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Hotel Manager Job Overview

Hotel managers are in charge of the operations and profits of a hotel. The size and staff of the hotel may require hotel managers to perform multiple duties, including those of office administration, housekeeping, sales and marketing, maintenance, security, overseeing facilities of recreation and hiring and training staff, among others.

Hotel Manager Schools and Degrees

A bachelor’s or master's degree in hospitality or hotel management is required for this profession. A degree in liberal arts with experience in the hospitality industry also suffices. About 800 colleges and universities in the United States provide courses in hospitality management.

Job Requirements

Completion of certification programs is vital for this profession, which are offered by different lodging associations and hotels. One needs to successfully complete the course work pass an examinations in order to earn certifications.

Opportunities for growth in this career are available when working with large hotel chains. However, relocation every few years is frequent. Big hotel chains have a better system of growth and provide managers with the opportunity to transfer to another location.

Hotel managers need to be disciplined and have good communication skills. One also needs to have a sound knowledge about hotel operations, including knowledge about the safety, finance and management of human resource in the hotel.

Nature of Work

As hotels are open 24/7, hotel managers may end up working more than forty hours a week. In some hotels, business is seasonal, which can alter a manager’s duties.

A hotel manager’s job can be quite stressful. They need to handle the pressure of coordinating a large range of activities and deal with guests who may be stressful and demanding. They also have be aware of profit margins.

Hotel manager Jobs and Outlook

12% growth in this industry is projected over the next decade.

Hotel managers earn an average of about $46,000 every year. The pay, however, varies greatly depending on the responsibilities shouldered by the hotel manager.

Job Numbers and Growth

About 71,000 hotel managers are employed nationally. Workers can expect a very low level of unemployment, if history can be used as a guide. In 2008, 3% of employees could not find jobs.

Area Job Conditions

Popular locations for hotel managers include Ocean City (New Jersey), Flagstaff (Arizona), and Brunswick (Georgia). Fewer are found in Milwaukee (Wisconsin), Detroit (Michigan), and Warren (Michigan).

Workers looking for high salaries should look at New York (New York), El Paso (Texas), and Bethesda (Maryland), and should avoid Kingman (Arizona), Hanford (California), and Sandusky (Ohio).

Training and Education

Employees often obtain work experience in a related occupation before starting. The percentage of hotel managers with college degrees is 45%. Workers with some college (less than a bachelor's degree) represent about 32% of the total. Some employees, about 23%, had a high-school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Part-time hotel managers are 9% of all surveyed. Some workers, about 53%, work for themselves.

Hotel Managers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.