A 60-second TikTok about the International Butler Academy housed in a sprawling mansion in the Netherlands racked up hundreds of comments about the same thing: what does being a butler pay?. 'They probably get paid more than teachers, nurses, and [members of the] defence force,' one message read.
![[Vermeulen, whose great-grandfather Frans worked as butler to a Belgian baron 140 years ago, also noted a surge in the demand for butlers trained in the British aristorcratic way of life to ease their billionaire employers into high society]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/27/14/93518477-14229895-image-a-12_1735308267413.jpg)
The TikTok user who speculated on a butler's salary isn't far off the mark. According to the International Butler Academy's website, a butler in Europe can earn anywhere between €40,000 to €75,000 per year - with some raking in €100,000 or more per year.
![[According to the International Butler Academy's website, a butler in Europe can earn anywhere between €40,000 to €75,000 per year - with some raking in €100,000 or more per year]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/27/14/93518475-14229895-image-a-13_1735308281913.jpg)
The average base salary for a teacher in the UK, by comparison, is £31,000, according to PayScale. Salaries for butler jobs listed on Bespoke Bureau, a London-based home help service agency, range between £31,000 to £60,000 - depending on various factors such as location and years of experience.
![[Perks of being a butler include expensive gifts, international travel, and fancy meals]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/27/14/93518467-14229895-image-a-14_1735308292496.jpg)
Unsurprisingly, wage rates advertised by the bureau's clients in Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar and Bahrain are considerably higher than their European counterparts. In a 2020 interview with Vice, professional butler André Meester said he made nearly £4,000 working 60 hours per week for his Dutch principal (or employer).
![[There has been a revival of buttling as a profession over the past decade - linked to the rise of tech billionaires in countries like China and India]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/27/14/93518479-14229895-image-a-15_1735308319496.jpg)
Vincent Vermeulen (not pictured) described how his School for Butlers in Belgium equips its students with all the skills required to be a modern-day butler in a new interview. Vermeulen, whose great-grandfather Frans worked as butler to a Belgian baron 140 years ago, also noted a surge in the demand for butlers trained in the British aristorcratic way of life to ease their billionaire employers into high society.
