Quick answer: The Birmingham metro employs about 120 lodging managers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through target employers on the experience and credentials they weight.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Hospitality management is not licensed. Industry certificates exist and employers genuinely vary in the weight they give them; operational experience usually counts for more, which is why many programs build in internship or practicum hours.
See the Alabama licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with target employers on the experience and credentials they weight.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 7 schools
within 209 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
7 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Lodging Managers in the Birmingham area earn a median $65,790 per year, below the national median of $69,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Hospitality Management Pay in Birmingham, AL
Metric
Birmingham metro
Alabama
National
Median annual wage
$65,790
$69,420
$69,250
10th percentile
$39,540
$45,750
$40,070
25th percentile
$61,660
$59,740
$49,530
75th percentile
$95,220
$88,340
$94,030
90th percentile
$103,510
$104,370
$128,880
Employment
120
570
42,620
Location quotient
0.82
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Birmingham, AL metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Birmingham median of $65,790 is below the national median of $69,250, and below the Alabama statewide median of $69,420 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.82 means lodging managers are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Hospitality employment tracks visitor volume - resort regions, convention metros and tourism corridors carry the deepest markets.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do lodging managers make in Birmingham?
The median annual wage for lodging managers in the Birmingham, AL metro area is $65,790, below the national median of $69,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many lodging managers work in the Birmingham area?
The Birmingham, AL metro area employs about 120 lodging managers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do lodging managers in Birmingham need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Hospitality management is not licensed. Industry certificates exist and employers genuinely vary in the weight they give them; operational experience usually counts for more, which is why many programs build in internship or practicum hours. Confirm current requirements with target employers on the experience and credentials they weight.
Can I study hospitality management online from Birmingham?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies target employers on the experience and credentials they weight.
Is Birmingham a better market than the rest of Alabama?
The Birmingham metro median is $65,790 against a statewide median of $69,420 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Lodging Managers (SOC 11-9081), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
