Best-Paying Jobs in Hotels and Restaurants (May 2025 BLS Wage Data)
- The median wage across all jobs in accommodation and food services was $35,270 in May 2025, below the $50,980 median for all U.S. jobs.
- The sector employed about 14,276,590 wage and salary workers.
- Its best-paid large occupation was financial managers, at a median of $130,260.
Pay depends on what you do and on who you do it for. This breakdown uses the BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025 (NAICS sector 72: Accommodation and Food Services) to show which jobs pay best in hotels and restaurants, which jobs are open to people without a four-year degree, and what the most common jobs pay. Education levels come from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Highest-paying jobs in the sector
Occupations with at least 5,000 jobs in the sector, ranked by median annual wage. The last column is the median for the same job across all industries (from the national cross-industry estimates).
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | All-industry median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Managers | $130,260 | 6,440 | $166,570 |
| Sales Managers | $97,170 | 12,060 | $148,270 |
| Facilities Managers | $94,580 | 7,310 | $106,660 |
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | $74,130 | 7,820 | $76,400 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | 16,330 | $83,680 |
| General and Operations Managers | $66,990 | 216,760 | $105,770 |
| Lodging Managers | $66,900 | 38,310 | $69,250 |
| Human Resources Specialists | $66,080 | 12,040 | $75,940 |
| Food Service Managers | $65,990 | 201,670 | $69,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers | $64,980 | 14,310 | $63,820 |
Best-paying jobs here without a bachelor’s degree
Occupations where BLS lists a high school diploma, certificate, some college or an associate’s degree as typical for entry:
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging Managers | $66,900 | 38,310 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Food Service Managers | $65,990 | 201,670 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers | $64,980 | 14,310 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $63,400 | 13,730 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $61,650 | 160,460 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $59,670 | 30,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers | $57,380 | 5,440 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $50,830 | 46,740 | High school diploma or equivalent |
The most common jobs in the sector
| Occupation | Median | Jobs | Share of sector jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $30,800 | 3,367,270 | 23.59% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $35,240 | 2,087,000 | 14.62% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $37,300 | 1,312,060 | 9.19% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $42,910 | 1,037,790 | 7.27% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $30,830 | 620,980 | 4.35% |
| Bartenders | $34,780 | 600,580 | 4.21% |
| Food Preparation Workers | $34,730 | 519,550 | 3.64% |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $33,540 | 451,790 | 3.16% |
What this means for your pay
- Same job, different industry, different pay. Compare the sector median with the all-industry median for your job. If your sector pays below the national figure, the same skills may earn more elsewhere.
- Medians, not starting pay. Half of workers earn more than the median and half less; new hires usually start lower.
- Base wages only. OEWS excludes overtime, tips and most bonuses, so jobs with heavy overtime often pay more in practice.
Published October 28, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
For contrast, from the same survey: the lowest-paid occupation in this sector with at least 20,000 jobs was Driver/Sales workers, at a median of $30,580 ($14.70 an hour) across 175,190 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk