Filipino Household Worker's Job Descriptions, Duties, Titles and Salaries

Please keep in mind: All private home salaries are based on previous experience, a stable work history, versatility of skills, and flexibility in work schedule.

Nanny - A highly-experienced person whose primary responsibility is child care. Includes meal and snack preparation, children’s bedroom and clothing maintenance, carpooling, driving children to after-school activities, assisting with homework, and ensuring children's overall safety. Maintaining children’s calendar and play dates. In some positions, the family may require overnight stays and travel.

Nanny w/ light housekeeping starting pay grade in NY based on 1 child, 5-day / 50-hour work week:

   Level I - $$20/hr Beginner's rate. Has taken childcare training (min $1000--1100/week)

   Level II - $21-$24/hr 6 months - 1 year of experience (min $1200-1400/week)

   Level III - $25-$34/hr 2-5 years experience ($1500-1700/week)

   Level IV - $35 and up - Over 5 yrs experience or $1800-2000/week.

   Supernanny at least $60-75/hr or $3000-3500/week.

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All-around Nanny (Childcare & full-housekeeping): Minimum $30-35/hr, or $1800-2000/week (kids must be of school-age)

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Nanny with driving: Minimum $30-35/hour or $1800-$2000/week; full-time 8 hours or more per day; and we have at least 1 week's waitlist.

Mother’s Helper - Experienced person splitting their time between child care and light housework. These positions are generally required by families with older children who are in school all day, and child care is needed primarily in the afternoons for carpooling and transporting children to activities. Duties include cleaning and organizing high-traffic areas in the home, maintaining the family’s laundry, and handling household errands.

Salaries for Mother's Helper: $20-$35/hour or live-in $200-350/day DOE ($1000-$2500/week)

Baby sitter - An as-needed person who cares for and supervises children of all ages for short periods of time while parents are away. Baby sitters are typically high school and college students and are not career child care providers, and can only work evenings and weekends.

Salaries for Baby Sitter: $20.00 to $35.00 per hour

Baby Nurse - A highly specialized, trained, and experienced person with newborns and infants. Baby nurse positions are typically short-term, ranging from 2 weeks to 6 months, to assist mothers with their newborns. Duties include initializing the sleep, meal, and play schedules, cleaning and sterilizing bottles, preparing bottles and feedings, keeping the nursery tidy, bathing, and keeping a daily journal of the baby’s schedule. If requested, they will accompany the mother to pediatrician appointments.

Salaries: $25 to $65/hour DOE and skills

Caregiver/Companion Elder Care
Assist the elderly, companionship, or persons with disabilities with daily living activities at the person's home or in a care facility. Caregivers help their clients with daily activities, such as bathing and bathroom functions, meal preparation, feeding, grooming, personal care, taking medication, pet care, mobility, vital signs monitoring, shopping, and some housework. Caregivers help clients make and keep doctor appointments, provide or arrange transportation, and serve as a companion.

Salaries: $20 to $45/hour or $200 to $750 per day (higher rate for special care like ALS, Alzheimer's, Dementia, dialysis, respiratory difficulties, diabetic, wheelchair bound, bed-bound).

Housekeeper
Traditional duties: General cleaning, including dusting, making beds, laundry, and ironing. In a more formal home, the care of valuables such as silver, crystal, china, etc., as well as greeting guests and preparing for dinner, is required. A housekeeper may shop for groceries, run errands, or have light childcare responsibilities. 

• Light Housekeeping – Tasks that are done daily to keep up with high-traffic areas. Usually done in conjunction with child care.

• Moderate Housekeeping – Overall responsibility for the general cleaning of the home. Washing dishes, laundry, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, polishing furniture, changing linens, making beds, cleaning bathrooms, ironing, and keeping track of cleaning supplies.

• Heavy Housekeeping – In addition to the moderate housekeeping, responsible for cleaning baseboards, windows, blinds, light fixtures, buffing floors, etc.

Salaries: (as of January 2025 to present)

Housekeeper pay grade in NY based on 50-hour work week:

• Level I - $20/hr Beginner (min $1000-$1100/week)
• Level II - $21-$24/hr 6 months to 1 year experience (min $1200-$1400/week)
• Level III - $25-29/hr 2-5 years experience (min $1500-1700/week)
• Level IV - Over 5 yrs experience, at least $30/hr or $1800-2000/week.
• Executive housekeeper at least $40-50/hr or $2500-3000/week.

Household Manager / Estate Manager
Also known as a butler, property manager, family manager, or major-domo. The term "Household Manager / Estate Manager" was established in the mid-80s. House manager has now become the preferred title for any head of household administrator. However, the other name titles are still in use.

The traditional duties included ensuring the family's comfort and managing the other staff members, along with the day-to-day operation of the residence.

Today’s duties: Candidates for these positions are highly experienced or formally trained. They supervise and coordinate the household's activities and all household employees, and in the U.S., with much less formality. They are computer-literate, responsible for household security, maintaining household supply inventory, and running all family errands. Depending on the size of the staff or home, he or she may be responsible for cooking and cleaning and be the only staff member.

If the employer has more than one residence, the house manager may work at the different properties as necessary. Duties might also include managing financial accounts, seasonal opening and closing of all residences, and acting as a personal assistant.

Salaries: $100,000–$200,000/year, depending on experience, number of properties and staff, and location.

Private Chef

Also called a cook, recipe cook, and personal chef. The personal chef is always professionally trained and experienced in preparing a wide range of cuisines. Trained chefs are responsible for all nutrition, menu planning, and the preparation of household meals for the family and guests, as well as for any dinner parties or events. Duties include all food purchases, maintaining kitchen supplies, and daily organization and cleanliness of the kitchen. Also serving and cleaning up, depending on the household’s staff situation.

A recipe cook or cook is familiar and comfortable in the kitchen with basic cooking techniques. Cooking is not the main focus of their position in the home. They usually have other primary duties in the home, such as housekeeping, laundry, and ironing.

Salaries: $80,000–$120,000 for an established chef; $ 65,000-$80,000 for a private chef with limited experience.

Couples Caretaker

Over the years, the traditional roles of these positions have stayed constant. Experienced, usually married, they work as a team. Traditionally, they are live-in, and the responsibilities are delineated by male and female roles. The female duties include maintaining the interior of the residence, including housekeeping, laundry, ironing, household errands, and cooking. The male duties include all exterior property maintenance, the heavier housekeeping duties inside the residence, and some gardening and handyman work.

Salaries: $120,000 – $200,000.00 for an established couple who work on large estates

Driver / Handyman / Gardener

The job role has changed very little over the years. Traditional duties: Always a male and in full charge of maintaining the gentleman of the residence. Duties included maintaining and keeping the appearance of all automobiles, valet duties for the gentleman, and daily driving to all appointments and events.
Today’s duties: In some of the larger US cities, many families have a full-time chauffeur/driver. But for the majority of driving positions, driving is a very small part of the duties. Depending on the family’s lifestyle, the responsibilities could range from maintaining the employer’s automobiles to handyman duties, gardening, heavy housekeeping, errands, and occasionally valet duties.

Salaries: $25-$45/hour DOE

Laundress
A broad knowledge of caring for fine fabrics, linens, and clothing. The role of a laundress has changed with the introduction of newer fabric products and the technology of washers, dryers, pressing, steaming, and rotary irons.

Traditional duties: Full charge of all household laundry and ironing. Preparing clothing for washing, stain removal, checking for minor repairs (tears, rips, buttons, hems, etc.), handwashing, pressing, ironing or steaming, folding, putting away all laundry, picking up dry cleaning, and closet and wardrobe organization.


Salaries: $30-$45 per hour