How much does a recent Travel & Tourism Graduate make as a front desk mgr ?

Question

I have 1.5 years retail mgmt & an associates. Have worked for the owner for 4 months, 3 months as an intern. Wants to start me at 8.75/hr. i did research on salaries & the like for the job and they show $14-15 / hr to start. he said that no one in the area would ever pay that much, it's outrageous. A nearby hotel that is just a bit larger capacity & offers a restaurant starts housekeeping mgmt at $15/hr. I need to make a decision in less than an hour and i don't know what to do. Pass up the experience in hopes of better pay somewhere else? Or take the low pay, crappy hours and use it to move on in 3 mos?

Answer 1

In Midwestern metro areas, front desk clerks (with no management responsibilities) make $9 to $11 per hour. In general when someone tries to pressure you into making a decision within a short time, the offer is not in your best interest. (This is true of everything from buying a car, to jobs, to marriage!)

Hospitality managers are usually not paid an hourly rate. They are usually on salary, and may work 50 to 70 hours per week (in some cases) without being paid overtime. Even $28,000 per year would be really low for a front desk manager.

However, having a two-year degree in Travel and Tourism doesn't guarantee one a management position. Many hotels would consider it a qualification for an entry-level front desk clerk position.

So it's a choice: take the low-paying management job because it looks good on your resume, or hope for a higher paying position, even if it's not management. I would say take the management job (at least you get paid overtime), work there for 6 months and move on.

Meanwhile, continue to work on your 4 year degree -- you'll need it to get ahead in the hospitality industry.