Research / Publications > Tourism Sector Compensation Research

Tourism Sector Compensation Research

 Once a member of the CTHRC's online community, interested stakeholders can download the National Report and static summary tables for free.  The summary tables present the median compensation for 33 tourism occupations for:

• All Participating Organizations;
• Each Province and the Yukon Territory as well as geographic sub-regions;
• Four Industry Groups – Food & Beverage Services, Accommodation, Recreation & Entertainment, Travel Services;
• Union Status – Union, Non-union Employees; and,
• Employment Status – Full-time, Part-time, Seasonal Employees

To join, or login to access the reports, click here.

We are now collecting data for the 2010 Canadian Tourism Sector Compensation Study

Click here to Participate!

Understanding compensation data is essential to dealing with changing demographics and labour shortages, and to inform attraction and retention strategies. Attracting talent and retaining trained staff can be a challenge in the tourism sector. Many frontline occupations are seasonal, part-time, and often filled by students. As a result, employee turnover is characteristic of some areas of tourism. While this dynamic is suited to some occupations, it necessitates on-going recruitment initiatives. Employers competing for labour within the sector, as well as with other sectors, require accurate compensation data to illustrate the ranges in pay and the benefits offered in many positions throughout tourism.

In addition to cash compensation, non-cash elements such as training and development, career growth, organization effectiveness, and a balanced and engaged lifestyle are just as important to the workforce. Therefore, this study offers data organizations can use to set pay policies and assess competitiveness, while also providing vital information on human resource policies, salary administration practices, and the current pressing issues experienced by both small businesses and multi-unit chain operations.

In 2006, with the assistance of the provincial/territorial human resource organizations, the CTHRC conducted the inaugural national tourism compensation study. Information was collected for 28 different occupations at all levels, from frontline to upper management, from over 1,150 tourism establishments in three key industries: accommodations, food and beverage services, and recreation and entertainment.

The latest reporting (2008) builds on the 2006 study to include more occupations as well as data from businesses within the travel services industry group. Furthermore, the 2008 study was informed by a Survey Methodology & Compensation Comparison Study that analyzed a variety of compensation studies conducted within the sector. This analysis resulted in a number of partnerships with tourism associations designed to increase the number of respondents, thus increasing the relevance of the study as more than 2,000 establishments provided data for over 76,000 incumbents.

The study presents aggregate data in a paper-based format for all of Canada, and for each province, as well as the Yukon. In addition, participating stakeholders receive access to a database which allows them to make comparisons and forecasts based on geography, industry group, type of occupation, and demographic and employment aspects that are specific to their information needs.

Report highlights are available on the Tourism Employment Fast Facts page.

The Study of Survey Methodology and Compensation Comparison is available to all stakeholders as a free download.

If you are interested in the searchable database, but did not participate in the study, visit the Upcoming Projects section to learn how to get involved in the next rendition of the study, which is scheduled for 2010.