The Job That Sees It

Wealth described from the service side, by the people who work inside it.

14 installments so far. New ones are added as they publish.

1. Part 1The Estate ManagerThe estate manager runs a private household as a business — payroll, vendors, budgets, staff. The federal statistics don't count the job, and the law that governs it stops at…August 15, 2026
2. Part 2The Private Flight AttendantThe private jet flight attendant is not required by law, not licensed, and often not an employee. What the most intimate job in aviation actually involves — pay, NDAs, training,…September 1, 2026
3. Part 3The Trusts and Estates LawyerThe trusts and estates lawyer is often the only outsider in the room when a family decides who gets what. What the job involves — the ethics, the fees, the…October 4, 2026
4. Part 4The Private ChefHow much does a private chef cost? Roughly $69,000 to $280,000 a year all in, before groceries — and the official wage data says something very different. What the job…October 7, 2026
5. Part 5The Private BankerWealth manager salary: $105,070 median, $156,670 average, $357,020 at the 90th percentile. What private bankers really make, and who pays for it.October 8, 2026
6. Part 6The Nanny and the House ManagerNanny salary: $16.82 an hour at the BLS median, $21.75 posted on Care.com, $80,000 to $200,000 in private households. Why the three numbers differ.October 10, 2026
7. Part 7Sommelier Salary 2026: $43K to $118K — The Job That Sees ItSommelier salary in 2026 ranges from $43,449 (ZipRecruiter) to $58,487 (Salary.com) to $117,793 (Glassdoor); wine directors earn $85,000-$125,000. Why the numbers differ.October 14, 2026
8. Part 8The Private Jet PilotPrivate jet pilot salary: $130,916 on ZipRecruiter, $113,105 for the same job called corporate pilot, and $69,000 to $420,400 depending on the airframe. Why the airplane sets the pay.October 21, 2026
9. Part 9The ButlerButler salary: $47,070 on one site, $90,823 on another, $44,222 in the only federal data that sees household employers, and $90,000 to $180,000 in one agency's placements. Why the word…October 24, 2026
10. Part 10The HousekeeperHousekeeper salary: $30,921 on one site, $37,080 in the federal survey, $80,000 to $160,000 in one agency's published bands. Nearly half the people in the federal number work in hotels,…October 31, 2026
11. Part 11The Yacht CaptainYacht captain salary: around €6,000 a month at the bottom of the range and over €25,000 past 100 metres, against a $103,720 US federal mean for ship captains measured in…November 4, 2026
12. Part 12The Close-Protection DetailBodyguard salary: a $42,470 federal mean for 1,283,470 security guards in a survey that excludes private households by rule, against $68,841 and $121,375 from one aggregator on the same day.…November 7, 2026
13. Part 13The Reputation FixerReputation management cost: sellers publish $500 to $50,000 a month with no method behind it, while the only agreements you can actually read — filed under FARA — carry a…November 11, 2026
14. Part 14The Auction SpecialistAuctioneer salary: the federal occupational classification has no such job, and the nearest residual code showed a $48,280 median in 2025. The money in the room is the commission —…November 14, 2026

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