The traveler accommodation business is the largest employer of maids.
Hotel and motel maids, usually called housekeeping attendants or housekeeping aides, clean the rooms and other areas of the facility, restock supplies and make note of any necessary repair work. Small motels employ a limited number of these workers, while in large hotels, housekeeping may include a large staff of maids, floor supervisors and executive housekeepers. The occupation is characterized by very low pay, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job Features
Service jobs constitute 65 percent of employment in hotels, and most of these jobs are in housekeeping and food service, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Motel maids spend much of their workday cleaning guest rooms. They change sheets, pillowcases and towels, make beds, vacuum and dust, empty wastebaskets and clean the bathrooms. They restock all supplies, such as soap and plastic drinking cups. Motel maids also clean the lobby, halls and any bathrooms located off the lobby or hallways.
Salary by Experience
Most hotels and motels prefer their maids to have a high school diploma or equivalent, but some hire maids without these credentials, explains the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The pay rate does not change much with experience. Maids with up to nine years of experience earn in a median range of about $7.40 to $9.90 per hour as of January 2011, according to the PayScale salary survey website. The median range is the middle 50 percent of the earnings scale, meaning 25 percent earn less and 25 percent earn more. Maids with 10 to 19 years of experience earn in a median range of $7.80 to $11 per hour. Only 17 percent of motel maids stick with this career for 10 or more years.
Comparisons
Of all maids and housekeeping cleaners, most work in traveler accommodations, such as hotels and motels. In 2009, maids working in these facilities were making about $9.70 per hour, or $20,200 per year, compared with the average for all maids and housekeeping cleaners at $10 per hour, or $20,800 per year. Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics mentions that hotel maids receive tips as part of their income, motel maids responding to the PayScale survey said their tips only range from 20 cents to $1 per hour.
Specifics
Some PayScale survey respondents reported hourly pay rates from specific employers. Maids at Super 8 Motels report hourly pay of about $7 to $8, at Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn $7.50 to $8.50, at Hilton Hotels Corporation $8 to $9.90 and at Marriott International $9 to $11.40.
Tags: Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor Statistics, Labor Statistics, median range, years experience earn
