Hiring Household Staff in New York

The deepest and most competitive market in the country, with its own rules.

New York is the deepest market for private household staff in the United States, and also the most competitive, which shapes hiring here in ways that surprise families arriving from elsewhere. Three things matter most.

First, compensation sits at the top of the scale, because the cost of living does. Mercer's cost-of-living rankings place New York as the most expensive city in North America, and a professional has to be able to live and commute in the city to take a position in it, so the going rate for an experienced nanny or household manager runs higher here than almost anywhere. Trying to pay a suburban rate for a Manhattan role is the most common way a search stalls.

Second, the homes are different. Most are apartments rather than estates, which changes the work: tighter quarters, building and doorman logistics, a premium on someone discreet and unobtrusive in close proximity to the family, and roles that are more often live-out than live-in simply for reasons of space.

Third, New York rarely stays in New York. Many families keep a weekend or summer home in the Hamptons, the Hudson Valley, or Connecticut, so a city placement frequently comes with travel and a second household, and the strongest candidates are comfortable moving with the family across the year.

Demand spans the full range: career and international nannies, governesses, household and estate managers, and formal service, with multilingual ability often requested. Discretion is paramount, as it is anywhere the households are this prominent.

We maintain a presence serving New York, and because we recruit to a specific brief and place professionals anywhere, we can find the person who fits both the city and the home beyond it. This is the care Nannies + more…® is built to provide.

Source: Mercer, Cost of Living City Ranking.