Hire A Head Butler
Recruit a head butler who is highly experienced, exceptional at their job and understands how to work in luxury environments.
We are the market leaders in recruiting butlers for High and Ultra High Net Worth individuals and families. Contact us today to hire a head butler to manage your staff.
Recruit an exceptional Head Butler
Global Network
10+ Years of Expertise
10 years of head butler recruitment for the clients around the world.
Screened & Vetted
Personalised Matching
Customized head butler recruitment to match your lifestyle and household.
We are worldwide so we can recruit head butlers anywhere you need
There is a world class pool of head butler talent that we have access to in our network. Across the USA, UK, Middle East and elsewhere we work with the highest caliber butlers and can place them with you quickly and efficiently.
Within our butler agency our recruitment experts have many years experience placing butlers for royal families, governments, and the most luxury households. We understand what makes a good butler match for a household.Â
A head butler doesn’t just serve you. He manages your other staff, trains new team members, coordinates between your housekeeper and chef, and anticipates problems before they reach you.
Laurine, our co-founder, explains: “Butlers commonly have additional duties like managing a housekeeper or training staff. It doesn’t mean they do it every single day, but sometimes you need them to manage or train someone.”
In the case of a head butler this is exactly their job, they are responsible for training, management and service.
Why Trust Morgan & Mallet to hire Your Head Butler?
Co-founders of Morgan & Mallet and friends from childhood, Morgan Richez and Laurine Mallet both worked in the household staff sector before launching the agency.Â
Morgan spent years as a butler working with high-end households. Laurine worked with wealthy families across London and Paris.Â
They both started M&M with a clear understanding of exactly what true excellence looks like – which explains why 96% of our placements are successful.
Whether you’re a personal assistant who has been given the job of finding a head butler, a family office that needs a butler recruitment agency you can rely on, or a wealth manager who has other things to do rather than recruitment, we get you results.Â
Clients internationally trust us and come back to us again and again. Whether it’s the US, UK, Middle East or elsewhere, we have the network to recruit the very best.
*A Note on Timing
For specialized needs (like butlers with security training or sommelier qualifications), finding the right match takes time. We’ll tell you upfront if your requirements need extra searching. Better to wait for the right person than rush the wrong placement.
What Does a Head Butler Do?
Staff coordination
Your chef, housekeeper, chauffeur, and other staff report to your head butler. He makes sure everyone knows their responsibilities and nothing gets missed. There isn’t much room for error in this role.
Luggage managementÂ
Laurine identifies this as a critical task: “If he forgets something, it can be very very bad.” Before every trip, he makes sure nothing gets left behind.
Preparing your propertyÂ
When you’re arriving at your second home it’s your head butler who makes sure everything is just as it is and all other staff are in place.
Managing suppliers
Contractors, deliveries, maintenance they are all managed by your head butler, with the help of other staff too.
Event hosting
Hosting events is a large part of the role if you like to entertain often, experience in this is important in this role.
Emergency responseÂ
Laurine says: “One butler had to drop everything, even during the night, to ensure the property was ready for a family arriving at 7 a.m.”
When Do You Need a Head Butler?
You’ll know you need a head butler when:
- You have multiple staff members and someone needs to co-ordinate schedules, manage disagreements and make sure everyone is working as a team.
- As our co-founder Laurine says again “Staff build trust by being supportive and working as a team, like a butler helping a housekeeper with something outside their duty.”
- You own multiple properties and need co-ordination between them.
- You host guests frequently.
- You travel often.
- Privacy is important to you. Morgan our other co-founder says: “People want all services at home. They organize private events. When you have a head butler, you don’t need restaurants. Better privacy, especially for VIPs discussing business.”
Head Butlers are Hard To Find
Morgan our co-founder says “Finding a five-star head butler isn’t easy. There aren’t enough qualified candidates.”
Gaining experience and expertise in the industry takes a long time, so the more experience you are looking for, the harder that butler will be to find. That’s why using us for recruitment is recommended, we have the contacts and know the very best butlers, saving you time.
