Hire household staff directly in Boston

Short answer: Nanny: Typical: $21–$28/hr (about $44,000–$58,000 a year full-time); Housekeeper: Typical: $17–$28/hr (about $35,000–$58,000 a year full-time); Private chef: Typical: $40–$60/hr (about $83,000–$125,000 a year full-time); House manager: Typical: $35–$55/hr (about $73,000–$114,000 a year full-time) (salary guide). Free for families until January 2027, and candidates never pay. Agencies charge fees that vary by agency and role; HomeHire is a direct-hiring marketplace with no agency fees.

Find nannies, housekeepers, house managers, private chefs, private PAs, chauffeurs/drivers, and estate managers around Boston through confidential family briefs and direct introductions. Public listings require family consent. Consider Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, Concord, and Greater Boston when describing the work area. HomeHire's free period is nationwide; this guide is a local starting point, not a service boundary.

Why Boston households use a discreet model

Local starting points include Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, Concord, and Greater Boston. Back Bay and suburban living can call for different commutes and building rules. Explain how academic calendars, winter weather, dense neighborhoods, and professional calendars affect this particular role, if they do. A private brief helps you explain practical requirements without publishing household identifiers.

Share a confidential household brief rather than a public household job ad.
Review structured candidate profiles; candidates control their discoverability.
Families hire directly and do their own checks, including references, identity, right to work and relevant qualifications.
Use messaging and direct introductions to decide whom to interview; the family and worker agree the engagement directly.
Describe permanent, part-time, temporary, or one-off work in the confidential brief; the same direct model applies.

Household roles in Boston

Use the national role guides for more specific briefing advice. Chauffeur/driver and estate manager responsibilities can also be described in a confidential brief.

Household roles in Boston
Role	Local briefing considerations	National guide
Nanny	Describe school and care hours across Boston and Cambridge, including any academic-break or winter-closure coverage.	Nanny guide
Housekeeper	Specify cleaning and laundry duties and whether a Back Bay brownstone or high-rise has building rules to plan around.	Housekeeper guide
House manager	Clarify vendor visits and staff calendars if oversight spans Boston and a home in Newton or Wellesley.	House manager guide
Private chef	Separate regular meals from holiday entertaining or summer-travel cooking in Greater Boston.	Private chef guide
Private PA	State whether appointment planning follows a professional or academic calendar and requires travel to Cambridge.	Private PA guide
Chauffeur/driver	Define Boston-versus-suburb routes, working hours, vehicle needs, and any winter-weather expectations.	Chauffeur/driver guide
Estate manager	Identify properties, vendors, and handovers between Boston and Concord without publishing entry details.	Estate manager guide

How to hire locally

Give candidates enough information to judge a fit while keeping private household information out of public-facing text.

Start with a city, neighborhood, or ZIP code around Boston, not just “Global”; do not publish the exact address.
Specify the role, start date, hours, and whether the work is ongoing, part-time, temporary, seasonal, or one-off.
Describe actual duties, experience, pay expectations, and logistics. Specify whether the work is based in Boston or a suburb such as Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, or Concord, and whether academic breaks or professional calendars change the hours.
Families hire directly and do their own checks, including references, identity, right to work and relevant qualifications.
Use messaging to request a direct introduction, interview the person, check references, and make your own hiring decision.
Protect children's identities, home addresses, access instructions, and other sensitive details until appropriate after mutual interest.

Temporary and seasonal cover

Holiday entertaining, summer travel, winter-weather cover, or academic breaks may change the work pattern; distinguish any short-term dates from the usual schedule. Explain the dates, hours, duties, location, and handover in your brief. Long-term, part-time, temporary, seasonal, and one-off direct engagements are in scope, but HomeHire does not promise an agency roster or available cover.

The family and worker agree work and pay directly; HomeHire is not the employer or payroll provider.

For candidates in Boston

Household professionals in Boston can create a structured profile, set their preferred location and availability, and control discoverability. Candidates never pay HomeHire to find work. Explore other metro guides or learn how nationwide introductions and pricing work.

Practical Boston briefing tips

Clarify city-versus-suburb commutes and any brownstone, high-rise, or doorman requirements in general terms. Explain how winter weather or school closures affect the requested hours, if relevant. Distinguish baseline duties from event-day or extra-property responsibilities and state the commute expectations. Share building entry arrangements only after mutual interest; never publish addresses, gate codes, keys, or children's identifying details.

Interview and check references yourself. Families hire directly and do their own checks, including references, identity, right to work and relevant qualifications. it cannot establish suitability or safety.

Typical hourly pay in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area

Full-time annual equivalents use hourly pay × 2,080, rounded to the nearest $1,000; gross pay before tax. Private chef estimates cover full-time work for one family. Local salary guide.

US typical range; local pay varies with local wages and minimum-wage rules.

Based on Care.com and US Bureau of Labor Statistics pay data and published household-staff salary surveys, Oct 2026. Actual pay depends on duties, hours and experience.

Typical hourly pay in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area
Role	Typical pay
Nanny	Typical: $21–$28/hr (about $44,000–$58,000 a year full-time)
Housekeeper	Typical: $17–$28/hr (about $35,000–$58,000 a year full-time)
Private chef	Typical: $40–$60/hr (about $83,000–$125,000 a year full-time); Estate or high-net-worth roles: $130,000–$250,000 a year
House manager	Typical: $35–$55/hr (about $73,000–$114,000 a year full-time); Estate or high-net-worth roles: $110,000–$180,000 a year

Next steps for families

HomeHire is a self-service marketplace, not an agency: families review profiles, contact candidates and hire directly, and the family is the employer. Free for families until January 2027, and candidates never pay.

Explore more hiring guides

Explore the US Salary Guide for national, state, and metro pay context.

Frequently asked questions

Does HomeHire employ household staff or manage payroll in Boston?

No; the hiring family is the employer, agrees duties and pay with the worker directly, and handles wages and applicable employment, tax, insurance, and screening obligations; HomeHire facilitates introductions, not employment or payroll.

Is HomeHire limited to Boston?

No; boston is a local briefing guide; HomeHire's free period and direct introductions are nationwide, not limited to any listed neighborhood or metro.

Can I seek temporary or one-off household help in Boston?

Yes; long-term, part-time, temporary, seasonal, and one-off direct engagements are in scope; describe the dates and duties in a confidential brief; HomeHire does not guarantee that a worker will be available.

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