OysterLink Analysis Shows How Much You Can Earn in Hospitality During the Big Game

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — OysterLink analysis highlights how much hospitality workers can earn during the Big Game (LX), set to take place this weekend, February 8, 2026, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Average daily hotel rates have reached $510, with projected citywide occupancy at 95% and more than 9 million visitors expected across Big Game–related events.

OysterLink modeled the pay you can get during the Big Game using BLS wage benchmarks from the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara metropolitan area, with supporting indicators, including Instawork data showing roughly 12% higher hourly wages reinforcing the projections.

See the table below for estimated hourly wages and annualized earnings during the Big Game.

Table 1. Projected Hospitality Earnings During the Big Game

Hospitality Occupation	Average Hourly Wage	Average Hourly Wage During the Big Game	Annualized Salary Based on Big Game Wages
Baggage Porters and Bellhops	$21.54	$24.12	$50,187
Bakers	$22.04	$24.68	$51,341
Bartenders	$23.98	$26.86	$55,866
Cashiers	$20.75	$23.24	$48,350
Chefs and Head Cooks	$38.33	$42.93	$89,298
Concierges	$23.53	$26.35	$54,813
Cooks, Restaurant	$24.13	$27.03	$56,213
Dishwashers	$21.06	$23.59	$49,067
Fast Food and Counter Workers	$20.83	$23.33	$48,530
Food Service Managers	$41.14	$46.08	$95,827
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge and Coffee Shop	$20.63	$23.11	$48,048
Janitors and Cleaners	$21.80	$24.42	$50,770
Lodging Managers	$44.42	$49.75	$103,488
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	$27.28	$30.55	$63,549
Meeting, Convention and Event Planners	$45.92	$51.43	$106,971
Parking Attendants	$21.40	$23.97	$49,840
Receptionists and Information Clerks	$23.79	$26.64	$55,418
Waiters and Waitresses	$24.41	$27.34	$56,851

Note: Wage estimates exclude tips, service charges and bonuses.

Economic scale extends beyond hotels

The Big Game is projected to generate roughly $500 million in regional economic impact and support thousands of jobs tied to tourism, events, logistics and food service. Workforce demand has accelerated in the final week before kickoff, with shift bookings rising more than 20% year over year and strong growth across roles such as barbacks, brand ambassadors and merchandise staff.

Spending is also unusually high, with average visitor expenditures exceeding $5,500, reinforcing the event’s outsized importance for local service-sector earnings.

“Large-scale events like the Big Game rapidly raise demand, wages and shift availability across hospitality,” said Milos Eric, co-founder and general manager of OysterLink. “That makes this week one of the strongest income opportunities for hospitality workers, especially for those working on the frontline.”

Key Takeaways for Hospitality Workers and Employers

Hourly hospitality pay is up about 12% across the Bay Area during the week of the Big Game.
Front-of-house roles such as bartenders and waiters/waitresses rise to roughly $27 per hour during the week of the Big Game.
More than 9 million visitors are expected across related events.
Average visitor spending exceeds $5,500, amplifying local service-sector earnings.

About OysterLink

OysterLink is a job platform for restaurant and hospitality professionals, reaching over 400,000 monthly visitors. The platform connects talent with opportunities across the U.S., including server jobs in San Francisco and part-time bartender jobs in Miami.

OysterLink also publishes data-driven trend reports, industry insights and interviews with hospitality leaders. To explore more labor market data or post a job, visit www.oysterlink.com.

Media Contact
Deniz Cervatoglu
deniz@oysterlink.com

Sources:

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