Luxury hospitality professionals command higher pay: Report
New Delhi: Hospitality professionals in the luxury space across key roles are commanding a significant premium compared to their budget and upscale peers, as per findings of the Indian Hospitality Compensation Survey 2025-26, an independently conducted benchmarking study by The People Network.
As per the survey, annual salaries of general managers at top luxury hotels in the upper quartile are hovering around Rs 1.15 crore compared to Rs 15.5 lakh for their budget peers, and around Rs 55 lakh for general managers at upscale hotels. Director of finance/head of finance salaries are at Rs 55 lakh at luxury chains, compared to Rs 11.9 lakh and Rs 35 lakh respectively for budget and upscale chains. The People Network said the findings are based on data from 888 participating hotel properties across India, and the upper quartile captures the top 25% of the market.
The People Network stated that differentiated leadership can command a very differentiated pay at every level of the hotel quality ladder. For executive or head chefs, salaries at luxury hotels are pegged around Rs 49 lakh, compared to Rs 12.7 lakh for budget hotels, and Rs 39.7 lakh for upscale hotels. Director of food and beverages (F&B) or F&B managers can draw salaries of Rs 40.4 lakh at luxury chains, compared to Rs 9.8 lakh and Rs 12.9 lakh for budget and upscale hotels. The survey covered 242 budget hotels, 164 luxury hotels and 482 upscale hotels.
Chief engineers are drawing salaries of around Rs 43 lakh at luxury chains, compared to Rs 10.7 lakh at budget hotels, and Rs 14.9 lakh at upscale hotels. Front office managers or room division managers at luxury chains are drawing annual salaries of Rs 30.4 lakh in the upper quartile, compared to Rs 9.5 lakh in the budget space and Rs 11.4 lakh in the upscale space. Executive housekeeper or head of housekeeping salary is around Rs 31 lakh for luxury hotels in the upper quartile compared to Rs 9.8 lakh for budget hotels and around Rs 28 lakh for professionals in these roles at upscale hotels. The benchmarking study has been co-authored by Natwar Nagar, Sridhar KR, and Ada Nagar from The People Network.
As per the survey, annual salaries of general managers at top luxury hotels in the upper quartile are hovering around Rs 1.15 crore compared to Rs 15.5 lakh for their budget peers, and around Rs 55 lakh for general managers at upscale hotels. Director of finance/head of finance salaries are at Rs 55 lakh at luxury chains, compared to Rs 11.9 lakh and Rs 35 lakh respectively for budget and upscale chains. The People Network said the findings are based on data from 888 participating hotel properties across India, and the upper quartile captures the top 25% of the market.
The People Network stated that differentiated leadership can command a very differentiated pay at every level of the hotel quality ladder. For executive or head chefs, salaries at luxury hotels are pegged around Rs 49 lakh, compared to Rs 12.7 lakh for budget hotels, and Rs 39.7 lakh for upscale hotels. Director of food and beverages (F&B) or F&B managers can draw salaries of Rs 40.4 lakh at luxury chains, compared to Rs 9.8 lakh and Rs 12.9 lakh for budget and upscale hotels. The survey covered 242 budget hotels, 164 luxury hotels and 482 upscale hotels.
Chief engineers are drawing salaries of around Rs 43 lakh at luxury chains, compared to Rs 10.7 lakh at budget hotels, and Rs 14.9 lakh at upscale hotels. Front office managers or room division managers at luxury chains are drawing annual salaries of Rs 30.4 lakh in the upper quartile, compared to Rs 9.5 lakh in the budget space and Rs 11.4 lakh in the upscale space. Executive housekeeper or head of housekeeping salary is around Rs 31 lakh for luxury hotels in the upper quartile compared to Rs 9.8 lakh for budget hotels and around Rs 28 lakh for professionals in these roles at upscale hotels. The benchmarking study has been co-authored by Natwar Nagar, Sridhar KR, and Ada Nagar from The People Network.
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