Best degree programs for Lodging Managers, ranked by enrollment
6 college programs and 477 schools train Lodging Managers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $69,250 median wage, 42,620 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
6 college programs at 477 schools train lodging managers, graduating 11,461 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Hospitality Administration/Management, General. The job pays a median of $69,250 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About lodging managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that provides lodging and other accommodations.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
6 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 52.0901 | 7,736 | 67.5% | 369 | $34,218 | $23,364 |
| 2 | CIP 52.0904 | 1,755 | 15.3% | 90 | $34,218 | $23,364 |
| 3 | CIP 52.0905 | 783 | 6.8% | 45 | $34,218 | $23,364 |
| 4 | CIP 52.0999 | 579 | 5.1% | 32 | $34,218 | $23,364 |
| 5 | CIP 52.0909 | 445 | 3.9% | 52 | $34,218 | $23,364 |
| 6 | CIP 52.0906 | 163 | 1.4% | 11 | $34,218 | $23,364 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What lodging managers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $69,120 | 4,790 | 1.76× | 32 | 2,060 |
| New York | $79,460 | 2,880 | 1.09× | 31 | 1,074 |
| Texas | $62,000 | 3,900 | 1.01× | 20 | 872 |
| California | $76,950 | 5,070 | 1.02× | 43 | 758 |
| Nevadamoderate | $78,110 | 490 | 1.14× | 3 | 482 |
| Alabama | $69,420 | 570 | 0.98× | 8 | 428 |
| Ohio | $48,690 | 1,490 | 0.98× | 13 | 425 |
| Indiana | $67,070 | 570 | 0.64× | 9 | 337 |
| South Carolina | $62,990 | 640 | 1.01× | 10 | 315 |
| Georgia | $61,060 | 1,580 | 1.18× | 11 | 305 |
| North Carolina | $63,860 | 1,460 | 1.08× | 20 | 304 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,980 | — | — | 25 | 284 |
| Utahmoderate | $67,060 | — | — | 4 | 261 |
| Arizona | $77,670 | 680 | 0.77× | 9 | 237 |
| New Jersey | $107,720 | 450 | 0.38× | 17 | 233 |
| Virginia | $66,990 | — | — | 12 | 226 |
| Massachusetts | $97,350 | — | — | 19 | 220 |
| Michigan | $58,970 | — | — | 11 | 204 |
| Colorado | $91,750 | 1,100 | 1.40× | 7 | 177 |
| Illinois | $61,530 | 740 | 0.44× | 19 | 167 |
| Louisiana | $63,000 | 380 | 0.72× | 8 | 165 |
| Washington | $101,350 | 450 | 0.46× | 7 | 158 |
| Tennessee | $63,050 | 610 | 0.67× | 13 | 148 |
| Hawaii | $114,070 | 200 | 1.16× | 5 | 142 |
| Maryland | $73,260 | 440 | 0.58× | 8 | 136 |
| Missouri | $46,880 | 170 | 0.21× | 7 | 117 |
| Oklahomalimited | $50,740 | 440 | 0.93× | 2 | 104 |
| Wisconsin | $73,590 | 1,130 | 1.40× | 11 | 96 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $106,630 | 110 | 0.78× | 2 | 89 |
| Kentuckymoderate | $59,440 | — | — | 4 | 87 |
| West Virginia | $72,800 | 180 | 0.93× | 6 | 83 |
| Mississippi | $62,550 | 290 | 0.90× | 9 | 78 |
| Nebraskalimited | $67,990 | 330 | 1.18× | 2 | 65 |
| Arkansas | $45,870 | 480 | 1.35× | 5 | 64 |
| Iowa | $59,680 | 410 | 0.96× | 6 | 58 |
| Delawaremoderate | $73,850 | 130 | 0.97× | 3 | 57 |
| Idaho | $65,390 | 70 | 0.29× | 6 | 49 |
| Kansasmoderate | $64,220 | 300 | 0.77× | 4 | 46 |
| Minnesotamoderate | $78,890 | 250 | 0.31× | 4 | 46 |
| New Mexico | $67,320 | 370 | 1.55× | 5 | 44 |
| Oregonmoderate | $63,220 | 1,170 | 2.18× | 4 | 33 |
| Mainemoderate | $62,400 | 740 | 4.19× | 3 | 29 |
| New Hampshiremoderate | $79,210 | 90 | 0.48× | 4 | 26 |
| Connecticut | $76,940 | 210 | 0.46× | 6 | 25 |
| Vermontlimited | $81,440 | 210 | 2.50× | 1 | 12 |
| Montanalimited | $66,580 | 670 | 4.80× | 1 | 9 |
| District of Columbialimited | $75,610 | 260 | 1.33× | 2 | 8 |
| North Dakotalimited | $62,770 | 270 | 2.31× | 1 | 6 |
| South Dakotalimited | $61,920 | 310 | 2.45× | 2 | 5 |
| Wyominglimited | $61,190 | 420 | 5.43× | 2 | 2 |
| Alaskalimited | $80,060 | — | — | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Answer inquiries pertaining to hotel policies and services, and resolve occupants' complaints.
- Participate in financial activities, such as the setting of room rates, the establishment of budgets, and the allocation of funds to departments.
- Confer and cooperate with other managers to ensure coordination of hotel activities.
- Greet and register guests.
- Monitor the revenue activity of the hotel or facility.
- Manage and maintain temporary or permanent lodging facilities.
- Train staff members.
- Observe and monitor staff performance to ensure efficient operations and adherence to facility's policies and procedures.
Skills
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Writing3.9
- Monitoring3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Learning3.8
- Learning Strategies3.4
Knowledge areas
- English Language4.7
- Administration and Management4.7
- Personnel and Human Resources4.6
- Customer and Personal Service4.5
- Mathematics4.3
- Sales and Marketing4.3
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.1
- Speech Recognition4.0
- Speech Clarity4.0
- Problem Sensitivity4.0
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Written Comprehension4.0
Core activities
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.5
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.4
- Training and Teaching Others4.3
- Getting Information4.3
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.3
- Working with Computers4.3
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Lodging Manager
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 6 majors mapped to Lodging Managers6 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 52.0901Hospitality Administration/Management, General
- 52.0904Hotel/Motel Administration/Management
- 52.0905Restaurant/Food Services Management
- 52.0906Resort Management
- 52.0909Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management
- 52.0999Hospitality Administration/Management, Other
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Lodging Manager?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Hospitality Administration/Management, General, which awarded 7,736 degrees in 2024-25, 67.5% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Lodging Manager?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Hospitality Administration/Management. Together they graduate about 11,461 people a year.
How much do lodging managers earn?+
The median is $69,250 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $40,070 at the 10th percentile to $128,880 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for lodging managers growing?+
BLS projects a +3.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 5,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
477 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 6 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do lodging managers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Hotel Manager, Resort Manager, Front Desk Manager, Front Office Manager among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-9081.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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