Butler
Butlers carry out personal and household tasks for their employers.
Average annual salary (starting - experienced): £15,000 - £50,000
Typical hours (a week): 41 - 43
How to become a butler
You could get into this job through:
- applying directly
- specialist courses run by private training organisations
Direct application
You can apply for work directly or through a housekeeping agency if you have:
- experience of the hospitality or personal services industries
- the ability to speak a second language, if you're looking to work with clients whose first language is not English
Other routes
You can get a qualification in butler skills which may improve your employment chances. There are private courses that teach traditional and modern professional butler skills, like:
- valeting, including clothing and shoe care
- setting a formal dining table and providing a waiting service
- social etiquette, dining etiquette and international etiquette and protocols
- confidence and deportment
What it takes
Skills & Knowledge
You'll need:
- excellent verbal communication skills
- active listening skills
- customer service skills
- sensitivity and understanding
- leadership skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work well with others
- concentration skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
What you'll do
Day to day
Your day-to-day duties may include:
- personal assistant duties such as diary management and booking restaurants and travel
- representing your client at meetings
- managing the household and staff
- table setting and serving food and drinks
- chauffeur duties
- looking after guests
- wine cellar management
- cooking and meal preparation
- flower presentation and design
- valeting such as clothing and shoe care
- taking care of pets
- organising shoots on country estates
Working environment
You could work at a client's home, in a hotel or on a cruise ship. You may need to wear a uniform.
Career path and progression
Career path & progression
Once you have a wide range of experience and contacts in the industry, you could look at setting up your own business, like a butler training school or a butler recruitment agency.
