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Information about Hospitality Programs

Hotels and other accommodations provided 1.8 million wage and salary jobs in 2006. In addition, there were about 40,000 self-employed and unpaid family workers in the industry, who worked in bed-and-breakfast inns, camps, and small inns and hotels.

The vast majority of workers in this industry—more than 4 out of 5 in 2006—were employed in service and office and administrative support occupations. Hotel desk clerks, bookkeeping and accounting clerks, and switchboard operators ensure that the front office operates smoothly.

Service workers are by far the largest occupational group in the industry, accounting for 65 percent of the industry’s employment. Workers in cleaning and housekeeping occupations ensure that the lodging facility is clean and in good condition for the comfort and safety of guests.

Workers in the various food preparation and serving occupations deal with customers in the dining room or at a service counter. Chefs, cooks and food preparation workers prepare food in the kitchen. Many full-service hotels employ a uniformed staff to assist arriving and departing guests. Baggage porters and bellhops carry bags and escort guests to their rooms. Concierges arrange special or personal services for guests.

Hotels also employ the largest percentage of gaming services workers because much of gaming takes place in casino hotels. The industry also employs a large number of recreation and fitness workers. At resort hotels and at vacation and recreational camps, recreation workers organize and conduct recreation activities for guests and campers.

Hotels and other lodging places employ many different types of managers to direct and coordinate the activities of the front office, kitchen, dining room, and other departments, such as housekeeping, accounting, personnel, purchasing, publicity, sales, security and maintenance. Lodging managers, typically the general manager and assistant managers, make decisions that affect the general operations of the hotel, including setting room rates, establishing credit policy, and having ultimate responsibility for resolving problems. In smaller establishments, lodging managers also may perform many of the front-office clerical tasks. In the smallest establishments, the owners—sometimes a family team—do all the work necessary to operate the business.

Rooms managers look after reservations and occupancy levels to ensure proper room assignments and authorize discounts, special rates, or promotions. Large hotels, especially those with conference centers, use an executive committee structure to improve departmental communications and coordinate activities. Other managers who may serve on a hotel’s executive committee include public relations or sales managers, human resource directors, executive housekeepers, and heads of hotel security.

Hospitality Job Types

Cleaning workers (maids/ housekeeping/ janitors)
Chefs and head cooks
Waiters and waitresses
Bartenders
Fast food and counter workers
Gaming services workers
Grounds maintenance workers
Lodging managers
Public relations managers
Sales managers
Heads of hotel security
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

Education Needed for Hospitality Industry

Workers in these occupations usually learn their skills on the job. Postsecondary education is not required for most entry-level positions; however, college training may be helpful for advancement in some of the occupations. For those in administrative support—mainly hotel desk clerks—and service occupations, positive personality traits and a customer-service orientation may be more important than formal schooling.

Most service workers need only a high school diploma or equivalent to get hired, but some can be hired with even less. Some entry-level jobs are filled by students looking for part-time or seasonal work. Most hotels, particularly the chain hotels, have some formal training sessions for new employees that may include video or online training. Advancement opportunities for service workers in the hotel industry vary widely.

Lodging chains have primarily been hiring persons with 4-year college degrees in the liberal arts or other fields and starting them in assistant manager or management trainee positions. Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in hotel, restaurant, and hospitality management provide the strongest background for a career as a hotel manager, with nearly 150 colleges and universities offering such programs. Graduates of these programs are highly sought by employers in the hospitality industry because of their familiarity with technical issues and their ability to learn related skills quickly. Eventually, they may advance to a top management position in a hotel or a corporate management position in a large chain operation.

Employment Outlook for Hospitality Jobs

Employment outlook varies somewhat by service class of hotel and occupation. Growth of full-service hotels, casino hotels, and the small, but burgeoning, luxury hotel market that specializes in personal service will cause employment of lodging managers to grow much faster than the average.

The accelerating trend toward chain-affiliated hotels should provide managers with opportunities for advancement into general manager positions, manager jobs at larger and busier properties, and corporate administrative jobs. Job opportunities at outdoor recreation and RV parks should grow as RVs and driving vacations gain popularity in the United States.

Also, gaming services and gaming manager occupations should grow as more casino hotels are built. Employment of hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks is expected to grow faster than some other occupations in the industry in part because the growing numbers of limited-service hotels still require desk clerks.

Earnings and Pay for Hospitality Jobs

Earnings in hotels and other accommodations generally are much lower than the average for all industries. Many workers in this industry earn the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Median annual earnings for hospitality industry positions in May 2006:

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Career Guide to Industries, 2008-09 Edition, Hotels and Other Accommodations, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs036.htm

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