Becoming nannies for the ultra-rich is Gen Z's new career move: 'Pays better than corporate jobs'

Meanwhile, many Gen Z workers are re-evaluating traditional career paths.

Cassidy O’Hagan, a 28-year-old from Colorado, traded her corporate job for a role that now takes her across the world — from winters in Aspen to summers in the Hamptons, and trips to Dubai, India, and the Maldives. She works as a nanny for a billionaire family, travelling by private jet and living in luxury accommodation.

Her employers provide extensive benefits, including healthcare, paid leave, a 401K, meals prepared by a private chef, and a wardrobe for work. “My orthopaedic medical sales job could never compete,” O’Hagan told Business Insider.

Her current salary, bound by a non-disclosure agreement, falls between $150,000 and $250,000 — more than Rs 1.3 crore annually.

According to the Business Insider report, O’Hagan began nannying in 2019, aged 22, while preparing for the MCAT. “I realised very quickly after moving in that I had stepped into a completely different world,” she said. Hoping for a more conventional career, she later joined a healthcare sales company in New York, earning $65,000 a year. Within months, she felt burnt out. “I realised that I had walked away from work that actually aligned with who I was — someone nurturing, personable and intuitive,” she said.

In under a year, she quit and returned to nannying, this time through private staffing agencies. Her income rose by $40,000, alongside perks such as chef-made meals and chauffeur-driven travel. She now works for a New York-based family she describes as “well-known”, part of a larger team of eight nannies managing multiple homes.

Brian Daniel, founder of the Celebrity Personal Assistant Network, said demand for such roles has never been higher. “Each billionaire employs small teams to cater to their every need,” he said, estimating around 1,000 private staffing agencies operate globally, half of them in the United States. “Employers are offering accommodation, cars, and even retirement plans to attract talent.”

Ruth Edwards, a recruiter with Tiger Recruitment, said such positions demand flexibility and resilience. “In this industry with celebrities and billionaires, you need a lot of energy because it’s always at breakneck speed,” she told the outlet.

O’Hagan acknowledged that the work can be isolating. “You’re not just working for a family; you’re living alongside them, immersed in their routines and private moments,” she said, adding that she has spent many holidays away from her own family.

Daniel said the pressure of private staffing could rival Wall Street. “The stress can be more than even on Wall Street,” he said, recalling a personal incident of being hospitalised after a panic attack.

Such roles also demand discretion; most staff sign NDAs and maintain clean online profiles. “It’s a very cutthroat world,” O’Hagan said.

The rise in global wealth has fuelled this demand. Forbes listed 322 billionaires in 2000; today there are over 3,000. A UBS report noted that individuals with $1–5 million in investable assets have increased fourfold to 52 million in 25 years.

Meanwhile, many Gen Z workers are re-evaluating traditional career paths. A 2025 Deloitte survey found only 6% aspire to leadership roles, with some avoiding managerial positions altogether to protect work-life balance. Another survey by Empower found that Gen Z defines financial success as earning around $600,000 annually — six times what Baby Boomers considered sufficient.

O’Hagan said she plans to establish her own agency to help others pursue careers in private service. “Peers of mine in corporate roles often ask how I got here,” she said. Her brother has since joined the industry, working as an assistant to a celebrity aesthetician in Beverly Hills.

Recruiter Ruth Edwards shared a similar example. “My son was laid off from an office job, so I told him to go and see the world,” she said. “Now he’s a deckhand on a superyacht.”

Reflecting on her career, O’Hagan said her unconventional path had brought personal and financial fulfilment. “This career has offered stability and meaning, and a level of personal connection that I hadn’t found anywhere else,” she said.