Retail, Hospitality, & Tourism
The Retail, Hospitality & Tourism sector is responsible for providing everything there is to offer in lodging, meetings and conventions, restaurants, shopping, travel and recreational activities. Career paths can be found in many professions in the hospitality industry, where the focus is people, service and guest satisfaction.
San Diego County Career Pathways & Salary Info - Hourly Rate (Salary)*
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR EQUIVALENT + ADDITIONAL TRAINING
- Chefs and Head Cooks $22 ($46K)
- Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers $18 ($37K)
- Food Service Managers $21 ($44K)
- Lodging Managers $25 ($52K)
ASSOCIATE DEGREE OR HIGHER
- Actors $18 ($37K)
- General and Operations Managers $39 ($81K)
- Interior Designers $23 ($48K)
*Entry-level hourly rates have been rounded up and salaries are provided as examples of what workers would make if they worked full-time (2080 hours a year)
SAMPLE OF LOCAL EMPLOYERS
- Bartell Hotels
- Fleet Science Center
- LEGOLAND
- Live Nation
- Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
- Petco Park
- Port of San Diego
- San Diego Convention Center
- San Diego Zoo
- SeaWorld San Diego
Imperial County Career Pathways & Salary Info - Hourly Rate (Salary)*
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR EQUIVALENT + ADDITIONAL TRAINING
- Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors $17 ($35K)
- First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service and Entertainment and Recreation Workers $22 ($46K)
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $17 ($35K)
- Food Service Managers $18 ($37K)
ASSOCIATE DEGREE OR HIGHER
- Coaches and Scouts $27 ($56K)
- General and Operations Managers $33 ($69K)
- Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners $17 ($35K)
*Entry-level hourly rates have been rounded up and salaries are provided as examples of what workers would make if they worked full-time (2080 hours a year)
SAMPLE OF LOCAL EMPLOYERS
- AutoZone Auto Parts
- Best Buy
- Chili’s Grill and Bar
- CVS Health
- Hibbett Sports
- Love’s Travel Stops
- Lowe’s
- Pilot Travel Center
- Macy's
- Target
Fast Facts
- $44,006 (SD) & $34,207 (IC) average earnings per job
- 272,129 (SD) & 6,827 (IC) people employed
- 11% (29,762 SD) & 11% (769 IC) 5-year projected job growth
- 13,292 (SD) & 422 (IC) businesses
- 9% of CA's Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism employment is in San Diego
- 7% of CA's Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism businesses are in San Diego
Grossmont College
APPLY- Culinary Arts
- Culinary Arts-Baking and Pastry
- Culinary Arts-Banquet Cook
- Culinary Arts-Culinary Entrepreneurship
- Culinary Arts-Line Cook
- Culinary Arts-Pastry Cook
- Culinary Arts-Prep Cook
- Retail Management
MiraCosta College
APPLY- Catering Operations
- Dance Instructor
- Dining Room Operations
- Food Services Operations
- Front Office Operations (Hospitality)
- Hospitality Management
- Marketing
- Meeting and Event Management
- Museum Studies
- Personal Fitness Trainer
- Restaurant Management
- Retail Assistant
- Retail Management
- Rooms Division Management
- Social Media for Business
- Viticulture and Enology
- Yoga Instructor (200 Hours)
- Yoga Instructor (300 Hours)
Palomar College
APPLY- Dance: Emphasis in World Dance
- Dance: Emphasis in General Dance
- Dance: Emphasis in Euro-Western Dance
- Drone Applications and Technologies
- Drone Operator 1
- Fashion Design
- Fashion Merchandising
- Interior Design
- Musical Theatre Preparation
- Visual Merchandising
San Diego City College
APPLYSan Diego College of Continuing Education
APPLY- Baking and Pastry I *
- Baking and Pastry II *
- Clothing Construction Program *
- Culinary Arts & Sciences Program *
- Culinary Arts Advanced Program *
- Culinary Nutrition *
- Fashion Retail Basics *
- Introduction to Hospitality Industry *
- Professional Bakeshop Skills Program *
- Sewn Product Business Program *
- * Designates noncredit classes
San Diego Mesa College
APPLY- Baking and Pastry
- Dance: Choreography
- Dance: Commercial
- Culinary Arts/Culinary Management
- Fashion Merchandising
- Fermentation
- Hospitality Management
- Retail Management
Southwestern College
APPLY- Culinary Arts Cooking Essentials - Basic
- Culinary Arts
- Culinary Arts: Professional Baking and Pastry
- Culinary Arts: Professional Cooking
- Entrepreneurship: Event/Convention Plan Emphasis
- Event and Convention Management - Advanced CT
- Event and Convention Management - AS
- Fitness Specialist Certification - Basic
- Fitness Specialist Certification - Advanced
- Hospitality: Culinary Arts - Food Services Management - Basic
- Hospitality: Event and Convention Management
- Hospitality: Event and Convention Management - Advanced
- Hotel Management
- Hospitality: Hotel Operations Management - Basic
- Hospitality: Travel and Tourism Management
- Hospitality: Travel and Tourism Mgmt - Advanced
- Restaurant and Foodservice Management
- Restaurant and Foodservice Management - Advanced
- Yoga Teacher Training - 200 Hours
student success story
Student Story: Jusimi Otero
Growing up in the foster care system, Jusimi was exposed to a variety of cultures and food. She always loved the culinary arts and how creative it allowed her to be. The values of the culinary field aligned with hers too, which has made the hands-on training in the classroom more meaningful. Learn more about Jusimi’s story here.
