Housewives are in high demand in Florida – and earn high wages.
A new CNBC report found that housewives in South Florida — one of the wealthiest areas in the United States — routinely earn more than $100,000 a year. The trend is driven in large part by “mass wealth migration” to Florida from other high-tax states like New York, according to the media release.
In its report, published May 23, CNBC spoke with numerous staff and owners of domestic help agencies, as well as employees in similar fields — such as nannies, private security guards, private chefs, chauffeurs and others — who said that it is common for mansion owners to pay their household employees as much as $150,000 a year. Bidding wars have even broken out between homeowners to secure the best possible employees, the paper noted.
“I’ve been staffing for 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said April Berube, founder of The Wellington Agency, which operates in Palm Beach, Miami, New York and other affluent zip codes. “We’ve seen such a boom from people moving, especially in Palm Beach and Miami.”
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Zillow reports that in 2024, the average price of a home in Palm Beach is $2.1 million, and prices have only increased over the past few years.
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According to a report by CNBC, the number of wealthy homeowners moving from states like New York – where taxes are high for the rich – to Florida is increasing year by year. Also, a severe labor shortage, as hotels and other businesses compete with homeowners for employees, is also causing wages for housekeepers, or “hospitality managers,” as they are now often called, to skyrocket.
“For housekeepers, it’s wonderful,” Berube told the outlet. “It’s extremely difficult for us. It’s a big shortage.”
Picture of a person cleaning.
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Berube added that becoming a homemaker for the ultra-rich requires a specific set of skills that can take time to learn, making the demand for experienced workers even greater.
“There are specific tools and skills you need to work in fine homes,” she said.
CNBC reported that agencies said pay for their maids jumped from around $25 an hour in 2020 to anywhere from $45 to $50 an hour in 2024.
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Melissa Psitos, founder of another agency called Lily Pond Services, told the outlet that she knows of one housewife who makes $250,000 a year. She also said that one of her clients contacted the agency looking for a housekeeper and offered $75,000 a year, but ended up offering $110,000 to match the market.
“There just aren’t enough supplies,” Psitos explained.
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Berube pointed out that some of her clients were “shocked” when they found out what the average salary of a housekeeper was.
“‘There’s no way I’m paying for that,'” she recalled hearing often from clients. “I’m even embarrassed to give them the numbers. But when they try to hire someone for less, with less experience, they almost always come back to us and say, ‘I’ve learned my lesson. We’re willing to pay for experience.’ ”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education