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Here's how much everyone who works at an American hotel makes

Here's how much everyone who works at an American hotel makes

Madison Hoff,Lydia Warren

A hotel housekeeper makes a bed.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The leisure and hospitality industry is still recovering from pandemic-related job losses.
With an employment level of over 15 million, the industry has 1.3 million fewer jobs than in February 2020.
Salaries for hotel jobs vary; the following is a look at how much select hotel positions make.

38. Waiters and waitresses earn a median of $26,480 a year, and 71,020 are employed in the hotel industry.

Patrick T. Fallon/Reuters

37. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers earn a median of $26,780 a year, and 25,570 are employed in the hotel industry.

Tim Boyle/Getty Images

36. Non-restaurant food servers earn a median of $27,360 a year, and 11,770 are employed in the hotel industry.

Robert Pratta/Reuters

35. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs earn a median of $27,580 a year, and 4,790 are employed in the hotel industry.

Carlo Allegri/Getty Images

34. Maids and housekeeping cleaners earn a median of $27,830 a year, and 307,930 are employed in the hotel industry.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

33. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers earn a median of $27,880 a year, and 28,590 are employed in the hotel industry.

Elliott Kaufman/Getty Images

32. Desk clerks earn a median of $27,970 a year, and 200,860 are employed in the hotel industry.

Ben Curtis/AP

31. Bartenders earn a median of $28,340 a year, and 26,060 are employed in the hotel industry.

Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

30. Baggage porters and bellhops earn a median of $28,560 a year, and 10,530 are employed in the hotel industry.

Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

29. Hosts and hostesses earn a median of $28,700 a year, and 11,460 are employed in the hotel industry.

Ross D. Franklin/AP

28. Fast food and counter workers earn a median of $29,340 a year, and 11,440 are employed in the hotel industry.

Rachel Askinasi/Business Insider

27. Dishwashers earn a median of $29,410 a year, and 12,580 are employed in the hotel industry.

Julie Zeveloff/Business Insider

26. Janitors and cleaners (except maids and housekeeping cleaners) earn a median of $29,440 a year, and 34,520 are employed in the hotel industry.

Matilde Campodonico/Getty Images

25. Food preparation workers earn a median of $29,730 a year, and 8,500 are employed in the hotel industry.

Cavan Images/Getty Images

24. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $30,340 a year, and 9,050 are employed in the hotel industry.

Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images

23. Concierges earn a median of $31,500 a year, and 5,460 are employed in the hotel industry.

AFP/Stringer/Getty Images

22. Office clerks earn a median of $32,290 a year, and 4,990 are employed in the hotel industry.

Getty Images

21. Security guards earn a median of $34,390 a year, and 29,640 are employed in the hotel industry.

Scott Barbour / Stringer / Getty Images

20. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn a median of $34,990 a year, and 17,170 are employed in the hotel industry.

krisanapong detraphiphat/Getty Images

19. Restaurant cooks earn a median of $35,550 a year, and 44,580 are employed in the hotel industry.

Larry French / Stringer / Getty Images

18. Maintenance and repair workers earn a median of $36,370 a year, and 75,770 are employed in the hotel industry.

LifestyleVisuals/Getty Images

17. First-Line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers earn a median of $36,940 a year, and 29,270 are employed in the hotel industry.

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16. Secretaries and administrative assistants earn a median of $37,150 a year, and 5,180 are employed in the hotel industry.

sturti/Getty Images

15. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers earn a median of $38,780 a year, and 30,950 are employed in the hotel industry.

Tom Werner/Getty Images

14. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers earn a median of $45,720 a year, and 17,050 are employed in the hotel industry.

byakkaya/Getty Images

13. Meeting, convention, and event planners earn a median of $49,450 a year, and 5,090 are employed in the hotel industry.

David Becker/Getty Images

12. Sales representatives of services earn a median of $54,250 a year, and 16,040 are employed in the hotel industry.

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11. First-Line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers earn a median of $55,990 a year, and 8,050 are employed in the hotel industry.

Photo and Co/Getty Images

10. Human resources specialists earn a median of $59,060 a year, and 5,230 are employed in the hotel industry.

Carlos Osorio/AP

9. Lodging managers earn a median of $59,430 a year, and 31,010 are employed in the hotel industry.

Brent Lewis/Getty Images

8. Accountants and auditors earn a median of $60,820 a year, and 8,400 are employed in the hotel industry.

filadendron/Getty Images

7. Chefs and head cooks earn a median of $61,760 a year, and 10,000 are employed in the hotel industry.

NoSystem images/Getty Images

6. General and operations managers earn a median of $66,560 a year, and 21,740 are employed in the hotel industry.

Emmanuel Moine, the manager of Glen Mhor Hotel, poses for a photograph in Inverness, Scotland Reuters

5. Food service managers earn a median of $73,800 a year, and 5,910 are employed in the hotel industry.

Gary Friedman / Contributor/Getty Images

4. Administrative services managers earn a median of $74,120 a year, and 1,200 are employed in the hotel industry.

filadendron/Getty Images

3. Sales managers earn a median of $82,390 a year, and 6,700 are employed in the hotel industry.

PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou/Getty Images

2. Facilities managers earn a median of $88,830 a year, and 4,240 are employed in the hotel industry.

Nitat Termmee/Getty Images

1. Financial managers earn a median of $103,030 a year, and 4,660 are employed in the hotel industry.

Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Method and data source

The leisure and hospitality industry is still recovering from pandemic-related job losses. Employment in the industry is 7.9% below the level it stood at before the pandemic in February 2020. That means employment in leisure and hospitality is 1.3 million below where it was in February 2020 as of May 2022.

