How Much Does an Estate Manager Make?

Executive-level pay for an executive-level role, and what separates a manager's compensation from the rest of a household.

An estate manager runs the operation of a private home or homes, and the compensation reflects that it is genuinely a management position. Executive-level household professionals, estate managers, house managers, executive housekeepers, property managers, and the like, typically earn approximately $40 to $60 or more an hour, and the most senior roles move well into six figures a year.

The range is wide because the scope of these roles varies enormously. Managing a single residence is different from overseeing several; directing a small team is different from running a large staff across multiple properties; and the responsibilities can extend from budgets, vendors, and maintenance to security, project oversight, and the smooth functioning of a complex household. The more a role demands in scale, staff, properties, and judgment, the higher the compensation climbs, and at the top end an estate manager for a substantial household is a seasoned executive paid accordingly.

Senior household managers also tend to receive more than wages. Executive-level professionals commonly negotiate benefits beyond the standard, which can include housing, a contribution to a retirement plan, bonuses, and continuing education, in addition to the usual vacation, insurance, and paid time off. These are professionals running significant operations, and their packages look more like those of a corporate executive than of an hourly employee.

As with every placement, we do not set the salary; it is driven by the professional's experience and the requirements of the role, and paid directly by the family. Our part is to find the rare individual who can actually run a household at the level a family needs, and to structure a match that holds for years. It is what families come to Nannies + more…® for.