How much does it cost to hire a domestic helper?

There are a number of costs involved in hiring a domestic helper. Below is a rough guide, although you should keep in mind that every case is different and there may be unexpected costs not set out below.

Initial hiring cost

This usually falls between HK$7,500 – $14,000. The costs really depend on the contract status of the helper and if you use an agency. Be wary of agencies that sneak in hidden costs throughout the hiring process. More often than not, the price you are quoted at the start is very different from the price you end up paying. Read this article for more tips on how to choose an agency or contact us at Fair Agency.

Mandatory Employee’s Compensation Insurance

The mandatory insurance tends to be somewhere between HK$350 – $1,000 per year. It depends on the insurance coverage you would like to provide. Read this article for more information about the mandatory helper insurance.

Flights

You are responsible for a domestic helper’s travel to and from their ‘place of origin.’ This means you need to pay for the helper to get to your home at the beginning of the contract as well as to get to home at the end. This cost is typically between HK$2,000 – $5,000 depending on the place of origin.

Medical costs

The public health system covers domestic helpers in Hong Kong, but as an employer you are responsible for all medical expenses. For this reason, alongside taking out mandatory Employee’s Compensation Insurance, we recommend that you take out medical insurance on behalf of the domestic helper.

Parental leave

A female domestic helper who becomes pregnant may be eligible for 14 weeks of paid leave, while a male domestic helper is entitled to 5 days of paid paternity leave. Parental leave pay is four-fifths of the domestic helper’s regular pay, provided that the helper has been employed for at least 40 weeks before the beginning of the parental leave period. Read this article for more information on domestic helper parental leave.

New domestic helper costs

If you terminate your domestic helper’s contract prematurely you may be responsible for more expenses than you had originally budgeted. For example, you’d have to pay for a flight home earlier than you expected in addition to paying more agency fees to hire another domestic helper. This is one reason why it is crucial to carefully select the right domestic helper during the hiring process. Read this article for more tips on hiring.

Salary and food allowance

For domestic helpers in Hong Kong, the current minimum allowable wage is HK$4,730 monthly and food allowance is HK$1,196 monthly. Read more here.

Optional (gifts and bonuses)

Some employers also choose to give gifts or bonuses to domestic helpers to reward or encourage them, or for special events such as a birthdays, Christmas or Chinese New Year. Here are some of our tips on how employers can navigate this.