Hotels employ a wide variety of workers, and salaries range from well below the US median wage to very high paying.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program offers data on employment and wages across different occupations and industries, including the traveler accommodation industry.

Hotel jobs tend to be lower paying than average. The median annual wage for an employee in the traveler accommodation industry was just $29,600, below the overall median wage of $45,760, in 2021 (the most recent data). Housekeepers, for example, earned just $27,830 per year in 2021 in the traveler accommodation industry.

The above slides are employment and wages for 38 select occupations in the hotel industry, ranked from lowest to highest median wage. Both the number of people in that job and median annual pay are May 2021 figures from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.

Andy Kiersz previously contributed to this story.

Here's how much everyone who works at an American hotel makes

Madison Hoff,Lydia Warren

38. Waiters and waitresses earn a median of $26,480 a year, and 71,020 are employed in the hotel industry.

37. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers earn a median of $26,780 a year, and 25,570 are employed in the hotel industry.

36. Non-restaurant food servers earn a median of $27,360 a year, and 11,770 are employed in the hotel industry.

35. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs earn a median of $27,580 a year, and 4,790 are employed in the hotel industry.

34. Maids and housekeeping cleaners earn a median of $27,830 a year, and 307,930 are employed in the hotel industry.

33. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers earn a median of $27,880 a year, and 28,590 are employed in the hotel industry.

32. Desk clerks earn a median of $27,970 a year, and 200,860 are employed in the hotel industry.

31. Bartenders earn a median of $28,340 a year, and 26,060 are employed in the hotel industry.

30. Baggage porters and bellhops earn a median of $28,560 a year, and 10,530 are employed in the hotel industry.

29. Hosts and hostesses earn a median of $28,700 a year, and 11,460 are employed in the hotel industry.

28. Fast food and counter workers earn a median of $29,340 a year, and 11,440 are employed in the hotel industry.

27. Dishwashers earn a median of $29,410 a year, and 12,580 are employed in the hotel industry.

26. Janitors and cleaners (except maids and housekeeping cleaners) earn a median of $29,440 a year, and 34,520 are employed in the hotel industry.

25. Food preparation workers earn a median of $29,730 a year, and 8,500 are employed in the hotel industry.

24. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $30,340 a year, and 9,050 are employed in the hotel industry.

23. Concierges earn a median of $31,500 a year, and 5,460 are employed in the hotel industry.

22. Office clerks earn a median of $32,290 a year, and 4,990 are employed in the hotel industry.

21. Security guards earn a median of $34,390 a year, and 29,640 are employed in the hotel industry.

20. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn a median of $34,990 a year, and 17,170 are employed in the hotel industry.

19. Restaurant cooks earn a median of $35,550 a year, and 44,580 are employed in the hotel industry.

18. Maintenance and repair workers earn a median of $36,370 a year, and 75,770 are employed in the hotel industry.

17. First-Line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers earn a median of $36,940 a year, and 29,270 are employed in the hotel industry.

16. Secretaries and administrative assistants earn a median of $37,150 a year, and 5,180 are employed in the hotel industry.

15. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers earn a median of $38,780 a year, and 30,950 are employed in the hotel industry.

14. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers earn a median of $45,720 a year, and 17,050 are employed in the hotel industry.

13. Meeting, convention, and event planners earn a median of $49,450 a year, and 5,090 are employed in the hotel industry.

12. Sales representatives of services earn a median of $54,250 a year, and 16,040 are employed in the hotel industry.

11. First-Line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers earn a median of $55,990 a year, and 8,050 are employed in the hotel industry.

10. Human resources specialists earn a median of $59,060 a year, and 5,230 are employed in the hotel industry.

9. Lodging managers earn a median of $59,430 a year, and 31,010 are employed in the hotel industry.

8. Accountants and auditors earn a median of $60,820 a year, and 8,400 are employed in the hotel industry.

7. Chefs and head cooks earn a median of $61,760 a year, and 10,000 are employed in the hotel industry.

6. General and operations managers earn a median of $66,560 a year, and 21,740 are employed in the hotel industry.

5. Food service managers earn a median of $73,800 a year, and 5,910 are employed in the hotel industry.

4. Administrative services managers earn a median of $74,120 a year, and 1,200 are employed in the hotel industry.

3. Sales managers earn a median of $82,390 a year, and 6,700 are employed in the hotel industry.

2. Facilities managers earn a median of $88,830 a year, and 4,240 are employed in the hotel industry.

1. Financial managers earn a median of $103,030 a year, and 4,660 are employed in the hotel industry.

Method and data source

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