Between 2020 and 2021, the British royal family (sometimes referred to as "the Firm") spent £44.1 million ($59.5m) on staff salaries and other household costs.

It's a staggering sum – but have you ever wondered how much the individual royal employees are actually paid? Read on to discover the salaries of the 10 lowest and highest paid positions in the royal household, according to data compiled by Business Insider in January 2022. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Warehouse operatives are responsible for "delivering products that bring people closer to a priceless collection", according to a royal job advert from last year.

The successful candidate helps process more than three million items every year, serving nine shops in locations including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle (pictured), and Holyrood House in Edinburgh. In return, they receive an annual salary of £18,500 ($25k).

Stretching across 42 acres (17 hectares, the gardens at Buckingham Palace are some of the most spectacular in London. It reportedly takes a team of eight full-time gardeners to keep the royal lawns, flowerbeds, and bushes looking their best.

These professionals are paid £18,100 ($22.9k) a year, according to a job advert from 2020, which also stated that a Horticulture NVQ2 was a minimum qualification requirement.

The essence of this job, according to a 2016 ad, is all about "ensuring the cloth matches the magnificence of the banqueting table".

With a salary of £17,700 ($24k), the live-in role involves leading the team who clean and prepare Buckingham Palace's royal linen, which is used everywhere from bedchambers to banquet tables.

Much of the linen is historic and utterly irreplaceable, meaning there’s also a duty to conserve and repair the collection for future generations.

As you might expect, the royal family hosts a huge number of big events, and they have their team of palace attendants to thank for ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

These professionals apparently receive £17,300 ($23.4) a year – plus lunch! – and the average day includes preparing the state rooms for thousands of visitors. No experience is needed as training is provided, and the most important quality is being an "outstanding team player".

The data obtained by Business Insider shows that senior palace attendants can expect £17,900 ($24.2k) a year. 

In 2018, Buckingham Palace came under fire for reportedly offering just £8.17 an hour in an ad for a housekeeping assistant, over £2 an hour less than the London Living Wage at the time. 

According to Business Insider's database, housekeeping assistants hired in 2019 were offered a more respectable £17,300 ($23.4k) a year, while job adverts from 2021 carried a salary of £19,100 ($25.8k).

The live-in role apparently offers the chance to be "house-proud about the world’s most famous homes". Duties include dusting historic vases and priceless paintings and, as housekeeping or hospitality experience isn't essential, it's an opportunity open to anyone.

Working within the Master of the Household's office, a general catering assistant receives £17,300 ($23.4k) a year.

Billed as "the perfect place to start your hospitality career", this is apparently an entry-level role that involves assisting with food preparation, serving meals, and maintaining a clean environment.

Again, successful candidates have the option to live on-site, with all their meals provided. A similar job advert from 2020, which includes washing up amongst the list of duties, carries a salary of £18,100 ($24.4k). 

Based on job postings from 2015, livery porters can expert to receive a salary of around £16,700 ($22.5k) per year.

A livery porter – who's responsible for greeting guests and receiving deliveries at royal properties – lives on-site and enjoys free board and meals as part of their role. However, these perks are balanced out by the low salary.

It’d be quite an experience to tend to the gardens of Buckingham Palace, not least as you’d often find yourself “admiring your lawn before millions do the same”, as one 2016 royal job ad describes it.

The role being advertised was for a groundsperson on £16,500 ($21,200), with the successful candidate required to live on-site (with lodgings and meals provided). Maintaining perfect lawns is no easy task, with requirements including knowledge of automatic irrigation systems and a sports turf qualification both essential.

Daily cleaners are some of the lowest paid professionals in the royal household, with salaries starting from just £11,300 ($15.2k) a year. It's worth noting this wage is for part-time employees who work from 7am to 11am six days a week; full-time cleaners could earn up to £22,600 ($30.5k).

But at £228 ($308) per week, this role doesn't exceed the UK minimum wage. Pictured is an employee cleaning the Queen's Rolls Royce at Buckingham Palace. 

Part-time fire surveillance officers at Windsor Castle can expect a salary of £10,000 ($13.5k) a year.

