Household & Estate · Mid · 6 to 8 years typical
Laundress / Wardrobe Manager Salary
Annual base compensation, national and by market, from 258 named sources. Every figure below says where it came from.
| Market | Multiplier | P25 | P50 | P75 | P90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | 1.40× | $80,000 | $115,000 | $160,000 | $200,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | 1.30× | $75,000 | $105,000 | $150,000 | $185,000 |
| Boston, MA | 1.25× | $70,000 | $105,000 | $145,000 | $180,000 |
| Palm Beach, FL | 1.25× | $70,000 | $105,000 | $145,000 | $180,000 |
| Miami, FL | 1.23× | $70,000 | $100,000 | $140,000 | $175,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1.20× | $70,000 | $100,000 | $140,000 | $175,000 |
| Washington, DC | 1.20× | $70,000 | $100,000 | $140,000 | $175,000 |
| Seattle, WA | 1.15× | $65,000 | $95,000 | $130,000 | $165,000 |
| Chicago, IL | 1.05× | $60,000 | $85,000 | $120,000 | $150,000 |
| Dallas, TX | 1.00× | $60,000 | $85,000 | $115,000 | $145,000 |
Time to fill 15 weeks for comparable searches, estimated from rouka's benchmark set.
Growing emphasis on archival-quality care for wardrobes
What does a Laundress / Wardrobe Manager do?
The Laundress / Wardrobe Manager operates within private households, estates, and family residences, reporting to principals or family office leadership. Professionals in this role typically bring 6 to 8 years of relevant experience. Classified at the Mid level, this position draws from a competitive candidate pool, though specialized qualifications and sector-specific experience remain key differentiators in hiring.
What drives Laundress / Wardrobe Manager compensation?
The median (P50) compensation for a Laundress / Wardrobe Manager is $85,000, with the 25th to 75th percentile range spanning $60,000 to $115,000. The 70% spread between P25 and P75 reflects significant pay variation driven by the size and complexity of the estate, number of residences managed, household budget, geographic cost of living, and whether the principal maintains multiple domestic and international properties. Demand for this role is trending upward with 13% year-over-year growth, which is putting upward pressure on compensation at all levels.
Laundress / Wardrobe Manager career path
Professionals who move into Laundress / Wardrobe Manager roles most commonly come from luxury hospitality, five-star hotel management, property management, or formal service training programs. From this position, the typical trajectory leads toward chief of staff positions, multi-estate oversight, or private family office operations leadership. The average tenure in this role is approximately 5.9 years, with an annual turnover rate of 9%.
Hiring a Laundress / Wardrobe Manager?
A search playbook for this seat: compensation positioning against the band above, the sourcing map, and the interview framework.