Household Managers have taken their place in American mansions and estates caring for the rich and famous. They are modeled after the “butlers” found in Europe. They ensure that the home runs smoothly. They may be the only staff in the house, which means they may clean, provide wardrobe and linen care, run errands, cook; they may also schedule contractors, organize dinners and parties, oversee finances. Also, they may supervise other household staff. A Household Manager commands a salary between $40,000 and $80,000, which may include living accommodations.

If the Household Manager works in a home where there are only one or two other staff members, they usually assist with some “hands-on” services (cooking, cleaning, etc.) while providing supervisory and limited administrative responsibilities for the home and family. Their duties will be more varied and extensive.

In a home with a larger staff, the HM will usually work in a more administrative position, but should always be ready to help out in case of staff illness, vacation, or vacancy. See the description for Administrative Household Manager for a sample list of responsibilities.

Without the HM, chaos could reign. The Household Manager needs a pleasant demeanor, strong work ethic, excellent organizational skills, and a confident attitude to succeed. They must be able to be completely flexible in meeting any and all needs of the family. If their duties or responsibilities so require, they may need to have a knowledge of different styles of formal entertaining, protocol, purchasing high-quality items for the family’s use, vast resources to fit any occasion, etc. This person may be responsible for more than one home and provide continuity between homes or properties.

Professional Domestic Services & Institute was the first to define the Administrative Household Manager position. These individuals are responsible for providing the ultimate in management and administration of the upscale homes of the wealthy and powerful. They will often have a college degree, understand the need for professional training, and will usually have previous household experience.

They are capable of providing continuity between multiple properties, have an excellent understanding of security measures for the home and family, are able to anticipate most needs of the family, have impeccable manners and understanding of protocol, and possess excellent administrative, computer, and management skills.

They will work closely with the employer as their “right-hand person,” handling any request or need with the utmost in professionalism. They may be provided living accommodations, earn approximately $70,000 to $135,000 a year, and are often provided with other “corporate” benefits.

Administrative HMs may be in charge of directing correspondence to and from the employer; scheduling appointments with the employer, and any maintenance work to be done on the home; tracking the family and household finances; making travel arrangements and developing itineraries; and any other personal request the employer may make of them.

The Administrative HM will recruit new staff, interview applicants, and present their impressions to the employer. They would then be required to train the new staff—in procedures, schedules, rules, etc. Finally, they would oversee the work of the staff, checking to make sure they are doing their work to the best of their abilities or deciding if the staff require further education. In order to supervise properly, they should have a good understanding of all the duties and responsibilities of any staff member.

If there is no Personal Assistant on staff, an Administrative HM might also perform only secretarial responsibilities, i.e., typing letters and memos, answering the phone and taking messages, opening, sorting and/or answering mail, setting up and managing files for letters and other important documents, scheduling appointments, or any other kind of clerical work. They may also act as bookkeeper and manage the family budget, track expenses, manage records for tax purposes, research and keep track of investments, or obtain quotes on major renovations of the home. They will have excellent computer capabilities and will maintain extensive warranty and inventory files, keep track of repairs, maintain a Household Management Reference Book, and create and Employee Manual for the home or estate.

A common task of an Administrative Household Manager is personal shopping for the lady or gentleman of the house. They should be well aware that the shopping habits of the wealthy and powerful are far different from the average person’s shopping habits. A wealthy family has no problem setting aside a half-million dollars, or more, in the budget for their personal needs. They may think nothing of seeking out an antique chest of drawers and paying $80,000.00+ for it, purchasing multiple sets of fine china or an extensive silver collection, spending $5000.00 on a single set of bed linens, remodeling any part of the home at a moment’s notice, or spending $100,000.00 on a Halloween party or $1,500.00+ for fresh flowers for the week.

The Administrative HM will handle special projects for their employer. They may help to design an in-home beauty salon, or research and implement new security needs for the home. They may not only plan the family vacation to Italy, but also go along. They may simply listen attentively and sympathetically—with open ears and a closed mouth—as their celebrity employer bemoans their difficulties of a particular day. They may have their days filled with “life’s little details”: arranging dinner reservations, having medication delivered, calling the insurance agent, or bailing out the wayward nephew.

The Administrative Household Manager will be involved in a very close, tight-knit relationship with their employer. They must respect the sanctity of this relationship and keep all conversations and experiences confidential—essential when working with the rich and famous. They should do nothing to compromise it; above all, the AHM must be trustworthy—as should all staff, of course.

Many times the Administrative HM and Personal Assistant duties overlap because of the relationship developed with the employer and the responsibilities of the position. They are very trusted members of the household staff team, handling all of the confidential responsibilities for their wealthy and powerful employers. They may also be in charge of hiring, training and supervising staff; directing correspondence to and from the employer; scheduling appointments with the employer and any maintenance work to be done on the home; making travel arrangements and developing itineraries; and any other personal request the employer may make of them.

Personal Assistants may also perform only secretarial responsibilities, i.e., typing letters and memos, answering the phone and taking messages, opening, sorting and/or answering mail, setting up and managing files for letters and other important documents, scheduling appointments, or any other kind of clerical work. They may also act as bookkeeper and manage the family finances, track expenses, manage records for tax purposes, research and keep track of investments, or obtain quotes on major renovations of the home. They will have excellent computer capabilities and will usually maintain extensive warranty and inventory files and/or a Household Management Reference Book.

A common task of a Personal Assistant is personal shopping for the lady or gentleman of the house. They should be well aware that the shopping habits of the wealthy are far different from the average person’s shopping habits. A wealthy person has no problem setting aside a half-million dollars in the budget for their personal needs. They may think nothing of redecorating any room of their home and spending a quarter of a million dollars to do it, purchasing multiple sets of fine china or an extensive silver collection, spending $5000 on a single set of sheets, or spending $250,000 on a Halloween party.

The Personal Assistant will handle special projects for their employer. They may help to design an in-home beauty salon or research any item that the family is considering purchasing. They may not only plan the family vacation to Italy, but also go along. They may simply listen attentively and sympathetically—with open ears and a closed mouth—as their celebrity employer bemoans their difficulties of a particular day. They may have their days filled with “life’s little details”: arranging dinner reservations, calling the insurance agent, having a piece of art work shipped to a conservator for repair, or bailing out the wayward nephew.

Salaries range from $40,000 to $90,000 a year. In order to best serve their employers, they should have experience equal to the subject matter offered in our training program.