if you don’t have the time, there are alternative options.

One option is to hire a house manager to handle staff and be your single point of contact for the whole team. Another is to take advantage of Tiger’s payroll services. We can arrange contracts and payment for your staff, taking on the burden and liability. Get in touch  to find out more.

Hiring household staff

Once you have a firm idea of the type of household staff you need, it’s time to begin hiring. Domestic recruitment agencies are the best route to securing experienced, vetted staff for every position. Our consultation process is thorough and allows us to fully understand your personal situation and find the best staffing solutions for your property. We’re always on hand to discuss your needs, so make a hiring inquiry today.

FAQs

If you’re still asking how many household staff do you need, read our frequently asked questions below.

Author Amy Laiker Tiger Recruitment Team