United States
Private Housekeeper Agency: Live-In and Live-Out Housekeepers Across the US
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Morgan & Mallet, a luxury household staffing agency, places housekeepers in high-net-worth households across the US. We work with only the most experienced candidates, every one of them interviewed for 90 minutes before being presented to you.
We place housekeepers in homes where proven ability, total discretion and the highest standards are expected.
We listen to your needs and handpick a housekeeper based on your exact requirements. Whether it’s a live-in or live-out housekeeper, we have a large network of the best candidates across the country and internationally.
Contact us today to hire a housekeeper.
We've reviewed over 19,600 applications for housekeeper roles, screening around 34 candidates per search before a shortlist reaches you.
97% of our housekeeper placements succeed, based on Morgan & Mallet's records.
More than 6,400 vetted housekeeping professionals in our database.
70% of our business comes from client referrals - families return to us and recommend us.
Application, tenure and profile figures based on the Morgan & Mallet Household Staff Industry Report 2026.
What Will Your Housekeeper Actually Do?
That depends on your household. If you’ve got no other staff, your housekeeper does everything.
Cleaning, laundry, ironing, linen changes, stocking the pantry, keeping guest rooms ready, setting the table for dinners.
In the US, most private housekeeper roles are all-rounder jobs.
Your housekeeper might also do light cooking, pet care, sort out dry cleaning, manage seasonal wardrobe changes, or help with packing and unpacking when you travel.
Laundry, linen and ironing are in 96% of the housekeeper briefs US families give us. 4 in 10 (42%) also ask for wardrobe care, such as organizing clothing and getting wardrobes ready for different seasons (Morgan & Mallet recruitment data, 2022 to 2026).
If you’ve got a bigger team with a private chef, nanny, or driver, your housekeeper needs to know how to work around them.
In more than a third of our US housekeeper briefs, the housekeeper joins an existing team, working with an estate manager, house manager, private chef, nanny or other housekeepers (Morgan & Mallet recruitment data, 2022 to 2026).
Most professional housekeepers are women, 86% in Morgan & Mallet’s network, with an average age of 46, and many speak more than one language, commonly English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Tagalog (Morgan & Mallet Household Staff Industry Report 2026).
The technical side matters more than most people expect.
If your home has marble floors, hardwood, limestone countertops, or terrazzo, your housekeeper needs to know which products to use on each one.
If you’ve got fine art, antiques, or collectibles, they need to know how to clean around them without causing damage.
Cashmere, silk, and linen all need different handling. You can’t clean a $100,000 sofa the same way you’d clean a regular one.
Morgan Richez, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet:
“It’s not only about the top of the table. You need to check inside, under, everywhere. And use the right product for the right furniture. You can’t use the same product for everything.”
Some of our clients have homes furnished by designers like Jacques Garcia or Alberto Pinto.
The designer gives them a full book explaining how to look after every piece.
Your housekeeper follows that.
If your household uses organic or chemical-free products only, your housekeeper needs to know that before day one.
If you split time between a city home and the Hamptons or Connecticut, your housekeeper keeps both ready.
Guest suites done before you arrive, the fridge stocked, everything in order.
To read more about what a housekeeper does read our housekeeper job description page.
What US families put in the housekeeper brief
| Briefs that mention | Share of briefs |
|---|---|
| Laundry, linen and ironing | 96% |
| Discretion or confidentiality | 78% |
| Experience in private homes | 61% |
| Errands, such as grocery shopping or dry cleaning | 53% |
| Care of fine materials (marble, antiques, art, silver) | 45% |
| Wardrobe care | 42% |
| Some cooking, usually light or family-style meals | 37% |
| Deep cleans | 33% |
| A driver’s license (required or preferred) | 25% |
| Pet care | 19% |
| Childcare | 10% |
Morgan & Mallet recruitment data, 2022 to 2026.
Do You Need to Hire a Housekeeper, a Head Housekeeper or an Executive Housekeeper?
If your property is over 10,000 square feet and you have three or more staff, you’ll probably need a head housekeeper.
A personal housekeeper cleans and maintains. A head housekeeper runs it all. They manage a team of two to five, create cleaning schedules, and plan deep cleans around your travel.
They also manage inventory, household budgets, and coordinating with suppliers and contractors.
They deal with changing wardrobes over in different seasons and getting the insides of homes ready too when the seasons change. And they spot maintenance issues early on.
A head housekeeper is typically a more senior hire, those in our network average 47 years of age, versus 46 for general housekeepers (Morgan & Mallet Household Staff Industry Report 2026).
Morgan Richez: “The head housekeeper will get some initiative. If she needs to buy some product, she’ll buy twice so as soon as she finishes one she’s got one ready to go. She doesn’t need to wait for the order. It’s all about organization and anticipation.”
An executive housekeeper manages the housekeeping across a large estate or several homes, usually reporting to a house manager or estate manager rather than to the family directly.
