Middle class families now hiring house managers to fluff pillows and fertilize their trees in luxury that was once reserved for uber rich

House managers are becoming more common among American families with demanding jobs, extending a service once associated with the ultra-wealthy. They take on domestic tasks so clients can spend less time managing household chores and more time on work and family commitments.

The duties range from laundry, shopping and dog-walking to arranging repairs, preparing meals and tending gardens. Pay varies widely: job listings cited wages from $13.28 an hour in Arizona to $47 an hour with benefits, while a La Jolla role offered $28 to $32 an hour for a 40-hour week. Atlanta house manager Kim House said she earns about $120,000 a year working with several families.