AUDIO: BUTLERS NEEDED
There’s one sector of the economy that’s doing very well these days, and that would be the very rich. And what do those rich people need? Butlers and chauffeurs and housekeepers and cooks and nannies. Anita Rogers, founder and CEO of British American Household Staffing, says their business has nearly tripled since 2020. “It is an unprecedented market. With COVID, an enormous amount of our clients moved out to the Hamptons, and many have stayed.” That migration has pushed up demand for labor, and wages have risen in turn. Previously, a salaried housekeeper in the Hamptons might earn $60,000 to $65,000 per year. Today that figure stands at “a minimum” of $85,000 or more. High-end nannies can pull in north of $110,000, while some estate managers are making five times that. You will need some skills, whether it’s culinary school or a degree in management or hospitality. There are governesses with degrees from Oxford or Cambridge, and who are proficient in both general childcare and teaching etiquette lessons. In addition, you get to tell your friends stories like these:
– One butler said of their boss: “If one of the kids even forgets a basketball at a certain house, they’re flying a $30,000 jet to get that basketball.”
– Another butler said he was asked to transport a fleet of luxury cars from Aspen to Beverly Hills. “My boss flew in one of my friends on a private plane so he could lend a hand.”
– There are perks, including joyrides in Lamborghinis, luxury trips, and — when the boss is feeling generous — access to amenities like courtside basketball seats.
* And midnight snacking on caviar.
* It also helps to have a name like Cavendish or Codsworth or Lurch. Or, name yourself after a British town, like Barwick, Kirchester or Loxhall.
* And you’re a shoe-in if you look like Mr. Carson on Downton Abbey.
* Interesting. On the east coast, they’re generally called butlers, on the west coast they’re called personal assistants. In the rest of the country, they’re called Mom.
CLIP: Our classic “Butlers Needed” parody spot.
