Private chef salaries reach $300,000 as the rich seek Michelin stars

Private chefs are making up to $300,000 a year, and butlers can earn as much as $180,000 as the wealthy hire more household staff to manage their increasingly complex lives, according to a new study.

Demand for chefs, personal assistants, butlers, nannies, housekeepers, chauffeurs and estate managers have reached records as the wealthy buy more homes in various locations and manage ever-growing families, according to a report from Morgan & Mallet International. The hiring boom has created a war for talent, driving up salaries and increasing job-hopping by household staff.

“Many clients are surprised by the rising cost of household services,” the report said. “The reality is that securing quality staff with proven experience has become increasingly difficult, pushing wages for the best candidates to record highs globally.”

House managers have the fastest-rising salary among household staff, driven by the growing real estate portfolios of the rich and shrinking pool of good candidates, according to Laurine Mallet, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet. 

The market for private chefs is especially hot. In the U.S., private chefs can now earn between $100,000 and $300,000, according to the report. Ultra-wealthy families increasingly want to hire Michelin-starred chefs to cook for them at home so they can avoid the crowds and public attention of top restaurants, the report said. Celebrity chefs command the highest premiums, while chefs trained in special diets – like celiac-safe cooking – can also “name their price,”  the report said.

Nannies who speak three languages and have experience caring for children with special needs are also in especially high demand. Traveling nannies are coveted but rare, with some making up to $163,000 in the United Arab Emirates, according to the report.

In the U.S., the most requested position from employers is personal assistants. Executive assistants and personal assistants can earn up to $250,000 a year, Morgan & Mallet found.

Privacy, discretion and tech skills are now core hiring requirements, according to the report. In Los Angeles, 77% of personal assistants hired required nondisclosure agreements. Strict bans on social media are now common for all household staff positions.

In the past, household staff would often work for the same employer for decades. Now, the average tenure with an employer is three years, according to the report. With the wealthy increasingly moving between homes and gaining residencies in multiple countries, they want Western passport-ready staff.

Skilled estate managers are becoming especially difficult to find, since they are often required to manage more than three properties in multiple countries and legal frameworks, according to the report. In the U.S., household managers can now make between $150,000 and $250,000, it found. 

Butlers, once portrayed as buttoned-up, silver tray-carrying domestics, now manage complex staff, technology, security and logistics across multiple properties. Their salaries can be as high as $180,000.

“Clients want efficient service with less formality,” the report said. “Discretion, confidentiality, and trustworthiness are the most important qualities. Adaptability, flexibility, and strong people skills matter too.”