Butler Salary
The butler, the iconic servant of the upper class, can be an interesting and rewarding career path for those interested in serving others. The term butler is actually a specific term for the male head of the service staff in a large household, of which they are normally the senior member. While many of us have the general idea of the elderly gentleman who answers the doors and serves dinner, there are a great many more responsibilities of the butler. They are responsible for entertaining at parties, helping to select the wine for small functions, helping to serve the family in any capacity that they can. This can range from picking up dry-cleaning to creating the entire menu for a dinner party. Essentially whatever the family needs done, the butler can be trusted to do it.
Generally, there are two types of butlers, those who live in-house with the family and those who don't. In-house butlers usually make more since their cost of living is generally covered by the family.
In order to be a butler, you must have a fine understanding of general etiquette, proper manners, and how to conduct the business of a household. The butler is essentially the representation of the family, and normally is the first and last person that visitors and guests see.
There are butler school available where students learn all of the common rules of etiquette, how to perform many of the basic and advanced tasks of the household, and even how to help care for family and retaining a certain composure. While a butler school is not necessary, it is recommended for those without a strong grasp of the finer points of etiquette.
The average butler salary depends primarily on two things, where you are living and who you are working for. The average salary of an American butler can range from $36,000 to well over $80,000. If you are living with the family, then your general living expenses (rent, utilities, possibly food) are normally covered. This can lead to a lower salary with a much cheaper overhead.
There are butler services that function around the world. If you should become employed with one of them, you can expect a decent salary and a steady stream of work.
While you may never end up like Alfred from the Batman comics, being a butler can be a very rewarding career. The personal interaction you will have and the bonds you create with your employers are much stronger than those of a more traditional job.