This "uniquely varied role" encompasses monitoring fire detection systems, carrying out fire safety inspections, and responding to fire alarms or property alerts around the clock. A year's work consists of 80 pre-scheduled 12-hour shifts.

Some of the highest paid jobs in the royal household have been active for centuries. Others, such as the role of cybersecurity engineer, have only emerged more recently.

This particular role is responsible for monitoring the royal household's network and security systems, identifying potential risks and putting measures in place to protect against them. Cybersecurity engineers can earn as much as £60,000 ($81.4k) a year. 

Every year, millions of people buy tickets for Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Holyrood House. The Head of Ticketing is responsible for overseeing the ticketing and sales teams, setting targets and reviewing procedures to "improve our efficiencies and exceed expectations".

A job advert from 2018 was looking for a "a creative thinker with an enthusiasm for new technologies", who would receive between £50,000 and £60,000 ($67.8k–$81.4k) in exchange for their expertise. 

The Head of Internal Audit is a varied role that encompasses everything from farm management to helicopter procurement, according to a job posting from 2017.

The successful candidate was required to have a "suitable professional postgraduate qualification" and be ready to raise the profile of internal auditing within the royal household, private estates, and Royal Collection Trust. The salary advertised at the time was £75,000 to £85,000 ($102k–$115k). 

Although the Queen might not conduct state visits anymore, the royal family still travels regularly – and the person responsible for helping them get from A to B is the Director of Royal Travel, who receives £85,000 ($115k) a year.

The job was last advertised in 2019, with duties listed including "ensuring that the royal household operates and purchases safe, efficient, cost-effective, and appropriate travel services".

The posting stressed the importance of considering the environmental impact of royal travel, a caveat that's thought to have been added after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle raised eyebrows by travelling on private jets earlier that year. 

Described as the "senior officer" in the royal household, the Lord Chamberlain acts as a go-between for the Queen and the House of Lords.

They're also responsible for carrying out ceremonial duties and organising events, including state visits, garden parties, and royal weddings. Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere, was appointed to the role on 1 April 2021, and is thought to earn somewhere between £90,000 and £95,000 ($122k–129k) a year for the honour.

The very well-remunerated Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office assists with the organising of the Queen’s public appearances, events, and garden parties.

The current Comptroller, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon (pictured), joined the royal household in 2014 after serving in the Coldstream Guards – the British Army's oldest regiment – for 35 years. Business Insider suggests that Vernon's salary is £100,000 ($135.5k) a year, although the previous Comptroller was reportedly paid £116,000 ($157k) in 2012. 

One of the highest paid royal officials is the Keeper of the Privy Purse, who is essentially a treasurer for the household. They have to walk the fine line between meeting the royals’ many expenses while also keeping costs down to ensure the public stay on-side during austere times.

Sir Alan Reid, who held the role between 2002-2017, was criticised for drawing a £180,000 ($244k) salary while freezing the pay of other royal employees in 2013. He was replaced by Sir Michael Stevens (pictured) in 2018, who reportedly received a modest-by-comparison £130,000 ($176k) last year. 

One of the largest art collections in the world, the Royal Collection comprises over one million different objects and is housed across 15 royal residences in the UK.

The Director of the Royal Collection is responsible for overseeing this impressive archive and its presentation to the public. The current post-holder is Tim Knox, an art historian who has held the position since 2018 and previously worked as the Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. He's thought to receive a salary of around £134,000 ($182k) a year.

The Master of the Household co-ordinates official and private events at the royal residences, as well as overseeing kitchen and housekeeping staff. The current post-holder is Vice-Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt, a retired Royal Navy officer who took over the role in 2013.

Describing the job as a "pursuit of excellence", Johnstone-Burt is paid £150,000 ($203k) a year and is responsible for organising state banquets, organising travel for the Queen, and even arranging for furniture to be restored.

After becoming the Queen's Assistant Private Secretary in 2004, Sir Edward Young (pictured) took over the role of Private Secretary in September 2017.

His role involves being "the channel of communication" between the Queen and governments around the world. According to data from 2021, Young receives a salary of up to £195,000 ($246k) a year, making him the highest paid professional in the royal household. 

Now discover the secrets of the royal family's private homes.