Household Staffing Agency in The Hamptons
We place trusted experienced domestic staff in the Hamptons in some of the areas most distinguished residences.
We only place candidates with verified experience in high-net-worth homes.
All our candidates are at the very top of what they do and are handpicked for the specific needs of homes in the Hamptons.
If you are looking for a private chef in the Hamptons, a nanny, personal assistant, executive housekeepers, and more, we will find the right people for your exact needs.
Reach out today for your Hamptons domestic staffing needs.
Household Staff Recruitment for Hamptons Homes
Global Network
The only agency with offices in the US and globally.
3m+ Visits
Over 3 million luxury staff visit our job platform annually.
Thorough Vetting
We perform three background checks for every Hamptons candidate at least.
Thousands of Staff Placed
Annually placing thousands of professionals in leading households worldwide.
What we do after you contact our Domestic Staffing Agency in the Hamptons?
First it’s a call with us. We want to understand how your home runs before we look at any potential candidates.
Is it a full-time home, or a summer place that’s busy from Memorial Day to Labor Day?
Do your staff travel with you between Manhattan and the East End, or stay in Southampton year-round? The answers change who we put forward.
From there we search our database of 200,000+ candidates and send you a short list of profiles, all in the same clear format.
We set up interviews, and once you’ve chosen someone, we help you structure the offer and the contract.
We stay involved afterwards. “We follow up to make sure everything is good during the trial period,” says Morgan Richez, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet. “We call the candidate and the client for quick feedback, then I email the client to say I spoke to him or her and they’re very happy in the new job.”
If it doesn’t work out in the first 3 months then we will replace the candidate, it’s as simple as that.
How we Pick the Best Candidates Before You Meet Them
Every candidate has a full interview with a recruiter before a single profile reaches you. For every four who apply, about one makes it into our vetted database.
The Hamptons needs staff who understand how life here works, so we screen carefully.
The interview does more of the screening than the resume. “It’s during the interview you really know the candidate,” says Laurine Mallet, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet. “You discover the personality, the mindset, whether they’re trustworthy, whether they’re the type to tell you gossip about their boss.”
Personality carries more weight than a polished resume. “Even if the resume doesn’t look like a hundred percent match, it’s worth meeting the candidate to see how they present,” says Eric Rios, a recruiter at Morgan & Mallet who used to hire software engineers at Google. “Are they professional? Will their personality mesh with the client?” That read on a person is something no software does for us.
Then we check references by phone, with open questions. Instead of “she worked for you from 2015 to 2020, right?”, we ask when she worked there and what she did. In our experience it finds things people leave off a resume. One nanny’s former employer mentioned she’d cooked for the family every day. It never made the CV.
We speak to at least one former employer directly and run an ID and criminal record check. It has to come back clean. Only then does a profile get put forward to you.
Private Chefs in the Hamptons
A private chef in the Hamptons cooks for the household through the season, from normal quiet family dinners to large summer galas. It’s the role families ask us for most here, and demand goes up from Memorial Day through Labor Day every year.
The cooking is very much local. Often from East End farm stands, using summer produce to make menus that change every week.
Laurine Mallet, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet, says clients rarely write the menu themselves: “They just say, ‘I don’t want to eat meat,’ or ‘I want fish four times a week.’ The chef creates the menu from there.”
We place chefs with at least three years in private households, or a strong Michelin-restaurant background.
The Hamptons Communities We Serve
The Hamptons works on the summer season and each village needs to have a different type of staff:
- East Hampton – private chefs for meals that come from farm to the table as well as event catering. Butlers for galas and entertaining too.
- Southampton – chauffeurs who know the NYC to Hamptons routes and can do weekend travel.
- Sagaponack – complete estate teams – domestic couples, gardeners and 24 hour a day 7 days a week security staff.
- Bridgehampton – estate managers and domestic couples for equestrian estates.
We also place staff in the wider East End, Amagansett, Montauk and Water Mill.
Household Staff We Place in the Hamptons
They manage staff, vendors, and summer/winter relocations.
