Cleaning workers receive a salary of 3 billion VND/year, Gen Z flocks to serve the super rich

(Dan Tri) - Leaving low-paying office jobs, Gen Z is entering a glamorous but also dark world: Working as an assistant to the super-rich in exchange for "huge" income and unimaginable experiences.

Quitting office jobs, Gen Z becomes assistants to billionaires

In December last year, while staying at a luxury resort in the Maldives, Cassidy O'Hagan, 28, felt like she had reached the pinnacle of her life. She had her own villa, her own chef, and she was traveling by private jet. But this wasn't a dream vacation, it was her job - nanny for a super-rich family.

The job offered O'Hagan a six-figure salary (about $150,000 to $250,000 a year), a benefits package that rivaled that of a senior executive, and the opportunity to travel to places she never dreamed of: winters in Aspen, summers in the Hamptons, trips to India and Dubai on "giant superyachts." "My previous job selling medical devices couldn't compare," she says.

O'Hagan's story is no longer an isolated phenomenon. It is evidence of a growing underground wave: Generation Z is leaving boring office jobs in droves to join the "Private Staffing" industry - providing human resources to serve the elite.

From nannies, personal assistants to butlers and private chefs, this is being seen as a much more attractive and dynamic career choice than the uncertain path of climbing the corporate ladder.

Cassidy O'Hagan gave up plans to study medicine to pursue a career as a nanny for super-rich families (Photo: BI).

The driving force behind this trend is the explosion of the super-rich. In 2000, the world had 322 billionaires; today, there are more than 3,000. As more mansions, private planes and yachts are bought, the demand for a personal “army” becomes “infinite”.

Brian Daniel, founder of the Celebrity Personal Assistant Network, said the demand for high-quality staff is so severe that it has sparked a fierce "salary war." Homeowners are willing to offer unimaginable benefits to attract talent.

Cleaner: Salary up to 120,000 USD/year (nearly 3 billion VND).

Nanny: Up to 150,000 USD/year (nearly 3.8 billion VND).

Mansion manager: 200,000-250,000 USD/year (about 5-6.3 billion VND), with additional villa and private car.

With income and perks far beyond what a low-level office job can offer, it is no surprise that more and more young people, including highly educated people such as doctors and lawyers, are also starting to seek this path.

The Price of Life in a Cage

But behind the glamour of yachts and lavish parties lies a harsh reality. Working for a billionaire means being available 24/7. "The reason the salary is so high is because you have to be available at any time, even outside of normal working hours," says Ruth Edwards, a recruitment expert at Tiger Recruitment.

The work pressure is sometimes greater than on Wall Street. The pace of work is always "dizzying" and the line between work and personal life is almost erased. "You don't just work for them, you live with them, immersing yourself in their rhythms, emotions and private moments," O'Hagan confided. On many important holidays, she stays with her employer's family instead of her own relatives.

And sometimes, this "dream" job includes unnamed, even bizarre tasks. Daniel recounts a typical situation: "If the maid has left and the boss's pet dog makes a mess on the expensive Persian rug, you have to be the one to handle it. But just an hour later, you could be sitting with the boss in the studio closing a $50 million movie deal."

The biggest trade-off is probably privacy. Most ultra-rich families require their employees to sign extremely strict Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). Any information about the owner's life is absolutely confidential. Employees must also maintain a "clean" image on social media, not revealing anything about their work.

Why does Gen Z choose this path?

The shift isn’t just about the lure of money. It also reflects Gen Z’s disillusionment with traditional career paths. They grew up amid economic uncertainty, watched millennials burn out, and now face a labor market threatened by AI. A study by the British Standards Institution (BSI) found that nearly a quarter of business leaders believe that most low-level jobs could be automated.

Faced with an uncertain future for the workplace, Gen Z is abandoning the “career ladder” in favor of the flexibility to “jump” to whatever opportunity is best suited at the moment. They no longer see management as the ultimate goal. Instead, they seek financial stability, balance, and meaningful life experiences.

More and more Gen Z are leaving office jobs amid AI instability and low wages (Photo: SOS).

Serving the super-rich, while stressful and demanding, meets those criteria. It offers solid financial security, the opportunity to travel the world, and powerful connections. Daniel tells the story of a chauffeur who, after 15 years, rose to become a co-producer with his Hollywood boss, earning an "unbelievable" income.

“I dreamed of working for the world’s most powerful families and it took me just five years to achieve that,” says O’Hagan, who has now started her own executive staffing firm.

From cramped offices to ultra-luxury worlds, Gen Z is proving that they are not lazy or lacking in ambition. They are simply taking a different path, a gamble that rewards financial freedom and unique experiences, albeit at the cost of significant sacrifices, including cleaning up after the boss’s dog. As recruitment expert Ruth Edwards told her son: “If you’re bored with the office, go see the world.”

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/don-dep-nhan-thu-lao-3-ty-dongnam-gen-z-do-xo-lam-phuc-vu-gioi-sieu-giau-20251112093731868.htm