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 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 candidates across the country and internationally.
Since mid-2022, nearly 3,000 people have applied to the housekeeper jobs in the US we’ve advertised for families, so your search reaches a large number of housekeepers.
Contact us today to hire a housekeeper.
Source: Morgan & Mallet recruitment records, US housekeeper job ads, June 2022 to June 2026. How we count
- 19,600+ applications reviewed
We've reviewed over 19,600 applications for housekeeper roles, around 34 per advert across all our markets, before a shortlist reaches you.
- 4 years Average time in each role
Housekeepers in our network average about four years in each role.
- 6,300+ Housekeeping professionals in our network
More than 6,300 housekeeping professionals in our network.
- 3-month replacement guarantee
If a placement doesn't work out in the first three months, we replace at no extra cost.
Source: Morgan & Mallet Household Staff Industry Report 2026; candidate database, June 2026. How we count
What Will Your Housekeeper Actually Do?
That depends on your household. A housekeeper can do cleaning, laundry, ironing, linen changes, stocking the pantry, keeping guest rooms ready and setting the table for dinners.
If you have no other staff, your housekeeper can do almost everything.
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.
42% also ask for wardrobe care, such as organizing clothing and getting wardrobes ready for different seasons.
If you have a bigger team with a private chef, nanny, or driver, your housekeeper needs to know how to work around them.
In 41% of our US housekeeper briefs, the housekeeper joins an existing team, working with an estate manager, house manager, private chef, nanny or other housekeepers.
If you need two housekeepers, the first one we place can sometimes bring a colleague they have worked well with before. Our co-founder Morgan Richez has seen that happen quite a few times:
“Sometime the clients, they say, ‘I’m looking for two housekeeper[s],’ for example, and the first housekeepers we found, they say, ‘Oh, I used to work with this housekeeper in [another] property before, I can recommend her.’
“… The good point, you know, they [know] each other, they used to work together, so it’s a good connection from the beginning.”
A recommended housekeeper still goes through the 90-minute interview and reference calls just the same as everyone else we shortlist for you.
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.
If another language is spoken in your home, let us know when you first speak to us and we’ll add that to the search brief.
Not that many families make it a must. Spanish or French were in 8% of the searches for housekeepers we’ve worked on in the US, usually as a plus, not a requirement.
The technical part of the role is more important than some people might 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 have fine art, antiques, or collectibles, they need to know how to clean around them without causing any damage.
Cashmere, silk, and linen all need caring for differently. And that is why hiring an experienced housekeeper who has worked in private homes before is important.
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 obviously needs to be able to follow those instructions.
If your household uses organic or chemical-free products only, your housekeeper needs to know that before they start.
If you split your time between a city home and the Hamptons or Connecticut, your housekeeper needs to know to keep both ready for you.
Guest suites need to be ready before you arrive, the fridge stocked, and everything in order as you like it.
To read more about what a housekeeper does read our housekeeper job description page.
| 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% |
Source: Morgan & Mallet US housekeeper job briefs, 2022 to 2026; Household Staff Industry Report 2026. How we count
Can You Hire a Housekeeper Who Cooks?
Yes. Many housekeepers cook for families too, and you can ask for it in your brief with us.
Cooking was actually the main part of the job in 15% of the housekeeper searches in the US we’ve done since 2022.
In most of the others that wanted it in the brief, the family asked for simple cooking now and then.
In the briefs we worked on, it mostly meant home cooking, things like breakfast for the children, a family dinner, snacks, or a low-sodium diet that was very important.
If you want a higher quality of food than that, it would be better to hire a private chef.
Cooking is quite often on families’ minds from the first inquiry a family makes with us.
36% of the inquiries for a housekeeper that came in through our website from 29 April to 16 June 2026 also mentioned cooking or a chef.
Interestingly, asking for it doesn’t narrow down the field of potential candidates.
Our ads for housekeepers who also cook had about 29 applicants each, compared with 24 for our other housekeeping ads, and mostly offered $60,000 to $95,000 a year or $35 to $45 an hour.
It can also save you from hiring someone else to cook. Some families don’t know that a housekeeper can do this too. Morgan Richez, our co-founder, makes this point to families when they set a budget:
“When it comes, for example, to [a] housekeeper and you are looking for [a] housekeeper who can cook, you won’t recruit a chef or cook, another candidate, so you are going to save some money.”
Decide how much cooking you want before you hire, and write it into the job description. Laurine Mallet our other co-founder explains how cooking can sometimes gradually become the main part of the job without agreement:
“If, for example, you are [a] housekeeper and the employer is going to say, ‘Okay, so tomorrow, can you please cook something for us?’ And he’s going to ask you the same the other day.
“And after, again the other day, and after two weeks you can feel, okay, so now it’s cooking, it’s a part of my duties.”
If you have space for two people, domestic couples are another way to get what you need. One of our 2025 live-in searches asked for a chef and a housekeeper, ideally a couple.
Source: Morgan & Mallet US housekeeper job ads, 2022 to 2026 (applicants and pay as advertised); website inquiries, 29 April to 16 June 2026. How we count
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.
If your home is that size, a team can often make sense.
Every home that was 10,000 square feet or more in the housekeeper searches we have run for clients in the US already had other staff, or a team for the new hire to lead.
Over all the briefs, the size of home went from 2,000 to 23,000 square feet. 14% of our housekeeper searches since 2022 in the US were for a head or executive 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 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.
61% of our US housekeeper briefs ask for experience in private homes. A hotel background isn’t asked for as often.
Still not sure if you need a housekeeper at all and 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?
Source: Morgan & Mallet US housekeeper job briefs and ads, June 2022 to June 2026; Household Staff Industry Report 2026. How we count
Housekeeper Salaries in the US
Housekeepers’ salaries have increased, and it’s clear to see why. They are one of our top five most requested roles.
And unlike butlers, there are no well known housekeeper schools anywhere. Many good candidates trained in five-star hotels.
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.”
Our housekeeper salary data is from our 2025/26 Household Staff Salaries Annual Report:
Live-in roles include accommodation, meals and utilities on top of pay.
Paying by the hour? Most of our US job briefs that named an hourly rate offered $35 to $45 an hour between 2024 and 2026.
At 40 hours a week, that is about $6,100 to $7,800 a month before employer taxes. Offers of $50 an hour or more were in the main from Manhattan and the Bay Area.
For a full-time salary, most of our searches for clients offered $70,000 to $90,000 a year.
| Where | Annual salary (USD) |
|---|---|
| United States | $90,000 to $160,000 |
In all our housekeeper ads in the US, 26% also offered health insurance, or money towards it, or paid time off, and some gave a bonus at the end of the year.
It’s best to tell your recruiter what you want to offer on the first call, and we’ll tell you how it compares with the jobs we’ve recruited for in the past and advise you on what’s best.
Source: 2025/26 Household Staff Salaries Annual Report (table); Morgan & Mallet US housekeeper job ads, 2022 to 2026 (pay as advertised). How we count
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 network of 6,300+ housekeeping professionals. 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.
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 advert across all our markets, we review around 34 applications (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.
In the US the pool of candidates is smaller in our experience, so we don’t rely just on job ads.
Our housekeeper ads in the US have had about 25 applicants each on average, compared with about 37 over all the US jobs we advertise, and we search our own network too.
Wherever your home is, we can search for a candidate for you. Since 2022 our housekeeper searches in the US have covered 12 states, from Vermont to Nevada, though 73% were in New York, Florida and California.
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.
We also ask how they would plan the work around your day. Morgan Richez, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet:
“When you talk to the housekeeping services, you need to explain the priority, for example, the employer is outside.
“So, this is the right time maybe to clean the lounge, the main place, because the employer is not in the place.”
Laurine Mallet, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet, tests discretion personally on senior placements. In homes where discretion is expected, it 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.
Source: Morgan & Mallet recruitment records, US job ads, June 2022 to June 2026 (16,762 applicants across all US client ads); US housekeeper job briefs, 2022 to 2026; Household Staff Industry Report 2026. How we count
What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?
We check how things are going every week during the first few months.
These calls we do are important when your new housekeeper joins a team who have been with you for years. Morgan Richez explains why:
“When you are a new housekeeper and you come to a new property [where] there is some staff who are already here for very long years, it’s not easy for a new person to come in a new property.
“Sometimes the group doesn’t accept the new housekeeper.”
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 three-month 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. That’s the kind of stability families look for.
If a candidate being able to stay with you for a long time is important to you, tell us and we will make sure it’s in the brief.
A family in New York asked in its 2026 brief for at least six years with the candidate’s most recent employer, and we check five to seven years of every candidate’s employment history.
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.
Source: Morgan & Mallet US housekeeper job briefs, 2026; candidate database, June 2026. How we count
Other Types of Housekeeper Roles
70% of the US housekeeper briefs that we take are for a full-time housekeeper role, and almost all are permanent. The exception is part-time roles, which are 15% of our briefs.
Part-time and seasonal housekeepers
These are common for families with summer homes. Keep a small team year-round, scale up when you arrive.
If you only need help for one season, plan the hours around your visits. A summer job in the Hamptons we recruited for in 2026 offered $50 an hour, with lots of overtime.
In a second home, the work goes with the family, as Laurine Mallet explains:
“If the employer is coming during a weekend, they are going to work a lot, obviously, but as soon as he will leave the property, they can take much more days off as usual.”
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. 24% of the housekeeper roles we have taken briefs for are live-in.
