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Hotel/Motel Administration

Types of Degrees Hotel/Motel Administration Majors Are Earning

Those studying Hotel/Motel Administration may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	107
Associate’s Degree	260
Bachelor’s Degree	844
Master’s Degree	521
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Hotel/Motel Administration Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Hotel/Motel Administration emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Hotel/Motel Administration graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Hotel/Motel Administration emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Hotel/Motel Administration program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Hotel/Motel Administration careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Hotel/Motel Administration graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Hotel/Motel Administration professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Hotel/Motel Administration graduates include:

• Personnel Security Specialist
• Industrial Security Specialist
• Security Specialist
• Security System Engineer
• Security Administrator (Security Admin)
• IAM Consultant (Identity and Access Management Consultant)
• Security Management Consultant
• Cybersecurity Risk Analyst
• Security Operations Specialist (Security Ops Specialist)
• IT Security Specialist (Information Technology Security Specialist)
• Offensive Security Engineer
• Security Engineer
• Cybersecurity Consultant
• Cybersecurity Associate
• Security Compliance Analyst

What Can You Do With a Hotel/Motel Administration Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Hotel/Motel Administration commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Food Service Managers	7.7%	$165,782	$138,706–$192,858

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Hotel/Motel Administration graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	47.5%
Master’s degree	11.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	10.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.8%
Postsecondary certificate	8.2%
Some college courses	7.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.5%
Less than a high school diploma	2.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Hotel/Motel Administration?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 66% of Hotel/Motel Administration degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,144	66.0%
Men	590	34.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Hotel/Motel Administration graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	695	40.1%
Asian	184	10.6%
Hispanic or Latino	317	18.3%
Black or African American	198	11.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	4	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.3%
Two or More Races	55	3.2%
Race Unknown	67	3.9%
International Students	208	12.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Hotel/Motel Administration Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Hotel/Motel Administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$35,616
4 years	$42,558
5 years	$47,733

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $47,733 — roughly 34% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Hotel/Motel Administration Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Hotel/Motel Administration. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	7	2
Bachelor’s	3	2
Master’s	2	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Hotel/Motel Administration Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Hotel/Motel Administration graduates earn a median of $42,558 four years after completion — roughly 12% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Administration and Management, General	336,590
Business/Commerce, General	57,976
Hospitality Administration/Management	13,333
Hospitality Administration/Management, General	8,041
Tourism and Travel Services Management	921
Meeting and Event Planning	730
Restaurant/Food Services Management	730
Hospitality Administration/Management, Other	584
E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce	467
Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Management	432
Business Operations Support and Secretarial Services, Other	368
Resort Management	130

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.