Hire household staff directly in Seattle, Bellevue and the Eastside

Hire household staff directly in Seattle, Bellevue and the Eastside, with no agency fees. HomeHire is an alternative to a household staffing agency: describe the role in a confidential brief, from house manager or estate manager to nanny, private chef or household PA, and talk to candidates yourself. Free for families until January 2027, and candidates never pay.

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 Seattle through confidential family briefs and direct introductions. Public listings require family consent. Consider Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Redmond, Bainbridge Island, and Puget Sound when describing the work area. HomeHire's free period is nationwide; this guide is a local starting point, not a service boundary.

Why Seattle households use a discreet model

Local starting points include Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Redmond, Bainbridge Island, and Puget Sound. A city or Eastside work base, tech calendars, rain-season routines, dense neighborhoods, and ferry or bridge commutes can affect a specific household's schedule. State which apply rather than assuming a cross-Sound commute. A private brief helps you explain practical requirements without publishing household identifiers. Local guide: Mercer Island.

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 Seattle

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 Seattle
Role	Local briefing considerations	National guide
Nanny	Clarify care and school-run hours in Seattle or Bellevue, including any rain or school-closure plan.	Nanny guide
Housekeeper	Describe cleaning and laundry duties and any high-rise access considerations in Seattle or Bellevue.	Housekeeper guide
House manager	Explain vendor coordination if a household splits time between Seattle, Mercer Island, and the Eastside. See also our guide to hiring a household manager in New York.	House manager guide
Private chef	Distinguish everyday meals from holiday entertaining or conference-week cooking.	Private chef guide
Private PA	State whether tech-calendar appointments involve Seattle, Kirkland, or Redmond and which days are on site.	Private PA guide
Chauffeur/driver	Specify car, transit, bridge, or Bainbridge Island ferry routes, working hours, and vehicle expectations.	Chauffeur/driver guide
Estate manager	Identify Puget Sound properties, vendor schedules, and handovers without sharing gated-entry details.	Estate manager guide

Household staffing in Seattle without an agency

Families in Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island and Kirkland often compare a household staffing agency with hiring directly. An agency shortlists candidates and may add its own screening and a replacement period. Fees vary, so ask each agency how it charges. Families hire directly and do their own checks, including references, identity, right to work and relevant qualifications. Then you message the people you want to meet. The family is the employer. Free for families until January 2027, and candidates never pay. Worker pay and employer costs remain separate. This works best for families who are happy to run their own interviews and reference checks. See how self-serve hiring compares with a household staffing agency.

Hiring a house manager or household PA on the Eastside

A Seattle-area house manager may cover a Lake Washington home, a Bainbridge or San Juan Islands property and a ski-season cabin. An estate manager usually covers several properties, a larger staff team or capital projects. A household PA may handle a calendar built around demanding work schedules, school logistics and frequent travel. Help candidates judge the commute and the scope:

Name the work base (Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Mercer Island, Bainbridge) and whether SR-520 or I-90 bridge crossings or Washington State Ferries are routine.
For house managers, list the vendors and systems involved: gardening, gutters and roof moss in the wet season, smart-home and security, and seasonal property opening and closing. Say whether they supervise other staff.
For PAs, say what is on-site versus remote, and whether the job involves driving family members or travel bookings.

For pay, use the US household salary guide as a starting point. Pay is agreed directly between the family and the worker.

Seattle's Domestic Workers Ordinance: what household employers should know

Seattle has its own Domestic Workers Ordinance, in effect since July 1, 2019. The city describes it as the first municipal Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in the US. It covers many nannies, house cleaners, caregivers, cooks, gardeners and household managers who are paid to work in or around private homes in the city. Among other things, it applies Seattle's minimum wage to domestic workers and sets rules on rest and meal breaks. The Seattle Office of Labor Standards publishes the current requirements and the city minimum wage, which is updated each January 1. Federal household-employer rules also apply. See the IRS Household Employer's Tax Guide (Publication 926). HomeHire does not give legal or tax advice. Check the official sources or a household payroll provider before you make an offer.

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 Seattle, 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. Say whether work is in Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, or another Puget Sound location and whether bridge or ferry travel and conference dates are part of the role.
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

Holidays, summer travel, rain-season cover, or conferences may call for different hours; set out the dates rather than assuming ongoing availability. 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 Seattle

Household professionals in Seattle 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 Seattle briefing tips

Specify whether car, transit, or ferry travel is expected and describe any high-rise or gated-entry procedures generally. Note rain or school-closure cover if needed. 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.

Related guides

Typical hourly pay in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 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 Seattle?

No; the hiring family is the employer; the family agrees duties and pay with the worker directly and handles wages and any employment, tax, insurance and screening obligations; HomeHire makes introductions; it does not employ workers or run payroll.

Is HomeHire a household staffing agency in Seattle?

No; HomeHire is a self-serve hiring marketplace; Families hire directly and do their own checks, including references, identity, right to work and relevant qualifications. HomeHire does not place staff or act as the employer.

Does Seattle's Domestic Workers Ordinance apply to nannies and house managers?

It covers many domestic workers in private homes within Seattle, including nannies, house cleaners and household managers; the Seattle Office of Labor Standards publishes the current rules; check them before you agree pay and hours.

Can I hire a house manager or household PA in Bellevue or on the Eastside?

Yes; in a confidential brief, state the work base, any bridge or ferry travel, the properties and vendors involved and the schedule, then request direct introductions.

Can I hire an estate manager for a Lake Washington or island property?

Yes; describe each property, the seasonal vendors, the staff they supervise and any ferry or bridge travel in a confidential brief, then request direct introductions.

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

Yes; long-term, part-time, temporary, seasonal and one-off direct engagements are in scope; describe the dates and duties in your brief; HomeHire does not guarantee availability.

What does HomeHire cost Seattle families?

Free for families until January 2027, and candidates never pay.

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