Our property experts, averaging over three years of experience, can handle both your Hamptons estate and city residence.
Hamptons properties often have delicate antiques and welcome a number of guests for events like Silverstein Dream Foundation Annual Hamptons Garden Gala.
So the properties need to be in good condition, especially for the season.
Well‑known families bring higher security needs to Hamptons estates.
Our security staff in the Hamptons are discrete and experienced.
Getting around easily on East End roads and dealing with NYC traffic needs care and confidentiality too.
Our chauffeurs average 8 years experience.
Expert Tips from Morgan & Mallet’s Recruitment Team
How does the UHNW calendar change what staff families need?
“The Hamptons run on a very seasonal schedule. Most families head there for the summer and spend their winters somewhere warmer, like Florida or abroad.
When they come back in the spring, the demand for household staff goes up. It gets incredibly busy and competitive to find the right people.
And once the season wraps up in the Hamptons, most families only keep a small team, like just an estate manager, to look after the property until they return.”
How Much Does Luxury Household Staffing Cost in The Hamptons?
According to Morgan & Mallet’s US salary guide, the cost of living, and need for proven staff definitely pushes up staff wages in the Hamptons.
Position | US Salary Range | Peak Hiring Season |
|---|---|---|
Estate Manager | $150,000 – $250,000 | Year-round. But, some owners employ new managers in late fall or early winter to get ready for the summer season coming up. |
Executive Housekeeper | $90,000 – $150,000 | February-May. Hiring gets quicker in spring as homes are prepared for summer. |
Private Chef | $100,000 – $300,000 | April-June. Demand peaks ahead of the summer entertaining season. |
Security | $90,000 – $150,000 | May-August and December. Security staff often start before summer to manage site access and guest privacy. |
Private Chauffeur | $80,000 – $130,000 | May-September. Needed for the summer social calendar, chauffeurs help families and guests between New York City and the Hamptons. |
Gardener | $60,000 – $110,000 | March-October. Hiring begins early spring to get landscapes ready for the season blooms. |
Property Guardian | $70,000 – $120,000 | October-April. Commonly hired after summer to help estates during off‑season months |
What Makes Hamptons Domestic Staffing Different
Start your search early
Households in the Hamptons staff their homes quickly for the season.
Demand for live in and seasonal staff goes up from late spring and the best candidates are often booked by April or May.
It’s a good idea to reach out two months before so we have time to find the right people for you.
Plan for live-in accommodation
Most Hamptons roles are live-in. The far end of Long Island is a long drive and a shift can finish late and start early in the season so good accommodation is expected.
Candidates now expect high quality accommodation and it’s how you attract the best ones.
Staff who move between your homes
A lot of families keep the same team all year and move them between properties.
Quite often it’s nine months in the city and three months in the Hamptons. We place private chefs, nannies and personal assistants who are happy to rotate and travel with the family.
What Employers Should Know About New York Labor Law
New York’s domestic labor standards set the rules for employing household staff:
Pay at least the New York State minimum wage of 16.50 dollars per hour, which is higher than the federal minimum.
Pay overtime after 40 hours per week for most household staff.
Treat live‑in roles differently from live‑out roles for both wage calculations and break rules.
Provide proper meal breaks and paid rest periods, in line with state law.
Classify ongoing staff on a W‑2 to avoid misclassification issues.
Hold workers’ compensation insurance and meet unemployment insurance requirements once wage levels trigger coverage.
Morgan & Mallet can support Hamptons families with streamlined payroll, handling taxes, filings, and compliance, and can help draft basic employment terms and connect you with trusted legal partners for fully compliant documents.
This is general information only and not legal advice. Employers should speak with a qualified lawyer about their own situation.
Six Qualities to look for in Hamptons Household Staff
Laurine Mallet, Morgan & Mallet’s co-founder, talks about six particular qualities Hamptons’ clients should look for in their household staff.
Staff are responsible for fully “turning on” the house for the season.
Laurine says that many Hamptons estates run most of the year with only a skeleton crew, usually security and basic housekeeping.
