Top Service Industry Jobs that Pay Well and Where to Find Them

The service industry is vast, encompassing everything from banking and hospitality to retail, nursing, and teaching. This means that there is probably a job for you in this industry regardless of your education and professional background. Some of these positions can be very lucrative as well. 

In this article, you’ll find useful information about service industry jobs that pay well. We also tell you about the skills you will need to access these jobs as well as the platforms where you can find vacancies.

How Much Does a Service Industry Job Pay?

The service industry is large and varied, so you can find jobs with very low as well as very high salaries and everything in between. According to a report on Indeed, yearly salaries in the industry range from around $20,000 for housekeepers to nearly $100,000 for sales and marketing managers. While a restoration technician earns just $15.55 per hour, the average mechanic gets paid an hourly wage of $17.89. 

How to Get a High-Paying Service Industry Job

There are always openings in the service industry and the demand for workers isn’t going down anytime soon. If you are interested in getting a high-paying service industry job, this section will provide you with the steps that you need to take. 

Step 1: Chart Your Professional Path

Before the job hunt even begins, you need to have a clear idea of where you want your career path to take you. Define your career goals as specifically as possible. We recommend using the SMART methodology to set well-defined targets. Once you know your professional ambitions, finding the right service industry job will be much easier. 

Step 2: Find a Company Where You Can Grow

If you are like most people, you will enter the industry in an entry-level position. Fortunately, there is always the possibility of getting promoted and climbing up within the company to reach for a higher salary. 

It is important to find a company that values its employees and seeks to develop them. Before accepting a job offer, make sure that you do proper due diligence to find out if you are a good cultural fit and if the company offers opportunities for career advancement.

Step 3: Upskill to Climb Up

Now that you’ve landed a job with a company with a strong professional development program, it is time to take advantage of the opportunities at your disposal for professional growth. For almost every job on this list, you will need to study and update your knowledge regularly to remain relevant and gain access to promotions. 

Make good use of any learning or training opportunities offered by your employer to grow as a professional and increase your base salary, job security, and job satisfaction. 

What Service Industry Jobs Pay the Most? The Highest-Paying Service Industry Jobs You Should Consider

From the food and beverage sector to health care, the opportunities in the service industry are endless. Below, we present you with the best-paid service industry jobs that should be on your radar.

Accountants

• Average salary: $73,560 a year
• Job growth: 7%
• Companies hiring: CACI International, General Electric, Blend

Accountants are responsible for preparing, maintaining, recording, and interpreting financial transactions and records for their organization or clients. They guarantee that taxes are submitted on time, that problems are identified, and that strategic solutions are developed to assist a firm function more efficiently. Accountants communicate financial information to management and evaluate accounting data to create strategic financial suggestions.

Flight Attendant 

• Average salary: $59,050 per year
• Job growth: 30%
• Companies hiring: Spirit Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines

A flight attendant is a member of the crew on a plane. They guarantee that all aircraft passengers are safe and comfortable, and they provide information and support as needed. Customers are greeted by flight attendants, who complete safety checks prior to departure and prepare and serve food and beverages to passengers. They also show passengers how to utilize emergency and safety devices safely on a trip.

Hotel Manager

• Average salary: $56,670 a year
• Job growth: 9%
• Companies hiring: American Cruise Lines, Holiday Inn, Best Western International

The day-to-day operations of establishments that provide lodging, such as hotels, are supervised by hotel managers. They hire, train, and oversee employees, manage the hotel’s budget, schedule maintenance and events, and advertise the hotel’s services. Hospitality workers such as hotel managers also deal with client complaints and ensure that employees have the skills they need to give excellent service in the hospitality sector.

Restaurant Manager

• Average salary: $56,590 a year
• Job growth: 15%
• Companies hiring: Benchmark Hospitality, The Cheesecake Factory, Hyatt Regency

Restaurant managers supervise the operations of their establishments to ensure that they function smoothly and effectively. They plan and manage all aspects of the restaurant’s operations. 

These professionals of the food services industry may, for example, deal with customer service concerns, assure the delivery of high-quality food and drinks, supervise restaurant personnel, and ensure that corporate standards are followed.

Wedding Planner 

• Average salary: $51,560 a year
• Job growth: 18%
• Companies hiring: Eventrics Weddings, My Vineyard Concierge, Northland Special Events

Wedding planners assist clients with the design, planning, and management of their weddings. They coordinate with vendors, negotiate contracts, create specific deadlines, manage their customers’ finances, and attend site visits and food tastings. Wedding planners are also in charge of ensuring that the look of the wedding, including its different decorative elements, is in line with the client’s vision.

Personal Trainer 

• Average salary: $40,510 a year
• Job growth: 39%
• Companies hiring: Crunch Fitness, Equinox, YMCA

A personal trainer creates safe exercise plans to help clients reach their fitness goals, whether that is weight loss, muscle building, or anything else. Personal trainers show their customers various workouts and routines, track their progress, encourage healthy living, and provide tools needed to achieve lifestyle and health objectives.

Call Center Representative

• Average salary: $35,830 a year
• Job growth: -1%
• Companies hiring: AT&T, Adecco, MDS Communications

Incoming client calls are managed by call center professionals, who also answer inquiries, listen to customer issues, and give useful solutions. They frequently finalize a deal or transfer the call to the right department when interacting with a consumer. A customer service representative must also adhere to scripts to ensure that consumers are provided with the best possible solutions.

