Hospitality and Tourism Jobs and MBA Programs in South Dakota

There are many career and education opportunities for hotel managers in South Dakota. In South Dakota, there are currently 160 jobs for hotel managers and this is projected to grow by 12 percent to 840 jobs by 2016. With the national projections showing a rise of just four percent over the next 10 years, the prospects in South Dakota are better relative to the nation as a whole. In general, hotel managers plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that provides lodging and other accommodations.

South Dakota photo by Dean Franklin

In South Dakota, the income for hotel managers is $21 per hour or $43,000 per year. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is $25 hourly or $52,000 per year on average.

Nicknamed the Mount Rushmore State, South Dakota is home to 812,383 people. It has seen its population grow by 7.6 percent over the last 10 years. The capital is Pierre. In 2008, there were a total of 566,490 jobs and at $38,644, the average annual income in South Dakota was higher than the previous year's per capita figure of $36,428. The unemployment rate in South Dakota was 4.8 percent in 2009. It rose by 1.7 percentage points from the previous year. Roughly 21.5 percent of state residents have college degrees. This falls short of the national average.

In South Dakota, the top employers are in nonstore retailers, gasoline stations with convenience stores, sign manufacturing and metal window manufacturing.

South Dakota is known for having important landmarks. Bowdle is known for the tallest water tower in South Dakota. One of the many things South Dakota is known for, fossilized remains of life 50 million years ago have been arranged in unusual forms, which is Lemmon's mark of distinction at the world's largest petrified wood park.

Hospitality and Tourism

Hotel managers plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that provides lodging and other accommodations.

They regularly inspect guest rooms and grounds for cleanliness and appearance. They also participate in financial efforts such as the setting of room rates, budgets, and allocation of funds to departments.

They are required to pay attention to ongoing situations and monitor them as they develop. Also, they must note the reactions and responses of others in both work and social situations.

Hotel managers should be able to listen to and understand others in meetings and read and understand documents and reports.

In order to be successful in the workplace, hotel managers must believe in cooperation and coordination and have strong self control in the face of challenging situations.