Runs all hotel operations on a cruise ship, including cabins, restaurants, bars, guest services, and entertainment, as one of the ship's senior officers. BLS does not publish separate figures for lodging managers; it counts them within lodging manager (SOC 11-9081), whose median pay is $69,250 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 11-9081
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Cruise Ship Hotel Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $69,250a year, or $33.29/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $40KTop 10% $129K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.8%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5,50054,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202554.8K
- Projected 203556.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 54.8K Projected 2035 56.9K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school18.3%
- High school1.2%
- Some college5.9%
- Associate's3.1%
- Bachelor's71.6%
Highest education held by lodging managers Segment Value Less than high school 18.3% High school 1.2% Some college 5.9% Associate's 3.1% Bachelor's 71.6%
Also advertised as: Hotel Director, Hotel Manager (Cruise), Guest Services Director, Hotel Operations Director (Cruise).
Pay
How much do Lodging Managers make?
Every cruise ship hotel director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$69,250
Middle half earn $49,530 to $94,030
- 10th
- $40,070
- 25th
- $49,530
- 75th
- $94,030
- 90th
- $128,880
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $40,070 |
| 25th | $49,530 |
| Median | $69,250 |
| 75th | $94,030 |
| 90th | $128,880 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $69,250
- Median hourly wage
- $33.29/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $78,740
- People employed
- 42,620
Versus all US occupations
At $69,250, Lodging Managers earn 36% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $18,270 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 45% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $128,880 or more while the bottom 10% earn $40,070, a gap of 3.2×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 44% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Hawaii posts the highest raw median ($114,070), but once local prices are taken into account Rhode Island leads at $104,253 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Lodging Managers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hawaii | $114,070 | $103,746 | 200 |
| 2New Jersey | $107,720 | $99,003 | 450 |
| 3Rhode Island | $106,630 | $104,253 | 110 |
| 4Washington | $101,350 | $94,708 | 450 |
| 5Massachusetts | $97,350 | $92,051 | N/A |
| 6Colorado | $91,750 | $89,033 | 1,100 |
| 7Vermont | $81,440 | $83,138 | 210 |
| 8Alaska | $80,060 | $78,215 | N/A |
| 9New York | $79,460 | $73,628 | 2,880 |
| 10New Hampshire | $79,210 | $76,043 | 90 |
Job outlook
Is Cruise Ship Hotel Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Lodging Managers | +3.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Lodging Managers to change 3.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 5,500 openings are projected each year, 10.0% of the 54,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Cruise Ship Hotel Director
Hotel directors usually rise through cruise hotel departments over many years, often starting in food and beverage, guest services, or housekeeping management, then serving as a department head and deputy hotel director. A hospitality management degree from a program such as the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration or UNLV's Harrah College of Hospitality is common. Land-based hotel management experience also transfers.
All ship officers need STCW safety training, and senior officers take additional crowd and crisis management training. Strong leadership across cultures, financial management, and public health compliance are the skills cruise lines look for.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as lodging managers.
- Bachelor's Degree71.6%
- Less than a High School Diploma18.3%
- Some College Courses5.9%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree3.1%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)1.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 71.6% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 18.3% |
| Some College Courses | 5.9% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 3.1% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 1.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Cruise Ship Hotel Director do?
The hotel director is the senior officer in charge of everything guests experience outside navigation and engineering. That covers housekeeping and cabins, restaurants and galleys, bars, guest services, the spa and shops, and usually entertainment. On a large ship it means overseeing most of the crew on board.
Day to day, hotel directors manage department heads, review guest satisfaction scores, control the hotel budget, and make sure food safety and public health inspections go well. They work closely with the captain and chief engineer, take part in safety and emergency management, and handle the serious guest issues that reach the top.
Day-to-day tasks
- Direct housekeeping, food and beverage, guest services, and entertainment
- Manage the hotel operations budget and onboard revenue
- Lead and evaluate department heads
- Monitor guest satisfaction and act on feedback
- Ensure compliance with public health and food safety inspections
- Take part in safety drills and emergency management
- Resolve escalated guest issues
- Coordinate with the captain and chief engineer on ship operations
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Hotel directors live aboard on rotating contracts, often several months on and then a block of time off. The job is a constant leadership role, with long days, frequent inspections, and responsibility that continues around the clock. They work with crews from many countries in a self-contained floating community.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Writing3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Learning3.8
- Monitoring3.8
- Learning Strategies3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Service Orientation4.1
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Management of Personnel Resources4.0
- Coordination3.9
- Negotiation3.9
- Persuasion3.8
- Instructing3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 4.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Negotiation | 3.9 |
| Persuasion | 3.8 |
| Instructing | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Facilities management software
- Financial analysis software
- Point of sale POS software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Cruise Ship Hotel Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ECS) built on O*NET's Lodging Manager profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Cruise Ship Hotel Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 5 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising6.2
- Conventional5.3
- Social4.5
- Realistic2.7
- Artistic1.4
- Investigative1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Cruise Ship Hotel Director
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Office and Administrative Support
- Personal Care and Service
- Management
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager
$69,990median a year
Most earn $41K to $140K
+3.7%High school - Management
- Management
More management careers
Median annual pay, with lodging managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
- Cruise Ship Hotel Director$69,250
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
| Cruise Ship Hotel Director | $69,250 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Cruise Ship Hotel Director appears on
Questions
Cruise Ship Hotel Director: frequently asked questions
How much do Lodging Managers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for lodging managers. It counts them within lodging manager, whose median pay is $69,250 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $49,530 and $94,030, and the top 10% earn $128,880 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cruise Ship Hotel Director?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Lodging Managers. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 71.6% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Cruise Ship Hotel Director a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.8% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 5,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cruise Ship Hotel Director do?
The hotel director is the senior officer in charge of everything guests experience outside navigation and engineering. A typical task: direct housekeeping, food and beverage, guest services, and entertainment. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Lodging Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Lodging Managers are Hawaii ($114,070), New Jersey ($107,720), Rhode Island ($106,630) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Rhode Island moves to the top at $104,253.
What personality type suits a Cruise Ship Hotel Director?
O*NET scores Lodging Managers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.