Describe what kind of housing you are offering as early as you can.
Every live-in brief of ours that described it offered private space, from a bedroom with its own bathroom to a separate apartment or a house on the grounds.
We help you put it in the contract. Morgan Richez:
“On the contract, when it comes to [the live-in] position, [it] is very important to explain what the [live-in] position cover[s], what kind of cost the accommodation cover[s], internet, water, electricity. [It] is important to think about everything.”
Our guide to live-in household staff in the US covers everything else.
Housekeeper-cook
A housekeeper-cook salary is between $95,000 and $130,000 gross a year.
Traveling housekeeper
For families with homes in multiple states.
If you need a housekeeper who can travel, be clear about the trips in the job brief from the start if you can.
26% of our housekeeper searches since 2022 in the US involved a second home or travel with the family, from Christmas in Aspen to summers in Nantucket.
Where our briefs talked about the cost of travel, the family paid for it, usually with meals included. If the trips go abroad, read our guide to taking household staff abroad first.
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.
A dedicated laundress salary is $60,000 to $100,000 a year.
Laundresses draw far fewer applicants per role than general housekeepers.
If you want a laundress, your search might take more time. Our laundress ads in the US had between 2 and 23 applicants each, and offered $65,000 to $70,000 a year in 2022 and up to $90,000 in 2025.
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.
64% 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.
In the briefs in the US we’ve written up for families hiring these roles, pay went from $60,000 to $120,000 a year, or $45 to $50 an hour, between 2022 and 2025.
The lowest offers were live-in jobs, with housing as well.
Source: Morgan & Mallet US housekeeper job ads and briefs, 2022 to 2026. How we count
How Many Hours Does a Full-Time Housekeeper Work?
Usually about 40 hours a week, over five days.
In the full-time housekeeper briefs we’ve worked on in the US since 2022 that set the hours, 77% asked for 40 to 45 a week, and the full range was from 30 to 50.
Most families keep the weekend free. 67% of the full-time briefs that put the days in it were for Monday to Friday, and the rest kept to these patterns:
| Working week | Share of briefs that named the days | Hours in one real brief |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 67% | 9 am to 5 pm, Upper East Side, 2026 |
| Five days, set with the family | 17% | 8 am to 4:30 pm, or 1:30 pm to 10 pm, Pasadena, 2024 |
| Tuesday to Saturday, with Sunday and Monday off | 8% | 8 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm, live-in, 2025 |
| Six days in the busy season, fewer the rest of the year | 8% | Six days from December to mid-May, about three from June to mid-November, Miami Beach, 2022 |
You can ask for some flexibility too. 31% of those full-time housekeeper briefs asked for the odd evening, weekend or holiday, usually for events or guests.
We find that not every job is nine to five, either. Start times can go from 5:30 in the morning to noon.
Be clear on the days off before you meet candidates, because a good housekeeper has other options. Morgan Richez tells families:
“If you come to me tomorrow as a client and you say,
“‘Oh, Morgan, I would like a housekeeper and she’s going to get the [day off] on Tuesday and the other one on Friday, and she’s going to have a 4 hours break during the day,’
“I’m going to say I’m sorry, but we won’t find anyone for sure, because there is a lot of opportunity.”
“Weekend off, this is the best way to do. But after, if you offer even a Sunday and Monday, that’s okay.”
The size of your home can determine the hours as well. Laurine Mallet puts one full-time housekeeper at about 200 square meters, roughly 2,150 square feet:
“200 square meters… That’s enough for one housekeeper full time, 40 hours a week. So she can do it.”
On the first call you have with us, your recruiter will ask you how your week runs, when you travel and when you entertain, so the hours in the job match the way you actually live.
If your housekeeper is going to live in, our guide to live-in vs live-out housekeepers explains how the hours are different.
Source: Morgan & Mallet US housekeeper job briefs, full-time jobs, June 2022 to June 2026. How we count
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. Both live-in and live-out 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
Call us on +1 (646) 965-2308 or tell us about your home and a recruiter will get back to you.
How long does it take to hire a housekeeper?
It depends on the role, so start early: our 2025/26 Household Staff Salaries Annual Report advises families to plan four to six months ahead. 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 and days off.
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.
The typical completed post is for 2.6 years. 44% of posts lasted 3 years or more, and 26% lasted five years or more.
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?
Many do. Housekeepers in Morgan & Mallet’s network often speak more than one language, most commonly English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Tagalog.
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.
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.
Source: Morgan & Mallet Household Staff Industry Report 2026; candidate database, June 2026, based on 499 posts with recorded start and end dates. How we count
Call us on +1 (646) 965-2308 or tell us about your home and a recruiter will get back to you.
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
1555 NE 121st Street, Suite 104, North Miami, FL 33161, 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