Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the hotels (except casino hotels) and motels industry earns $40,778 per year ($19.60/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Hotels Workers Earn?
At $40,778/year (equivalent to $19.60/hour for a full-time worker), hotels (except casino hotels) and motels wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical hotels (except casino hotels) and motels business employs 25 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average hotels (except casino hotels) and motels business generating $2.7M/year with 25 employees at $40,778 each, total payroll represents roughly 37.9% of revenue. Labor is a significant cost but leaves room for other expenses and profit.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a hotels (except casino hotels) and motelsbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $53,011/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 25 employees = ~$1,019,450/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $19.60/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $2.7M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do hotels (except casino hotels) and motels employees make?
- The average hotels (except casino hotels) and motels employee earns $40,778 per year, which is equivalent to $19.60/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the hotels (except casino hotels) and motels industry?
- The hotels (except casino hotels) and motels industry employs 1,514,663 workers across 61,273 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 25 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).