WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — HotelTechReport, a hotel software company, analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on hospitality jobs nationwide to see which states are the best when it comes to working in hospitality.
Each state received its rank on how much of the average salary was used on rent, the number of employees per 100,000 jobs, and the number of vacancies per 100,000 people to form the ‘hospitality job index’ score.
Kansas was ranked the eighth best state to work in hospitality, offering an average salary of $34,834 with 36% going toward rent, 2,136 employees in the industry per 100,000 jobs, and 207 vacancies per 100,000 people. Combining all of these factors gives the state a score of 61.74 out of 100 on the hospitality job index.
Wyoming takes first place, followed by Nevada and North Dakota.
The Top 10 Best States to Work in Hospitality:
| # | State | Avg. Salary | Employees per 100k jobs | Salary as % of rent | Vacancies per 100k people | Hospitality job index |
| 1 | Wyoming | $37,530 | 3,239 | 35% | 161 | 79.32 |
| 2 | Nevada | $37,554 | 3,992 | 69% | 233 | 78.58 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $39,652 | 2,335 | 25% | 199 | 73.49 |
| 4 | South Dakota | $33,798 | 2,926 | 36% | 188 | 72.41 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $60,136 | 3,113 | 57% | 249 | 70.28 |
| 6 | Montana | $33,994 | 3,172 | 64% | 183 | 69.20 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $34,110 | 2,537 | 32% | 142 | 62.08 |
| 8 | Kansas | $34,834 | 2,136 | 36% | 207 | 61.74 |
| 9 | Florida | $40,920 | 3,011 | 76% | 204 | 61.00 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $36,848 | 2,119 | 39% | 209 | 60.95 |
“This data highlights not only where the hospitality sector is booming but also where those working in it can live comfortably in terms of financial stability. Additionally, the statistics of states with tourist hot spots like Yellowstone in Wyoming or the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada show tourism’s effect on the industry itself,” said a spokesperson from HotelTechReport.
Data
From each state, salary and unemployment data was collected on the following occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Lodging managers
- Maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Waiters and waitresses
Other data collected:
- Average rent data by state data was collected from Zillow
- Job vacancy data was collected from Indeed