A head housekeeper would lead one team in one house, but an executive housekeeper is in charge of the standards for every property. They hire and train housekeeping staff, manage budgets and travel to the different homes to get them ready before the family arrive.
Many head or executive housekeepers have experience in hotels.
6 in 10 of our US housekeeper briefs (61%) ask for experience in private homes. A hotel background isn’t asked for as often (Morgan & Mallet recruitment data, 2022 to 2026).
If you still aren’t sure if you need a housekeeper at all and you think maybe another role is right for you, why not try our tool that helps you decide what household staff you actually need and how much they will cost.
Housekeeper Salaries in the US
Housekeepers salaries have increased, and it’s clear to see why. It’s because they are the most in-demand role we fill. More requested than butlers, nannies, or any other position.
Demand at Morgan & Mallet for housekeepers in the US has more than doubled in the past year, and is on track to rise again in 2026. (Morgan & Mallet recruitment data, 2022–2026).
And unlike butlers, there are no well known housekeeper schools anywhere. Most of the best candidates come from five-star hotels like the Dorchester, the Four Seasons, or the Peninsula.
Morgan Richez, Morgan & Mallet co-founder: “If you’re looking for a five-star housekeeper in New York or Miami, you need to pay a lot of money. It’s not easy to find someone very good. There’s a lot of demand and not enough people.”
That shortage, plus tighter immigration rules in the US, is why housekeeper salaries have risen.
Our housekeeper salary data is from our 2025/26 Household Staff Annual Report:
US City | Annual Salary (USD) |
|---|---|
New York | $90,000-$160,000 |
San Francisco | Up to $125,000 |
Los Angeles | $80,000 – $130,000 |
Live-in roles offer a lower base but include accommodation, meals, and utilities worth $20,000 to $40,000 a year on top.
How Do You Find a Good Housekeeper?
Morgan Richez: “Every couple of months we get a call from someone who tried to hire a housekeeper by themselves and it was a big mess. We need to understand what they did wrong and then manage it properly from there.”
When you call our housekeeper recruitment agency, a recruiter asks about your home, your routine, your materials, your staff, and what you actually need the housekeeper to do every day.
We then search our database of 6,400+ housekeeping candidates. Most of the briefs we work on have a minimum experience level of five years. For the rest, the lowest experience asked for is three years (Morgan & Mallet recruitment data, 2022 to 2026). In fact we only recruit housekeepers with at least three years experience, and the housekeepers we place average three to five years experience.
For the average housekeeper search, we review around 34 applicants (we have had more than 19,600 housekeeper applications in total), before presenting a shortlist. The housekeepers in our network come from over 30 countries (Morgan & Mallet Household Staff Industry Report 2026).
In the interview we test things like which products would you use on this surface. How would you set up for a last-minute dinner party for 20 people. What would you do if you found a leak behind a wall.
Ellie Littlechild, recruiter at Morgan & Mallet, also puts candidates through real scenarios: “Travel changes late in the evening. Vendor failures before guests arrive. Expense approvals under pressure. These moments reveal working style quickly.”
Laurine Mallet, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet, tests discretion personally on senior placements. In homes where NDAs and confidentiality agreements are standard, discretion matters more than any technical skill.
She once placed a housekeeper who didn’t have the strongest luxury background on paper. But her discretion in the interview was quite amazing. That placement with a VIP client lasted five years.
You see three to five candidates. We set up your interviews and organize paid trial days so you can see how each person actually works in your home.
A resume can only really tell you so much. You need to see how someone works before you commit to hiring them.
What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?
We check how things are going every week during the first few months.
We once placed a housekeeper who dropped a glass in her first week. The client called us wanting a replacement. They thought she was careless.
Through our check-in calls, we found out the real problem. She was stressed because nobody had given her any feedback. She didn’t know if she was doing well or badly.
We spoke to both sides. We helped the employer understand that a simple “you’re doing great” would have fixed it. That housekeeper has been with the family for three years now.
You get a 90-day replacement guarantee. If it doesn’t work out, we replace at no extra cost.
Housekeepers in Morgan & Mallet’s network average four years in each role, based on the work histories in our candidate database as of June 2026, that’s the kind of stability families look for.
We also help with contracts, payroll, and connecting you with employment lawyers in New York, California, Florida, and every other state where you’re hiring.
Other Types of Housekeeper Roles
Nine in ten US housekeeper briefs that we take (91%) are for a full-time housekeeper role, and almost all are permanent. The exception is part-time roles, which are 8% of our briefs (Morgan & Mallet recruitment data, 2022 to 2026).
Part-time and seasonal housekeepers
These are common for families with summer homes. Keep a small team year-round, scale up when you arrive.
Live-in housekeeper
For homes that need to stay ready all the time, a live-in housekeeper can be the right choice. Cover utilities on top of accommodation. 1 in 4 of the housekeeper roles we have taken briefs for are live-in.
Housekeeper-cook
About 20% of our candidates have strong cooking experience. A housekeeper-cook salary is between $95,000 to $130,000 gross a year.
