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The differences between hospitality associates and hospitality specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a hospitality associate and a hospitality specialist. Additionally, a hospitality specialist has an average salary of $36,217, which is higher than the $33,909 average annual salary of a hospitality associate.
The top three skills for a hospitality associate include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a hospitality specialist are POS, patients, and proprietary software.
| Hospitality Associate | Hospitality Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $33,909 | $36,217 |
| Hourly rate | $16.30 | $17.41 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 18,928 | 69,787 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A hospitality associate works to ensure that clients get to receive optimal services. They can work in various places such as hotels, restaurants, resorts, and even hospitals. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their industry of employment, it typically includes understanding the clients' needs, planning services, researching the ideal practices, liaising with external parties such as suppliers and vendors, and developing strategies to optimize operations. Moreover, they may directly communicate with clients to assist them with their needs, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction.
A hospitality specialist is an expert in hospitality industry. They may work in conference centers, hotels and lodgings, parks and recreation centers, or many other venues. They are responsible for ensuring that hospitality accommodations are high-quality. They must provide leadership to create outstanding customer services at all levels of the organization. They manage employees and help them to meet their organization's goals.
Hospitality associates and hospitality specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hospitality Associate | Hospitality Specialist | |
| Average salary | $33,909 | $36,217 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $46,000 | Between $26,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Salesforce | Alameda Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a hospitality associate and a hospitality specialist in terms of educational background:
| Hospitality Associate | Hospitality Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between hospitality associates' and hospitality specialists' demographics:
| Hospitality Associate | Hospitality Specialist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8% | Male, 37.9% Female, 62.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 6.2% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 7.4% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |