Hospitality Manager Salary

Created by Henry Steele

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
Reading Time: 8 minutes
Reading Time: 8 minutes

The following article discusses the career path of Hospitality Manager. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Hospitality Managers.

Job Duties

Hospitality managers usually work for restaurants, hotels, casinos, and resorts. Their role relates to ensuring all employees with direct customer contact are properly supported. This means they may also have to develop training and be responsible in the recruitment of new staff. Furthermore, they usually have bookkeeping and purchasing responsibilities.

A hospitality manager focuses on making sure customers and guests enjoy a professional, friendly, and efficient service. If they have hiring responsibilities, they ensure that all staff meets the guidelines and standards as set for their particular role, which tend to differ depending on whether someone is a bartender, waiter, porter, or desk clerk. The manager ensures that staff has an understanding of the skills expected of them, and enforces these standards in all situations.

Other job duties of a hospitality manager are:

  • To manage all daily activities in the organization, including the budget and staff supervision
  • To ensure that the rooms, food, and grounds are suitable for a high quality service
  • To prepare for various customer problems and have troubleshooting scenarios in place

Where We Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 47,800 lodging managers in 2016. The largest employers of these professionals were:

  • Traveler accommodation: 66%
  • Self-employed workers: 24%
  • RV (recreational vehicle) parks and recreational camps: 3%

How to Become

To become a hospitality manager, it is usually necessary to have practical experience, aptitude, and education. Those who have completed a degree in hospitality management, be that an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree, usually have the greatest opportunities, but experience is usually valued more than anything. It is also common for people to get to this position through internal promotions.

Education Requirements

It is becoming increasingly common for a hospitality manager to have to hold a bachelor’s degree in hotel management or hospitality as a minimum. This demonstrates that they have been trained in hotel accounting, administration, sales, marketing, food service management, housekeeping, catering, engineering, and maintenance. Furthermore, hotel managers have to be trained in using the relevant IT systems. Around 60% of all programs in hospitality management are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration.

Sometimes, an associate’s degree is all that is needed, particularly in smaller hospitality agencies. Additionally, those who have attended courses at trade or vocational schools may be hired, particularly if they have work experience within the hospitality industry. It is expected that hospitality managers also have several years of professional experience.

Some certification options do exist, such as the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI)’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Program (HTMP). This takes two years to complete and ensures participants meet relevant professional standards. AHLEI also offers the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA).

Traits & Qualities

The most effective hospitality managers have the following traits to some degree or other:

  • Strong business skills
  • Excellent customer service skills
  • Great interpersonal skills
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Excellent listening skills
  • Great organizational skills
  • Strong problem solving skills

Minimum Education

Associate’s Degree

National Salary

The national average salary estimate for Hospitality Manager was $68,555. This number is estimated from over 409,324 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $35.71 and monthly of $5,713.

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$14,000

$171,000

Salary Distribution

Salary by State

The following section lists Hospitality Manager salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, California had the largest quoted salary of $101,481 while Utah had the smallest quoted salary of $33,196.

AlabamaLouisianaOklahoma
ArizonaMassachusettsOregon
CaliforniaMarylandPennsylvania
ColoradoMichiganTennessee
ConnecticutMississippiTexas
FloridaNorth CarolinaUtah
GeorgiaNew JerseyVirginia
HawaiiNew MexicoWashington
IllinoisNew YorkWisconsin
IndianaOhioWest Virginia
Alabama$51,136Rank: 22nd
The average salary ranks 22nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like UAB Medicine.

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$14,000

$120,000

Salary Distribution
Arizona$61,284Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Larry White and Associates, Universal Hospital Services, Inc., Chick-fil-A, and Clinical Management Consultants.

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$14,000

$141,000

Salary Distribution
California$101,481Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like San Bernardino County, Design Staffing & Recruitment, American Cancer Society, and Universal Hospital Services, Inc..

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$25,000

$229,000

Salary Distribution
Colorado$54,441Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Alpine Hospital for Animals, Morrison Sr. Living Food Service, Morrison Community Living, and Colorado Society of CPAs.

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$14,000

$144,000

Salary Distribution
Connecticut$80,905Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Clinical Management Consultants.

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$27,000

$163,000

Salary Distribution
Florida$53,861Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CMC Limited, Clinical Management Consultants, StaffPointe, and American Cancer Society.

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$14,000

$131,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia$49,950Rank: 24th
The average salary ranks 24th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like re|solution Consulting, Interregional Med-Exec Group, Inc., StaffPointe, and Marlow”s.