In July and August, the house manager typically steps in as main caretaker, expanding the team with specialist chefs and extra nannies to support a full house.
Look for staff who are experts in preservation, from protecting fine wood and marble in humid weather to managing seasonal wardrobes and outdoor furniture.
Laurine recently placed a butler/house manager who handled rare furniture, art, couture like silk and cashmere, and seasonal wardrobes.
It was a live-out permanent role at $90K–$120K with great benefits.
The Guild Hall Summer gala, Hampton Designer Showhouse, and Annual Fundraising Dinner are just a few of the East End’s summer events.
Staff have to be capable of running large events, including formal table service, wine service.
For estates hosting events three or more times a week, we recommend a formal butler rather than temporary help.
Butlers know the importance of working in a rush while keeping standards high during events like summer galas.
For high-profile clients, the Hamptons is a retreat. Staff need to be warm and friendly but keep strict confidentiality, never discussing the client’s private life or business.
Morgan Richez our co-founder says that while U.S. clients often prefer a warmer relationship with staff, the expectation for confidentiality is always there and goes without saying.
Staff must balance being “part of the family” while maintaining the strict discretion required by high-profile figures.
Staff should be able to do more than one role. A butler who can also drive or a housekeeper who can prepare simple family meals.
When hiring for senior roles like house manager, we place a high value on the “humility” of the candidate.
Despite their high rank in the household team, they should be willing to help with household chores that fall outside their normal responsibilities.
Staff, particularly managers and assistants, should know how to run home automation systems. This is especially important for managing the estate when the principals are not there, as happens a lot in the Hamptons.
Our recruiters have noticed a growing trend where families ask for estate managers who know about troubleshooting Crestron and Savant systems remotely.
Why Hamptons Families Choose Morgan & Mallet
Our methods are rooted in personal experience. Morgan Richez and Laurine Mallet, our co-founders’ careers began as a chauffeur and nanny.
After noticing a gap in the luxury staffing market, the vision for Morgan & Mallet started.
Serving the world’s most high-profile individuals, we understand that discretion is vital, especially for Hamptons residents.
Whether you need full-time or temporary staff, our process remains the same, so only trusted, qualified professionals join your household.
New York
office address
260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, 10016, New York, NY – United States
phone
+1 (646)965-2308
opening hours
Monday - Thursday : 9AM - 6PM
Friday : 9AM - 5PM
Saturday & Sunday : Closed
Hamptons Household Staffing:
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Morgan & Mallet ensure qualified summer staff?
Seasonal hires go through the same checks and interviews as permanent staff. They often have full access to your family, guests, and home.
We look for people who are calm, discreet, and can shift from a relaxed family day to a formal dinner in the same week.
For Hamptons roles, we also look for people comfortable working with security, chefs, nannies, and gardeners. Our global pool has more than 200,000 approved candidates to draw from.
Can Morgan & Mallet find staff who split time between NYC and The Hamptons?
Yes, and many of our candidates actively look for these roles. Families usually cover housing and travel, so candidates can save a larger share of their salary.
88% of senior New York roles we fill, including estate managers and personal assistants, already involve looking after more than one home. Among chauffeurs, 81% of New York drivers in our pool move the same family between the city, the Hamptons, and other homes.
Private chefs and nannies follow the same pattern. Around 60% of our New York private chefs work across city and Hamptons homes, and 59% of our New York nannies support families in both.
What is Morgan & Mallet's vetting process?
Every candidate we send has passed the same process we use for permanent roles.
We speak directly with three past employers about performance, reliability, and discretion.
We also run criminal background checks and use interview scenarios to test how candidates handle events, guests, and high-end homes.
Where roles move between the city and the Hamptons, we confirm candidates are comfortable with traveling a lot.
88% of our New York private chefs complete a full annual contract or longer.
Contact Jonathan for Your Hamptons Staffing Needs
Jonathan De Vanderbilt is our senior recruiter in New York. He finds staff for Hamptons homes, year-round or seasonal.
Call (646)965-2308 to talk through your needs.