As a leader in hospitality industry talent recruitment for 25+ years, Goodwin Recruiting specializes in placing experienced professionals and executives with industry companies across the United States.  

We maintain extensive data on salary ranges and total compensation packages for jobs across multiple sectors in this thriving industry, from lodging and accommodations to food and beverage, travel and tourism, entertainment, recreation – and the many subsectors within these core segments of the industry.  

Getting to the top-paying jobs in hospitality  

To identify the highest-paying jobs in the hospitality industry, we analyzed our own proprietary salary range data and compared it alongside that of other prominent salary resources, such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), merging data from all sources.  

We’re sharing the results of our analysis for two reasons:  

• To help hospitality industry companies remain or become more competitive in the hiring market 

• To help professionals hone their career paths and financial planning, and identify college degrees, certifications, or other requirements for landing high-paying jobs in the hospitality industry 

What to know about the salary ranges     

Many factors contribute to determining salary ranges across hospitality management, executive, and corporate roles. Thus, as you review the data for full-time hospitality jobs below, you’ll see a wide salary range for each position. Keep in mind that these do not represent ‘average’ ranges, but rather a scope of annual pay across each of the highest-paying jobs. Here are several reasons the ranges are so broad:   

• Diverse Concepts: The data covers salary ranges for top hospitality jobs within many different hospitality sectors, from independently owned establishments to national and multinational hospitality brands and chains, including restaurants, hotels, resorts, luxury residences, cruise lines, tour operators, and many other subsectors. Companies offer different combinations and classes of offerings, concepts, and services, which involve varying job responsibilities that impact salary ranges. Market conditions can also affect salary ranges for high-paying hospitality jobs. 

• Geographic Location: Salary ranges for top hospitality jobs are often based on the geographic location of a job, a common factor that makes a difference across all industries. 

• Years of Experience, Individual Qualifications, and Level of Education: These factors weigh heavily in determining salaries. Many high-paying hospitality jobs require deep experience, business acumen, and an associate or bachelor’s degree, along with certifications and accumulated years of experience. Some demand advanced degrees, such as a master’s degree. 

• Total Compensation Packages: The annual salary ranges below exclude forms of hospitality job compensation beyond base annual pay, such as benefits, bonuses, profit sharing, stock options, and other perks and non-cash compensation. These factors usually have significant bearing on determining annual salaries.  

The above factors can give hospitality industry companies and hospitality job candidates a better understanding of the complexities that underlie salary determinations for high-paying hospitality jobs.  

Results: The top 20 highest-paying jobs in the hospitality industry  

As you’ll see, the hospitality industry’s highest paying jobs are primarily comprised of C-suite, executive-level, and management or director roles. While there are plenty of exceptions, typically, large hotel chains and resorts, casinos, companies in the luxury travel sector, and multinational companies offer the most lucrative job opportunities.  

These jobs require a combination of hospitality industry experience, demonstrated leadership skills and traits, and as mentioned, a business or hospitality degree and relevant certifications, all giving job candidates a leg up in landing top jobs.  

1. Chief Executive Officer (CEO): $250,000 – $500,000
2. President: $250,000 – $500,000
3. Executive Vice President, or Senior Vice President: $250,000 – $350,000
4. Chief Financial Officer (CFO): $200,000 – $400,000
5. Director of Information Technology (IT): $199,000 – $349,000
6. Chief People Officer (CPO), Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), or Vice President of Human Resources: $175,000 – $205,000
7. Vice President of Lodging: $157,000 – $270,000
8. Director of Engineering: $155,000 – $195,000
9. Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), or Vice President of Marketing: $140,000 – $210,000
10. Director of Construction: $135,000 – $200,000
11. Director of Finance & Accounting: $135,000 – $210,000
12. Chief Operating Officer (COO), or Vice President of Operations: $130,000 – $300,000
13. Director of Business Development or Director of Sales: $130,000 – $250,000
14. General Manager: $125,000 – $230,000
15. Vice President of Culinary, or Food and Beverage Director: $120,000 – $240,000
16. Corporate Executive Chef or Private Chef: $120,000 – $275,000
17. Corporate Controller: $120,000 – $225,000
18. Director of Housekeeping: $95,000 – $160,000
19. Catering Director: $90,000 – $120,000
20. Event Planning Director, Tour Operations Director, Cruise Ship Director: $70,000 – $120,000  

What benefits, bonuses, and other incentives are part of total compensation?  

Beyond base annual salary, benefits, bonuses, and non-cash perks can determine what makes a hospitality industry company most attractive to top talent. The more impactful benefits include comprehensive health insurance, paid time off, childcare support, and flexible scheduling, such as remote or hybrid work for eligible roles and shorter workweeks. Employee and family discounts are also persuasive.  

Programs for professional development are very strong incentives, such as tuition and certification reimbursement, and mentorship programs, which make employees more valuable to the company and hospitality industry – and pave the way toward advancement within the company.  

Performance bonuses, including variable performance compensation, are big draws for today’s leading job candidates, as are profit sharing, talent referral and retention incentives, sales and catering commissions, and bonuses for reaching milestones in guest experience, operations, and revenue growth.  

Employers: Should you include salary ranges in your job listings?  

Many organizations have policies that prohibit disclosing salaries, including in posts for new job openings. However, pay transparency laws are gaining momentum, requiring the disclosure of salaries, salary ranges, or hourly wages in job listings. The applicable jurisdictions continue to grow in a progression of broader legislation around pay equity and pay transparency laws in general.  

The upsides to sharing salary ranges in job postings for top hospitality jobs:  

• By including salary ranges in your job postings, you’ll get more attention and response from qualified professionals looking for hospitality jobs – including passive candidates. As a result, you’re more likely to attract top-quality candidates. 

• Job candidates who require higher salaries than what is being offered will simply move on from the job listing, saving executives and hiring managers a lot of time and resources in vetting candidates. 

• You will demonstrate that your company is transparent, open, and upfront about compensation.  

• Salary isn’t the only motivator for today’s talented job seekers. So, if you choose to include salary ranges in your job posts, it’s also important to cite bonuses, incentives, perks, and the benefits you offer, such as health insurance, paid time off, your company values, and your great company culture (this is a big factor for today’s top candidates).  

Be aware of the potential downside and take action to prevent it: 

• Typically, hospitality companies don’t have more than one professional in a top job, but there are exceptions. If you have existing professionals in the same or similar roles who are not being compensated with the same pay as the job you are advertising, there is potential for creating unhappy employees. 

Learn more from an industry insider and get access to top talent and jobs   

If you’re navigating the wide range of salaries for high-paying hospitality jobs within today’s hotel, resort, restaurant, casino, cruise line, food service, or any other industry subsector, Goodwin Recruiting is your trusted source for factual information. We can help you dive deeper into the specifics of full job compensation structures that are tailored to your region or city. 

Whether you’re an employer looking for the right talent for your team or an individual seeking a new career in the vibrant world of hospitality, we’re here to help. 

For employers seeking further salary insights and access to top talent for your important staffing needs, reach out to us today and unlock valuable insights and talent pipelines that can move your hospitality business forward.    

For professionals who are looking for high-paying hospitality jobs, explore the hospitality industry job openings currently available with leading employers through Goodwin Recruiting – or get in touch with one of our expert talent recruiting partners.