Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the rooming and boarding houses, dormitories, and workers' camps industry earns $38,404 per year ($18.46/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps Workers Earn?
At $38,404/year (equivalent to $18.46/hour for a full-time worker), rooming and boarding houses, dormitories, and workers' camps 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 rooming and boarding houses, dormitories, and workers' camps business employs 6 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average rooming and boarding houses, dormitories, and workers' camps business generating $536K/year with 6 employees at $38,404 each, total payroll represents roughly 43.0% 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 rooming and boarding houses, dormitories, and workers' campsbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $49,925/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 6 employees = ~$230,424/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $18.46/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $536K/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 Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do rooming and boarding houses, dormitories, and workers' camps employees make?
- The average rooming and boarding houses, dormitories, and workers' camps employee earns $38,404 per year, which is equivalent to $18.46/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 rooming and boarding houses, dormitories, and workers' camps industry?
- The rooming and boarding houses, dormitories, and workers' camps industry employs 10,300 workers across 1,823 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 6 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).