Traveling housekeeper
For families with homes in multiple states. They should earn roughly 25 to 40% above standard rates plus travel.
Laundress
If you’ve got a big wardrobe or a lot of fine linens, a dedicated laundress handles garments, table linens, and specialty items full-time. About 3% of our US candidates specialize in this.
A dedicated laundress salary is $60,000 to $100,000 a year.
Laundresses are among the harder household roles to fill, attracting far fewer applicants per role than general housekeepers. (Morgan & Mallet recruitment data, 2022–2026).
Live-out housekeeper
Live-out housekeepers work set daily hours and go home in the evening. In cities, extra rooms and more accommodation isn’t often available, so this type of arrangement is more common. More than half of the housekeeper roles we recruit for are live-out.
Executive housekeeper
An executive housekeeper is in charge of the housekeeping across different homes or an estate. They manage the housekeeping and set the standards over all the properties.
An executive or head housekeeper running a team expects a salary of $90,000 to $150,000 a year.
Where We Place Housekeepers in the US
Morgan & Mallet, places housekeepers with private households across the United States.
These are the markets where we place the most.
New York
New York is a very fast moving housekeeper market, focused on areas such as Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights and the Hamptons. Live-out housekeepers are most common here.
Los Angeles
Families in Los Angeles usually hire for larger properties in Bel Air, Brentwood and Beverly Hills. Live-in housekeepers are common here.
Miami
Miami and Palm Beach can work on more seasonal schedules. There could be a housekeeper at the home all year round and they might get more help seasonally, if needed.
San Francisco
In San Francisco and Silicon Valley, including Atherton and Palo Alto, housekeepers can work together with estate managers and house managers. As with all roles, discretion is important.
Housekeeper Hiring Resources
Some more useful information that can help with your housekeeper recruitment decision.
Housekeeper job description → An example job description and more information about what a housekeeper does in the role.
Head housekeeper job description → How the head housekeeper role differs, including staff leadership responsibilities and salary expectations.
Housekeeper vs maid → What’s the difference between a housekeeper and a maid and which one do you need?
Live-in vs Live-out housekeeper → We help you decide whether it’s best to hire a housekeeper who lives on your property or who only visits when they are working.
Housekeeper vs Nanny-Housekeeper → Do you need someone to focus only on housekeeping or to look after your children and also do some housekeeping. We compare the two roles more in this article.
Frequently Asked
Questions About Hiring a Housekeeper
How long does it take to hire a housekeeper?
Two to four weeks for most roles. Specialist searches can take longer.
What background checks do you run?
90-minute interviews, references with former employers, criminal background screening, five to seven years of employment history.
What about employment law?
It varies by state. New York has the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights covering overtime, days off, and notice periods.
California has strict protections too. We connect you with lawyers in every state where you’re hiring and help set up contracts that cover workers’ comp and employer liability.
Do you place housekeepers outside major cities?
Yes. We place in the Hamptons, Greenwich, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Aspen, the Berkshires, and anywhere else our clients have homes.
Rural or remote searches can take longer, and you may need to offer a higher salary or a live-in arrangement to get the right person out there.
Can you staff multiple properties?
Yes. Same recruiter, so the same system. If you’ve also got a home in London or Monaco, we cover that too.
How long do housekeepers usually stay in a role?
Housekeepers in Morgan & Mallet’s network average around four years in each role (Morgan & Mallet Household Staff Industry Report 2026).
The typical completed post is for 2.6 years. 44% of posts lasted 3 years or more, and 26% lasted five years or more (Morgan & Mallet candidate database, June 2026; based on 499 posts with recorded start and end dates).
That continuity is one of the main reasons families use a specialist agency rather than hiring ad hoc.
Do housekeepers speak more than one language?
Most do. Housekeepers in Morgan & Mallet’s network speak two or more languages on average, most commonly English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Tagalog (Morgan & Mallet Household Staff Industry Report 2026).
For international households, that makes communication and discretion far easier.
Where do housekeepers come from?
Housekeeping talent in Morgan & Mallet’s network comes from more than 30 countries, led by France, the Philippines and Portugal (Morgan & Mallet candidate database, June 2026). For US placements, that gives families a strong, internationally experienced pool to choose from.
What does a housekeeper agency do?
A housekeeper agency recruits, vets and places professional housekeepers with private households.
Morgan & Mallet interviews every housekeeper for at least 90 minutes, checks references directly, and matches candidates with what homes actually need.
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
Miami
office address
1221 Brickell Ave Brickell, Miami, FL 33131, United States
phone
+1 305 710 3380
opening hours
Monday - Thursday : 9AM - 6PM
Friday : 9AM - 5PM
Saturday & Sunday : Closed
Los Angeles
office address
895 Dove St, Newport Beach, CA 92660, United States
phone
+1 305 710 3380
opening hours
Monday - Thursday : 9AM - 6PM
Friday : 9AM - 5PM
Saturday & Sunday : Closed