A Hospitality Career in Nevada is a Sure Bet
by Jessica Santina
jsantina@careerschooldirectory.com
Career School Directory Columnist
Tourism is, by far, Nevada's most important economic activity -- it generates $20 billion every year for the Silver State's economy. Between the gambling and entertainment offerings in Las Vegas and Reno, and the extraordinary outdoor recreation opportunities at Lake Tahoe and in the state's mountainous communities, a hospitality career in Nevada is a pretty safe bet.
Why should you earn an associate degree in
hospitality management? Aside from giving you a head start in an exciting, fast-paced career that exposes you to people from all over the world, it makes practical sense.
- The hospitality and tourism industry, which is made up of many sectors including lodging, transportation, entertainment, outdoor recreation and food service, is a $1.3 trillion industry in the United States.
- The hospitality and tourism sector constitutes about 2.8 percent of total world employment, and 8 percent of total U.S. employment, with an American payroll of about $174 billion.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the country's hospitality and tourism jobs will increase 17 percent by 2014, compared to overall job growth in all occupations of just 14 percent.
- By 2020, tourism will be the world's largest industry.
Without the revenue generated by the
hospitality and tourism industry, in fact, every U.S. household would pay about $924 more per year in taxes.
In Nevada, tourism is particularly important. Nevada's stunning natural beauty is world-renowned. Each year millions of visitors come to Nevada to scale mountains; explore caves; enjoy rafting, boating or kayaking in many of the state's beautiful lakes and river canyons; or to ski or snowboard on some of the world's best slopes. Lake Tahoe alone offers unmatched scenic beauty and a multitude of hotels and rentals in close proximity to almost any recreational, entertainment or night life opportunity. And Sin City's "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" motto is a testament to the city's utter dependence on tourism.
A hospitality management degree can prepare you to work in one of Nevada's many hotel/casinos, or at one of the state's world-class ski resorts. While many hospitality careers can be learned on the job, the higher-paying positions often require formal training through a hospitality degree program. The BLS says that in 2004, average earnings for all non-supervisory tourism jobs -- such as service occupations -- were $10.58 per hour. Management positions earn considerably more; lodging managers earned $37,660 and food service managers earned $39,610.
Earning your hospitality management degree in Nevada stacks the deck in your favor when it comes to earning one of the state's plentiful tourism jobs.
Sources
About the Author
Jessica Santina is a freelance writer with a background in media and marketing. She also teaches first-year writing courses at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Posted on September 25, 2006 at 12:59 PM
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