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

37. Non-restaurant food servers earn a median of $25,020 a year, and there are 19,320 employed in the hotel industry.

36. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers earn a median of $25,100 a year, and 28,960 are employed in the hotel industry.

35. Maids and housekeeping cleaners earn a median of $25,320 a year, and there are 355,930 employed in the hotel industry.

34. Desk clerks earn a median of $25,370 a year, and 201,620 are employed in the hotel industry.

33. Dining room and cafeteria attendants, as well as bartender helpers, earn a median of $25,530, and 42,740 are employed in the hotel industry.

32. Passenger vehicle drivers earn a median of $25,760 a year and 6,610 are employed in the hotel industry.

31. Fast food and counter workers earn a median of $25,870, and there are 16,290 employed in the hotel industry.

30. Waiters and waitresses earn a median of $26,550 a year, and 108,350 are employed in the hotel industry.

29. Restaurant hosts and hostesses earn a median of $26,710 a year, and 13,670 are employed in the hotel industry.

28. Bartenders earn a median of $26,890 a year, and 31,820 are employed in the hotel industry.

27. Baggage porters and bellhops earn a median of $27,060 a year, and 15,950 are employed in the hotel industry.

26. Dishwashers earn a median of $27,080 a year, and 21,910 are employed in the hotel industry.

25. Food preparation workers earn a median of $28,220 a year, and 9,750 are employed in the hotel industry.

24. Janitors and cleaners (except maids) earn a median of $29,320 a year, and 34,390 are employed in the hotel industry.

23. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $29,580 a year, and 8,340 are employed in the hotel industry.

22. Security guards earn a median of $31,600 a year, and 22,010 are employed in the hotel industry.

21. Restaurant cooks earn a median of $31,720 a year, and 59,580 are employed in the hotel industry.

20. Concierges earn a median of $31,960 a year, and 8,510 are employed in the hotel industry.

19. Office clerks earn a median of $32,550 a year, and 6,020 are employed in the hotel industry.

18. Maintenance and repair workers earn a median of $33,870 a year, and 70,190 are employed in the hotel industry.

17. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earn a median of $35,530 a year, and 15,730 are employed in the hotel industry.

16. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers earn a median of $37,390 a year, and 27,750 are employed in the hotel industry.

15. Secretaries and administrative assistants earn a median salary of $39,040, and 6,120 are employed in the hotel industry.

14. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers earn a median of $40,850 a year, and 21,720 are employed in the hotel industry.

13. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers earn a median of $44,190 a year, and 28,150 are employed in the hotel industry.

12. Meeting, convention, and event planners earn a median of $48,350 a year, and 6,320 are employed in the hotel industry.

11. Sales representatives of services earn a median of $53,070, and 17,260 are employed in the hotel industry.

10. Lodging managers earn a median of $55,730 a year, and 27,040 are employed in the hotel industry.

9. Human resources specialists earn a median of $56,760 a year, and 3,440 are employed in the hotel industry.

8. Chefs and head cooks earn a median of $60,020 a year, and 10,870 are employed in the hotel industry.

7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers earn a median of $61,130 a year, and 6,270 are employed in the hotel industry.

6. Accountants and auditors earn a median of $62,120 a year, and 6,800 are employed in the hotel industry.

5. Food service managers earn a median of $67,170 a year, and 6,020 are employed in the hotel industry.

4. General and operations managers earn a median of $79,330 a year, and 12,870 are employed in the hotel industry.

3. Administrative services and facilities managers earn a median of $86,880 a year, and 2,960 are employed in the hotel industry.

2. Sales managers earn a median of $94,000 a year, and 4,620 are employed in the hotel industry.

1. Financial managers earn a median of $112,520 a year, and 3,030 are employed in the hotel industry.

Method and data source

Although the leisure and hospitality industry is slowly recovering as the US continues to reopen and more people start to travel again, employment projections show the hotel industry could still end 2021 with fewer jobs than before the pandemic.

According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, hotels are projected to see a loss of 478,245 jobs in 2021 relative to 2019 employment. The American Hotel & Lodging Association notes that the projections are based on just hotel property jobs, and don’t include losses in related businesses.

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 $28,320, below the overall median wage of $41,950, in 2020 (the most recent data). Housekeepers, for example, earned just $25,320 per year in 2020.

The above slides are employment and wages for 37 select occupations in the hotel industry, ranked from lowest to highest wage. Both the number of people in that job and median annual pay are May 2020 figures from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.