This News Just Might Get You Through Your Next Bad Day

Okay, not every day in the leisure and hospitality business is going to be perfect. Dealing with the public can wear on even the most tolerant individuals.

But think of some of the bennies. You get to travel a lot. It’s a pretty stable industry. And this next one might really make you a little more patient when you hit a rough patch. According to a new report from the U.S. Travel Association, workers who start careers in travel earn higher peak salaries!

From an article in Meetings & Conventions on the report, “Workers whose first jobs are in travel and tourism go on to earn more than their peers in many other industries,” reaching an average salary level of $81,900. That’s “significantly higher than those who start out in manufacturing, construction, health care and most other U.S, industries. Nearly 40 percent of those who start in travel go on to earn an average salary of six figures or more.”

But wait, there’s more. “Travel industry jobs are lucrative for employees of different educational backgrounds. Those with a high school degree or less whose first jobs were in travel reached an average career salary of $69,500, 5 percent higher than the average salary attained by workers in other industries with the same amount of education.”

Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association points to himself as an example. “I started my career in the travel industry as a lifeguard at what was then a 12-hotel chain called Marriott. Many years later I departed the company, which by then had expanded worldwide, as the senior vice president of global sales.”