What Are Some of the Best Paying Hospitality Jobs?
It’s no secret that if you want to earn a good living in the culinary field, it’s a good idea to look away from traditional restaurant cooking jobs and explore other avenues. The hospitality field is actually quite large, encompassing everything from hotels and restaurants to travel companies, cruise lines, and theme parks.
With the right education and training, you can find employment in these industries—and maybe even work your way up to a six-figure salary.
Where the Best Hospitality Jobs Are
Casinos
You don’t have to go to Las Vegas in order to find the top jobs, but your chances of success are higher in large casinos that encompass a resort setting (a combined casino, hotel, restaurants, and entertainment center). You can work directly in the food service portion or move up through casino management to find the best jobs.
Casino Shift Manager Median Annual Salary is $67,383*
Regional Management
While small, locally-owned restaurants tend to have more prestige, large chains provide better job security, benefits, and pay.
Many chefs choose to work at a corporate restaurant chain because of this, especially once you reach a management position that oversees multiple chains. And in some cases, you can still have your hands in food production at the menu development level.
Regional Restaurant Manager Median Annual Salary is $87,025*
Hotel Management
Hotel managers do so much more than check people in and out of their hotel rooms. These professionals are in charge of catering, front desk services, housekeeping, financial accounting, human resources, and general business management.
You’ll probably need at least a Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management to land this job, but with an average annual salary of $110,000, it can be well worth it.
Hotel Manager Median Annual Salary is $101,136*
Hotel Manager Assistant Median Annual Salary is $54,351*
Executive Chef
As an executive chef, you aren’t going to earn quite as much as a regional manager of a large chain of restaurants, but you can still do quite well for yourself. As an executive chef, you are part cook, part manager—which means more responsibility, but more pay, as well. In most cases, this is a position you can only earn through years of hard work and loyalty.
Executive Chef Median Annual Salary is $62,153*
Few people enter the culinary field as a get-rich-quick scheme. Any advanced hospitality career usually is going to take some education and training, and there tends to be more competition for the top-tier jobs.
However, if you love food and the culinary world, you can combine your passion with good business sense to find a stable and rewarding career.
Source: *Salary.com
Read, Read and Read Some More
One of the best suggestions I have for anyone thinking of going to culinary school or just getting into the restaurant industry is to read everything you can get your hands on. Learn from professional chefs who have worked in the industry and those who have taught in culinary schools.There are many great books available to get you started in your culinary education and I suggest you read as much as possible before making that big decision to make sure this is the right move for you. Below is just a sample of books you might be interested in checking out.
For a much more comprehensive list of books for aspiring culinary, baking and restaurant management students, I suggest checking out my post on books for future culinary students and chefs.