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$14,000

$130,000

Salary Distribution
Hawaii$79,955Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Innovative Management Solutions.

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$28,000

$156,000

Salary Distribution
Illinois$51,001Rank: 23rd
The average salary ranks 23rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Ovation Brands.

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$14,000

$124,000

Salary Distribution
Indiana$61,180Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Clinical Management Consultants and Goodwin Recruiting.

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$17,000

$130,000

Salary Distribution
Louisiana$52,409Rank: 20th
The average salary ranks 20th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like StaffPointe, Interregional Med-Exec Group, Inc., Restaurant Management Search, and Gecko Hospitality.

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$15,000

$112,000

Salary Distribution
Massachusetts$80,187Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like IST Management Services, Growing Specialty Pharmaceutical Company, and Clinical Management Consultants.

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$18,000

$185,000

Salary Distribution
Maryland$60,891Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CMC Limited, Gecko Hospitality, Sheetz, and Clinical Management Consultants.

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$17,000

$131,000

Salary Distribution
Michigan$52,472Rank: 19th
The average salary ranks 19th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Gecko Hospitality.

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$14,000

$136,000

Salary Distribution
Mississippi$43,790Rank: 27th
The average salary ranks 27th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Gecko Hospitality and Buffalo Wild Wings – Meridian, MS.

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$21,000

$74,000

Salary Distribution
North Carolina$39,769Rank: 29th
The average salary ranks 29th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like LMJ Recruiting, R&V Hospitality Recruiting, Inc DBA Patr, LGC Hospitality, and Steven Douglas Associates.

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$14,000

$112,000

Salary Distribution
New Jersey$88,901Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Clinical Management Consultants and CMC Limited.

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$32,000

$173,000

Salary Distribution
New Mexico$51,163Rank: 21st
The average salary ranks 21st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Clinical Management Consultants, Gecko Hospitality, and Patrice & Associates.

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$14,000

$117,000

Salary Distribution
New York$92,328Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Healthsearch Group, Smith Arnold Partners, Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, and SUNY Delhi.

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$26,000

$199,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio$77,403Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Clinical Management Consultants, CMC Limited, Gecko Hospitality, and Cuyahoga Community College.

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$19,000

$173,000

Salary Distribution
Oklahoma$53,839Rank: 18th
The average salary ranks 18th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Norman Regional Health System, Gecko Hospitality, Patrice & Associates, and Clinical Management Consultants.

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$14,000

$139,000

Salary Distribution
Oregon$47,409Rank: 26th
The average salary ranks 26th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Southern Oregon University, Cat Adoption Team, and Clinical Management Consultants.

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$14,000

$134,000

Salary Distribution
Pennsylvania$63,833Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Clinical Management Consultants, Red Lobster, Gecko Hospitality, and Merritt, Hawkins & Associates/MHA Group.

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$14,000

$157,000

Salary Distribution
Tennessee$68,012Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like re|solution Consulting, DoubleTree by Hilton-Murfreesboro, TN, Clinical Management Consultants, and Resolution.

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$14,000

$161,000

Salary Distribution
Texas$64,135Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like re|solution Consulting, Clinical Management Consultants, Universal Hospital Services, Inc., and StaffPointe.

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$14,000

$167,000

Salary Distribution
Utah$33,196Rank: 30th
The average salary ranks 30th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Intermountain Healthcare and Intermountain Home Care.

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$7.25

$39.35

Salary Distribution
Virginia$55,867Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Gecko Hospitality, Sheetz, and Clinical Management Consultants.

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$14,000

$128,000

Salary Distribution
Washington$90,439Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CMC Limited, PeaceHealth, and Clinical Management Consultants.

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$27,000

$191,000

Salary Distribution
Wisconsin$49,867Rank: 25th
The average salary ranks 25th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Hansen Agri-PLACEMENT.

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$14,000

$110,000

Salary Distribution
West Virginia$42,158Rank: 28th
The average salary ranks 28th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Gecko Hospitality, Patrice & Associates, and Sheetz.

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$21,000

$64,000

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Hospitality Manager. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.

Employer NameLocationAverage Salary

Learn More

Related Careers

Career NameAverage Salary

Henry Steele
Managing Editor
Henry is Managing Editor of BusinessStudent.com. He is a seasoned business professional who regularly consults with local business's throughout Southern California. Henry pursued his undergrad in Business and Economics at the University of San Diego and gained valuable life changing experience through a unique internship upon graduation.

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