How much should I pay my butler?
In our latest household staff salary guide, we look at the average gross salary for a range of domestic staff based within the UK.
This guide has been compiled using Stafftax payroll data from the 19/20 tax year. Figures are rounded to the nearest pound, based on a 50-hour working week and are intended for guidance purposes only.
Butler – £22.90 gross per hour / £59,550 gross per annum
A Butler is often employed to undertake a range of duties, which may include, but are not limited to; greeting guests, answering calls, making appointments, overseeing events and dinner parties.
According to our data, the average hourly salary for a Butler is £22.90 gross per hour. This was an approximate increase of 26% on the average hourly salary reported for the previous year.
Housekeeper – £8.84 gross per hour / £22,986 gross per annum
The main duties of a housekeeper may include cleaning, tidying, and maintaining the household, laundry and ironing and changing bedding.
Our latest data shows that average salary for a Housekeeper is £8.84 gross per hour.
Cook / Housekeeper – £9.93 gross per hour / £25,825 gross per annum
In addition to the duties detailed above, a Cook / Housekeeper may also support with meals. This could include packing the children’s lunch boxes, preparing meals, and picking up food shopping for the household.
According to our data, the average hourly salary for a Cook / Housekeeper is £9.93 gross per hour. This was an approximate increase of 5% on the average hourly salary reported for the previous year.
Gardener – £8.75 gross per hour / £22,750 gross per annum
A gardener’s responsibilities can range depending on the type of property. For example, in a smaller property a gardener may be employed to work on their own and would be responsible for maintaining the lawn, shrubbery, and any plants. Whereas on a larger property or estate, you may find a team of gardeners, who are individually responsible for specific areas of the garden.
Our latest data shows that average salary for a gardener was £8.75 gross per hour.
Personal Assistant – £12.48 gross per hour / £32,450 gross per annum
A personal assistant will often be responsible for managing diaries, organising paperwork, scheduling meetings or appointments as well as dealing with correspondence and phone calls.
According to our data, the average hourly salary for a personal assistant is £9.93 gross per hour. This was an approximate increase of 3% on the average hourly salary reported for the previous year.
House Manager – £13.52 gross per hour / £35,170 gross per annum
Often a house manager will be responsible for supporting and managing any other staff members within the household and ensure all aspects of the household are running smoothly.
Our latest data shows that average salary for a house manager was £13.52 gross per hour.
Chef / Cook – £20.20 gross per hour / £52,539 gross per annum
The duties of a chef / cook may include preparing food based on the household’s unique requirements, catering for dinner parties, purchasing food for the household
According to our data, the average hourly salary for a chef / cook is £20.20 gross per hour. This was an approximate increase of 5% on the average hourly salary reported for the previous year.
Chauffeur – £14.81 gross per hour / £38,525 gross per annum
The duties of a Chauffeur may include driving members of the household to and from personal or business appointments, dealing with the school drop off and pick up.
Our latest data shows that average salary for a Chauffeur was £14.81 gross per hour.
Nannies
If you are looking to find out the average salary for a nanny in your area, we recommend using the 2019/20 Nanny Salary Index from our sister company, Nannytax, which you can view here.
What can affect the salary
When agreeing a salary with a candidate there are several things that you may wish to take into consideration, such as:
• Hours worked per week – i.e. is the role full time, part time
• Whether the role is Live in or Live out
• The experience and qualifications of the candidate
• The duties and responsibilities included in the role
If you are thinking about hiring for one of the roles above, we recommend speaking to a local domestic staff agency, who will help you to find the perfect candidate for your role. For agencies in your area, simply view our directory here.
