I Turned Down Nearly $300k+ A Year To Be A Songwriter

With 30 plus years experience in the Hospitality Business at large hotels and resorts, I decided that I would forgo the money and do what I want with my life. Many people don’t understand my choice, but that isn’t my problem. I’m being me and doing what I want. Guitar and songwriting is what drives me and allows me to release energy.

In large hotels and resorts, executive-level salaries vary significantly based on the property’s size (number of rooms), location (metropolitan vs. rural), and star rating (luxury vs. midscale).

On average, Directors at large properties earn between $90,000 and $160,000, while General Managers at top-tier luxury resorts can exceed $250,000.

1. Executive Leadership

These roles oversee the entire property or major operational clusters.

• Hotel General Manager (GM): $100,000 – $277,800+¹
  • Median: ~$115,000 to $162,000. In major hubs like NYC or London, luxury GMs often earn $300k+.
• Director of Operations / Assistant General Manager: $95,000 – $140,000
  • Typically serves as the “second-in-command,” overseeing day-to-day departmental performance.

2. The downside of working in hotel or resort management.

One of the downsides of working in hospitality management is that you give up your time in excess, there is no work-life balance, you are your job and you get vacation time other than that you are your job. That is something I made sure I stayed far away from. I cannot work 10-12 hours a day, I don’t care what the financial sacrifice is, I just would not want to live that way.

Directors of specific departments in large resorts generally fall into the following ranges:

Department	Position	Typical Salary Range
Finance	Director of Finance / Controller	$100,000 – $180,000
Sales & Marketing	Director of Sales & Marketing	$80,000 – $155,000
Food & Beverage	Director of Food & Beverage	$95,000 – $140,000
Human Resources	Director of Human Resources	$85,000 – $130,000
Engineering	Director of Engineering / Facilities	$90,000 – $135,000
Revenue Management	Director of Revenue Management	$100,000 – $150,000

3. Key Factors Influencing Pay

• Property Size & Complexity: A manager at a 1,500-room Vegas casino resort will earn significantly more than one at a 200-room boutique hotel due to the scale of staff and budget management.
• Bonuses and Incentives: Most directors and GMs receive performance-based bonuses ranging from 15% to 30% of their base salary, often tied to Guest Satisfaction Scores (GSS) and Net Operating Income (NOI).
• Location Premiums: Salaries in “gateway cities” (San Francisco, New York, Miami) or high-end resort destinations (Aspen, Maui) are often 20–40% higher than the national average to account for the cost of living and market demand.
• Ownership vs. Management: Roles at corporate-owned flagship properties (e.g., a Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons) often command higher base pay and better benefits compared to franchise-managed midscale hotels.

For a very long time I had been explaining my choices to pursue a career in the arts, specifically in music. I no longer explain or try to justify my choice, it is something that many will not understand in this lifetime.

If someone wants to work a 9 to 5 job and make a hundred grand or more, buy a nice house and have enough money to spend as they wish, that is up to them, I support your wants and needs. It is important that people remember that not everyone wants the big house and everything that comes with it. I may have even taken that path myself if I hadn’t discovered my deep connection with music and guitar.

Whatever your choice is, I respect that and realize that if you chose it that it must be what you want for your life. Remember that I may not want the same thing you do. My happy place is a small house or apartment or even a RV with a recording studio, a guitar and the freedom to enjoy nature and expressing my self. Another thing I love to connecting with people and spending time around honest, kind people with integrity.

I know I will be viewed as less than by many because I have a limited budget and my job doesn’t make me as “important” as they are within their company or corporation, but I don’t feel less than so let that sink in. How can I feel less than if I found everything I wanted in life and just wish to enjoy it.

Can you imagine if I were to criticize someone for wanting a house, high paying job and their desires to tell them they should seek something more like I want for my life? It’s absurd, right?

I don’t every need to make millions of dollars to be happy but I think it would be comical if I ever did when all of the people that saw me as “less than” changed their view of me and suddenly included me in a “club” that I didn’t want to be in in the first place. I’d still be the same person.