You’ve decided you need help at home. You’re drowning in the invisible labor of keeping a busy household running smoothly, and you’re finally ready to delegate. But then you start researching household hires and run into confusing titles: family assistant, house manager, household manager, personal assistant.
What’s the actual difference? And more importantly, which one do you need?
What Does a Family Assistant Do?
A family assistant handles basic tasks. They’re the extra hands who pick up your dry cleaning, run to the grocery store, and keep your household calendar updated. Think of them as someone who checks items off your to-do list.
Family assistants typically focus on: grocery shopping and meal prep, running errands like pharmacy runs or returns, managing appointments, light tidying and organization, pet care and vet visits, school pickup and activity coordination, and package management.
Most families hire a family assistant for 15-20 hours per week on a part-time basis. They work alongside you, taking direction on what needs to get done. You still own the mental load, you’re just outsourcing the execution.
What Does a House Manager Do?
A house manager transforms how your entire household operates. They don’t just execute tasks, they own the systems, solve the problems you didn’t even know you had, and free you from the constant decision-making that’s actually exhausting you.
While a family assistant waits for your grocery list, a house manager creates an inventory system so you never run out of essentials. While a family assistant picks up dry cleaning when you ask, a house manager builds a routine that means your clothes are always ready without you thinking about it.
House managers handle: all household operations and logistics, creating and maintaining systems that actually work (meal planning workflows, inventory management, maintenance schedules), managing large scale projects like renovations or moves, vendor relationships and negotiations, event planning and travel coordination, supervising other household staff if you have them, and anticipating what you’ll need before you realize it yourself.
If a family assistant reduces your to-do list, a house manager eliminates your mental load. They think strategically about your home run smoothly instead of just handling today’s tasks. They’re proactive, not reactive.
House managers typically work 15-25+ hours per week (some full time, some substantial part time), and their job description requires real experience, initiative, and systems-thinking skills. You’re not hiring someone to follow instructions, you’re hiring someone to run operations.
The Real Difference
A family assistant is tactical. A house manager is strategic.
A family assistant needs you to tell them what to do. You’re still carrying the mental load of planning, organizing, and remembering; you’ve just outsourced the physical execution. Your weekends might be freer, but your brain is still running the show.
A house manager needs you to share your goals and pain points, then they figure out the solutions. They reduce the actual cognitive burden, not just the task list. You get your mental space back.
Which One Do You Need?
If you’re honest about what’s actually breaking you, it’s probably not just the errands. It’s the planning, the remembering, the constant low-level anxiety about what you’re forgetting, the mental spreadsheet you’re running at all times.
A family assistant can give you some breathing room if all you need is someone to handle straightforward tasks you’ve already organized in your head. But if you’re exhausted by the invisible labor, the systems that need creating, the decisions that need making, the logistics that require actual thinking, you don’t need extra hands. You need someone who can think.
Most families who start with a family assistant eventually realize they need more. They end up managing their assistant, creating systems for their assistant, and still carrying most of the mental load. It’s better than nothing, but it’s not the transformation they were hoping for.
The families who hire a house manager from the start skip that frustrating middle phase. They get someone who takes ownership, who doesn’t need hand-holding, who makes their home run smoothly without constant input. That’s not just helpful—it’s life-changing.
Ready to Hire a House Manager?
Whether you’re clear that you need a house manager or you’re still figuring out if a family assistant role might grow into something bigger, the most important step is getting the right person in place. At Sage Haus, we specialize in finding house managers who don’t just execute tasks, they own systems, anticipate needs, and become the operational backbone of your home.
We work with families who are ready to stop managing everything and start delegating to someone they trust completely. Most families we place hire for 15-20 hours per week at $25-35 per hour, and the transformation is immediate.
Book a call to explore how a house manager could change your life. We’ll help you get crystal clear on what you need and find someone who fits your family like a glove.
Frequently Asked Questions: Family Assistant vs House Manager: What’s the Difference and Which Do You Need?
Most families pay between $25-35 per hour for a family assistant, depending on your location and the scope of responsibilities. For 15-20 hours per week, that’s roughly $1,500-2,800 per month.
House managers typically earn $25-45 per hour depending on their experience level and the complexity of your household operations. While the hourly rate might be similar or slightly higher, the value is completely different, you’re not just paying for task execution, you’re investing in someone who eliminates your mental load and actually runs your home’s systems.
Most families find that a house manager at 15-20 hours per week delivers far more transformation than a family assistant at the same hours because they’re solving problems, not just completing tasks.
A nanny’s sole focus is childcare, keeping your kids safe, engaged, and cared for. That’s their primary responsibility and expertise.
A family assistant or house manager focuses on household operations and logistics. Depending on your needs and their job description, many house managers also handle childcare as part of their broader role. They might manage school pickup and dropoff, coordinate after-school activities, supervise homework, handle kid-related logistics like packing for camp or organizing closets, and provide active childcare when needed.
The difference is scope. A nanny watches your children. A house manager runs your household, which can absolutely include childcare, but also encompasses meal planning, errands, home systems, vendor management, and everything else that keeps your home functioning.
If you only need dedicated childcare, hire a nanny. If you need someone to handle childcare AND eliminate the mental load of running your entire household, you need a house manager.
If you’re constantly overwhelmed, spending your free time on logistics instead of with your family, or feeling resentful about the mental load, then getting household support is absolutely worth it. The question is what kind of support actually solves your problem.
A family assistant can free up some time by handling tasks you delegate. But if you’re hiring someone just to execute your to-do list while you still carry all the planning and decision-making, you’re only solving half the problem.
A house manager is what changes everything. Most families report getting 10-20 hours back each week, not just in physical tasks, but in mental space. They’re not just checking things off your list; they’re eliminating the need for the list in the first place. More time for your kids, your career, yourself, and actual peace of mind knowing someone else is thinking about what needs to happen? That’s not just worth it, it’s life-changing. Book a call to explore how a house manager could change your life.
If you enjoyed this article about family assistants, you might also enjoy:
- House Manager 101: Everything You Need to Know in 2026
- Breaking Free from the Mental Load: Redefining Motherhood on Our Terms
- Why Moms Need Help: 4 Hires That Can Transform Your Life
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