Bank Teller 

• Average salary: $32,620 a year
• Job growth: -17%
• Companies hiring: Stearns Bank, Huntington Bank, PNC Financial Services Group

At banks, tellers are the initial point of contact for consumers. They manage client cash, collect deposits and loan payments, make withdrawals from a customer’s savings account, and handle cash advances. Tellers also offer cashier’s checks, handle customer complaints, and keep track of transactions.

Hairstylist

• Average salary: $27,630 a year
• Job growth: 19%
• Companies hiring: Great Clips Inc, Short Clips Haircuts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts

Also known as hairdressers, hairstylists are professionals that specialize in cutting, dyeing, and styling people’s hair. They wash and clean a customer’s hair, sell salon goods, and investigate the newest styling trends. 

To suit their customers’ hairstyling demands, hairstylists also clarify the benefits of various hair products, verify product supplies at their salon, and employ basic and sophisticated hairstyling techniques.

Retail Sales Associate

• Average salary: $27,320 a year
• Job growth: -1%
• Companies hiring: Aspen Skiing Company, PUMA, Urban Outfitters

In a retail store, sales staff welcome and help customers. They assist them in finding and selecting items and responding to consumer queries. Thanks to their product expertise and knowledge of sales tactics, they are able to increase sales. Retail sales employees are also responsible for operating cash registers, handling financial transactions, and providing excellent customer service.

Best Service Industry Jobs: Top Companies that Hire for Service Industry Jobs

In this section, we’re listing the top companies that hire for service industry jobs. If you are looking for the right place to kickstart your service industry career, here are five great options.

• Delta Airlines: Based on employee assessments, Delta is a great place to work. Workers of this airline have great things to say about this company’s corporate culture. They often report taking pride in their jobs, feeling camaraderie in the workplace, and being confident in the company’s leadership.
• Capital One: Capital One employees rate this company as a fantastic place to work due to the many opportunities available for professional growth.
• Bank of America: This is a firm that understands that supporting employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well-being allows them to reach their full potential. 
• Kaiser Permanente: According to employee reviews, Kaiser Permanente boasts a great corporate culture, work-life balance, job stability, and job growth. 
• The Home Depot: The career opportunities here are endless. Whether you’re joining the workforce for the first time or switching careers, The Home Depot is a good place to work because it looks after its employees and offers them training and professional development opportunities.

Where to Find a Service Industry Job

Wondering where you can find the best service industry jobs? Below we show you three of the most popular platforms to find jobs in the service industry.

Indeed

Indeed is the best-known of the major job search engines. Here you will find openings for any service industry job that you may be interested in. There are over 130,000 listings for accountant positions and more than 44,000 for bank tellers. This site allows you to upload your resume and turn on push notifications to receive new job alerts. 

Glassdoor

This website is one of the most effective job search engines available. It offers a fantastic, user-friendly interface. You can save job search results and set up job alerts so you are notified of the latest opportunities even when you are sleeping.

LinkedIn 

This site earned a reputation over the years as one of the best platforms for job hunts. It has high-quality job listings and helps you connect with professionals in your industry. For HR departments across the world, LinkedIn is an efficient, hassle-free way of finding competent individuals. With just a few clicks, users can create a free account, put together a detailed professional profile, and interact with major players in their industry.

Skills Required to Land Your First Service Industry Job

With the right set of skills in their resume, job seekers stand a much better chance of landing a position in the service industry. The industry is wide and eclectic but some skills will be relevant in almost every position. Below we take a closer look at three of the most important ones.

Communication

Almost every job description in the service industry requires good communication skills. In fact, every aspect of work life is influenced by communication, both verbal and nonverbal, from how ideas are expressed and received to how people interact with their coworkers. 

The ability to communicate effectively is one of the most in-demand skills in this and other industries. To land your first service industry job, having great interpersonal skills will take you a long way. As an entry-level candidate, an effective way to impress hiring managers is to showcase excellent soft skills.

Versatility

New trends are constantly emerging and changing every industry. This makes adaptability and flexibility crucial skills for the modern worker. Being a quick learner is oftentimes much more important than coming to a job with specific technical skills. In this day and age, advancing in your career requires constant learning to keep up with new trends and technologies. 

Organizational Skills

In the service industry and other sectors, good planning skills are essential. This involves being able to prioritize tasks, keeping track of important dates and events, and, if you are in a managerial position, coordinating the different members of your team and knowing what tasks each person can handle.

Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get a Service Industry Job?

Yes, a coding bootcamp can be a good training option for certain tech jobs that can be considered to be part of the service industry. These jobs include help desk support specialists and tech sales. 

The best tech sales bootcamps will teach you the technical and soft skills needed to succeed. These programs also give you access to mentors and a network of companies that are hiring tech sales professionals.

Is a Service Industry Job For Me?

The service industry encompasses an extremely wide array of jobs, from bank tellers and call center representatives to mechanics, hairstylists, and personal trainers. Given the sheer size of this industry, it is very likely that you will find a job that interests you. If you have strong soft skills and are quick to adapt to change and new environments, then this might just be the industry for you.

Service Industry Jobs that Pay Well FAQ