Hiring Household Staff in Palm Beach: The Season Rules Everything

Palm Beach operates on a double rhythm: a quiet year-round community and a glittering season from November to April. Staffing here means deciding which rhythm your household follows — and hiring accordingly.

Seasonal or year-round?

Seasonal households need teams who arrive in October and make the residence bloom by the first party. Year-round households need staff who stay excellent through the quiet summer, when half the town is gone. The profiles differ — and confusing them is the classic Palm Beach hiring error.

What the market looks like

• Housekeepers and house managers: $60,000–$110,000 year-round
• Private chefs: $100,000–$160,000, higher for season-plus-travel profiles
• Estate managers for larger compounds: $140,000–$220,000
• Seasonal premiums of 15–25 % apply for November–April-only roles

The snowbird split

Many Palm Beach families summer in the Hamptons or Europe. The strongest arrangements pair Florida staff with northern coverage — sometimes the same trusted team travels, sometimes two teams hand over. Both models work; improvisation does not.

Elite Swiss serves Palm Beach, Manalapan and Jupiter Island — season and year-round. Tell us your calendar, and we build the staffing that matches it.