The hospitality and tourism industry offers remarkable and varied career opportunities.
Catering to the needs of others is the one common and fundamental objective of hospitality and tourism professionals.
Most hospitality career paths offer great earnings potentials without the need for years of formal education.
1. Caterer
Why Become a Caterer?
Catering offers a great hospitality career with unique perks.
Caterers tend to have great flexibility and creative freedom when working closely with customers to fulfill their objectives.
Compared to opening a restaurant, catering offers a cost-effective opportunity to become your own boss and a way to showcase your creativity.
The 2022 median yearly salary for caterers was $46,160.
| Caterer Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $31,520 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $15.15 |
| Education | 2-4 Years |
| Outlook | 11% |
2. Hotel Manager
Why Become a Hotel Manager?
Hotel Management offers a combination of customer service functions plus the oversight of daily administrative and operational activities of the hotel.
Meeting and greeting new guests and the many moving parts of hotel management make each day’s activities and challenges varied and diverse.
The 2020 median yearly salary for a hotel or lodging manager was $56,670.
| Hotel Manager Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $115,250 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $55.41 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 1% |
3. Hospitality Manager
Why Become a Hospitality Manager?
A hospitality manager is responsible for ensuring that the resort/spa offers a warm welcome to each guest – from start to finish.
A hospitality manager accomplishes this by seamlessly integrating the resorts’ services and departments, which includes the resort/hotel’s administrative tasks and the management of personnel.
The 2020 median yearly salary for a hospitality manager was $53,380.
| Hospitality Manager Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $37,520 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $18.04 |
| Education | 4+ Years |
| Outlook | 11% |
4. Restaurant Inspector
Why Become a Restaurant Inspector?
Restaurant inspectors are public health professionals responsible for inspecting food and restaurant establishments to ensure sanitary, serving, storage, and food standards are being met.
The nature of the job ensures that the industry will continue to grow.
The 2020 median annual salary for restaurant inspectors was $72,530.
| Restaurant Inspector Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $44,810 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $21.54 |
| Education | 2-3 Years |
| Outlook | 6% |
5. Restaurant Manager
Why Become a Restaurant Manager?
Restaurant managers tend to love fast-paced work environments, working with people, and a love of food.
As a restaurant manager, each day brings new challenges, which keeps the job exciting and engaging.
While a post-secondary degree is not mandatory, earning the degree may help restaurant managers reach their career goals faster.
The 2020 median yearly salary for food service managers was $56,590.
| Restaurant Manager Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $63,970 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $30.75 |
| Education | 3-4 Years |
| Outlook | 9% |
6. Chef
Why Become a Chef?
A career as a Chef offers great creativity and flexibility in terms of work schedules.
A Chef has the skills to work around the world and, therefore, provides a great opportunity for those who want to travel the globe to learn about other cultures and meet new people.
The 2020 median yearly salary for chefs and other head cooks was $53,380.
| Chef Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $56,920 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $27.37 |
| Education | 2-4 Years |
| Outlook | 11% |
7. Tour Guide
Why Become a Tour Guide?
A tour guide is a career that is a great fit for those with an affinity for others and a love of education.
Tour guides find rewarding career opportunities all over the world, with diverse career options – from a bus of tourists to an in-depth walking tour of a fascinating attraction, to name a few.
The 2020 median yearly salary for travel/tour guides was $29,460.
| Tour Guide Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $33,200 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $15.96 |
| Education | 3-4 Years |
| Outlook | 10% |
8. Bakery Chef
Why Become a Bakery Chef?
Bakery or Pastry Chefs offer a great career for those with a creative streak and a knack for details.
Bakery Chefs find work in a variety of settings – from recipe creators for large manufacturers to the owner of a local, beloved bakeshop.
The 2020 median yearly salary for bakery chefs was $58,210.
| Bakery Chef Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $32,300 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $15.53 |
| Education | 2-4 Years |
| Outlook | 11% |
9. Barista
Why Become a Barista?
Baristas are master coffee drink makers, typically with an inherent love of people, the ability to represent the brand, and an understanding of customer service.
A job as a Barista offers a non-traditional career without the routine of a 9-5 job.
The 2022 median yearly salary for baristas is $30,405.
| Barista Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $31,520 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $15.15 |
| Education | 0-6 Months |
| Outlook | 14% |
10. Travel Agent
Why Become a Travel Agent?
Travel agents are offered a great career in hospitality and tourism, often with flexible work schedules.
A travel agent’s goal is to make others happy by planning an itinerary to meet the client’s needs.
Work potential may include running your own agency or working for a resort in a remote global location, among others.
The 2020 median yearly salary for travel agents was $42,350.
| Travel Agent Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $46,580 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $22.39 |
| Education | 1-2 Years |
| Outlook | -11.6% |
11. Maid
Why Become a Maid?
Maids provide essential housekeeping services for hotels, motels, resorts, spas, and individual families.
Although most require a high school diploma, there are no formal education requirements.
Earning an associate degree may help propel a maid’s career into facility management.
The 2020 median yearly salary for maids was $26,220.
| Maid Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $29,580 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $14.22 |
| Education | 0-6 Months |
| Outlook | 7% |
12. Bartender
Why Become a Bartender?
Bartenders are experts at drink making and conversation.
An experienced bartender with the right skills can find work in just about any location that serves alcohol – across the world.
Most jobs are interesting engaging and do not require a college degree.
The primary training is usually a bartending certificate.
The 2020 median yearly base salary for bartending was $24,960.
| Bartender Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $30,340 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $14.59 |
| Education | 0-6 Months |
| Outlook | 8% |
13. Resort Manager
Why Become a Resort Manager?
Resort Managers are tasked with the managerial and operational oversight of all aspects of a vacation resort, which makes a resort manager’s career both engaging, challenging, and always fresh.
Their managerial functions include the supervision of staff members to set/meet the resort’s defined standards.
The 2020 median yearly salary for resort managers was $56,670.
| Resort Manager Key Stats | |
|---|---|
| Avg. Salary / year | $115,250 |
| Avg. Pay / hour | $55.41 |
| Education | 2-4 Years |
| Outlook | 4% |
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