Not everyone is suited to managing people, just because a butler is good at their job, doesn’t mean they will be a good head butler and be able to manage people.
Candidates are put off by having to be very flexible in the role. Laurine mentions, “One butler sought a job change because of frequent demands – being called overnight and during holidays had become too common, leaving them with no personal life. He didn’t want to change the client’s needs but couldn’t adapt to that flexibility anymore.”
The role does need total commitment.
Families have reputations. Laurine says: “Recruiters must brief potential butlers on the possibility of frequent emergency calls associated with a specific client.”
Our Head Butler
Recruitment Process
We match your needs with the most exceptional candidates and this comes down to our thorough recruitment process.
Candidate Sourcing & Screening
We find the very best head butlers using our global network and strict selection process. Each candidate goes through in-depth interviews and reference verification to assess leadership, technical knowledge, discretion, and reliability.
Background Checks & Verification
We carry out very thorough identity and reference checks. Criminal record verification and previous employer checks and references are a large part of this.
Skills Assessments
Candidates can go through practical tests in service, household management, and discretion. Other training is sometimes given if needed.
Client Matching & Placement
We tailor our selection to your needs, lifestyle, and expectations. Only the most suitable head butler candidates are introduced to you.
Ongoing Support & Follow-Up
Our service doesn’t end after placement because we give support after the candidate has started the role. Regular check-ins are part of the service.
What are Head Butler Salaries?
Head butlers pay is at a premium because the role requires years of experience plus management ability. These figures are based on our internal Morgan & Mallet salary data from roles we have placed.
United States: $140,000 – $200,000+
Major cities (NYC, LA, Miami, SF) pay most. Managing multiple properties or extensive travel increases pay.
United Kingdom: £80,000 – £100,000 – London positions pay 20-30% more.Â
Managing multiple properties or large staff teams pushes toward £100,000+.
Switzerland: CHF 110,000 – CHF 130,000+
Premium market because of Swiss high standards.
Monaco: €90,000 – €120,000+
French fluency expected in Monaco.
UAE: AED 120,000 – AED 200,000
Tax-free. European, UK, US candidates normally preferred.
Saudi Arabia: SAR 120,000 – SAR 300,000+
Tax-free with accommodation.
What increases cost:
– Multiple properties (2-5+ homes)
– Large staff teams (managing 5-15+ staff)
– Extensive travel with family (50-70% of time)
– Specialized skills (wine expertise, art handling, security coordination)
– Languages beyond English
– Formal training (IISA, British Butler Institute)
Other Butler Roles
Family Butler
A family butler is a household staff member who is experienced at working with families and their needs.
Male Butler
A male butler is more traditional and can be requested by some households, although preferences are changing.
Traveling Butler
Hire a traveling butler if you require someone to travel with you from home to home or perhaps live on a yacht.
Female Butler
For reasons of security, culture or just general preference, female butlers are in great demand at the moment.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a butler and a head butler?
A butler serves and manages household operations. A head butler does everything a butler does plus manages other staff. If you have just a butler and housekeeper, you probably don’t need the “head” role. If you have a chef, multiple housekeepers, chauffeur, and other staff then someone needs to coordinate them. That’s what a head butler does.
Can't my house manager do a head butler's role?
House managers focus their time on property operations, suppliers, maintenance, budgets. Head butlers focus on service and staff coordination.
Some households have both. Some combine the roles. Depends on how complex your proprety set up is.
Are head butlers live-in?
Most head butler positions are live-in because availability is important. Laurine our co-founder confirms: “Butlers must be available and come straight away.” If your family arrives unexpectedly or you need property preparation overnight, having someone on-site helps. But live-out arrangements can work for some families with more predictable schedules.
What if it doesn't work out?
Trial periods are there for protection. Some head butlers are technically very good but don’t fit your household culture. Better to discover this early. Laurine: “Matching candidates to client needs means matching not just profile and responsibilities, but availability and flexibility too.”