Casino Pit Boss – Pit Manager Job Requirements, Salary, Training and More

So, you’re interested in becoming a casino pit boss, are you?

There’s good money to be earned, that’s for sure. But only if you’re willing to start from the bottom and work your way up. You might even have to take two steps back in order to move forward.

I know – you can say that for any job. But, it’s something that really applies to this job (and industry) as a whole. As does a few other things we’ll cover in our guide below.

But before we get to how to become a pit manager, let’s first cover what a pit boss is, what they do and, maybe the most important of all, who should and shouldn’t become one.

Because this job isn’t for everyone.

Okay, so …what’s a pit boss? And what exactly does a pit boss do?

Pit bosses or managers oversee everything that happens on the floor. They monitor and track transactions, ensure dealers are doing their job correctly and efficiently, solve (customer) problems, train new hires, catch and handle cheaters, comp players and a lot of other things-many of which vary from casino to casino.

Here’s where they fit in the casino hierarchy:

• Dealer – They work (deal) the different gaming tables.
• Dual-Rate Dealer / Supervisor – This person goes back and forth between dealing cards and supervising tables. This is the worst position to be in, as you’re not quite management – you still have to deal cards when the casino needs you too. But, with a good personality and work ethic, you’ll hit this level quickly and can focus on getting out as fast as possible.
• Full Floor Supervisor – Now you’re management. You oversee 4-6 tables and report to the pit manager. You’re paid a salary.
• Dual Pit Manager – Similar to Dual-Rate Dealer / Supervisor. You’re still a supervisor, but are (probably) in training to become a pit manager. The difference in pay is (usually) small.
• Pit Manager (Boss) – Now you’re supervising the gaming floor. This comes with a large salary increase, plus the opportunity to bonus. Pit bosses tend to make $60-$95,000 per year + bonuses. But this can vary wildly.

The hierarchy continues to climb from there, to where you’ll work on the floor less and less. You’re in the background, more or less, in an admin position.

This is the climb you need to be prepared to make, too, if your ambition is to become a pit boss. What I think is most important to take note of are the half-steps – where you straddle the line between two different positions.

For example, you might supervise a couple of tables during your shift, then be asked to deal a couple of tables later in your shift. This is more of a pain than anything else, as you’ll likely have to alternate between two work uniforms throughout your shift. You might also have to deal with the awkwardness of being on the same level as a co-worker, only then to become their “boss” later – all during the same shift.

The upside to dual positions is that they allow you to test the waters of management. You can see what it’s like without having to commit 100%. Then, if you like it, you can pursue it aggressively. If you don’t, you can go back to dealing full-time. No big deal.

An important part of any job is the environment-where you’ll spend most of your time. This includes both the location and people. You’ll need to make peace with both, regardless of the job you have, if you plan to be in it for the long haul. Otherwise you’ll be miserable, and most likely, you won’t last-You’ll quit.

Let’s start with the most obvious aspect – the location, or casino. This comes with several quirks you’ll want to be prepared for. For example:

• Loud noises from machines, music, events and general chatter.
• Most casinos let people smoke, and even the non-smoking areas are cloudy.
• Even during the slow times – be it in Las Vegas or a smaller Indian casino – there are lots of people. And the general human being is unaware (i.e. inconsiderate) of what’s going on around them. Which means you might need to weave in and out of groups of people to go from point A to point B.
• No windows. Most casinos are windowless once you reach the gaming floors. This can make some people feel walled off from the world (which you kind of are), and maybe even confused as it’s hard to tell what time it is when you can’t see outside. Casinos typically don’t have clocks.
• Round the clock work schedule. Many casinos are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week – including holidays. Are you willing to work all sorts of hours and days, at least in the very beginning of your career?

There’s probably a bunch of other things I can’t think of, nor do I have experience with.

Then you have humans – the different walks of life who walk in and out of the casino each day. You have your relatively normal patrons – me – who you’ll hardly notice. We just play and then leave. No harm, no foul.

But then you also must deal with:

• These are usually +EV for a casino (they spend recklessly). But what happens when they start becoming a pain in your butt? Or, a pain in your other customers’ butts?
• Not only do you have to know what to look for, but you have to catch them – sometimes literally – and call the authorities.
• Bums – These are people who don’t come in to gamble, but instead come in looking for free drinks or to bum money off your customers.
• Advantage Players – Similar to cheaters, but (fingers crossed) less hostile, criminal and painful to deal with. It’s more like dealing with an annoying fly.
• Problem Gamblers – Pit bosses don’t (and often can’t) exclude people who may have a problem. Pit bosses can only help people who request it. But it’s something you may have to watch day in and day out.

The question here is – can you stomach stuff like this? It’s not for everyone. I think it’d be incredibly difficult to watch someone blow their life savings because they don’t have the discipline to stop.

Last, you have your co-workers, which is something I briefly mentioned earlier. Because of how fast you can fluctuate between positions (whether it’s from promotions or demotions or due to having a dual-role position), you can be someone’s peer one day and be their boss the next.These roles can, and will often switch in the same shift.

This can make it hard to build, and even maintain, a good working relationship. Are you prepared and willing to deal with this awkwardness and possible resentment?

There’s not a set amount. Like any job, there’s a lot of little variables that ultimately determine how much a pit boss makes. Some you control, while others you (sort of) don’t.

For example, the casino you work at will be one of the largest variables. There’s going to be a substantial difference between a pit boss working at the MGM in Las Vegas compared to the pit boss working at a tribal casino on the Oregon coast.

But according to someone who has worked in a casino and who has friends in various casino-related positions, pit bosses can earn much more than that – as much as $60-$100,000 per year or more, plus bonuses.

, as of April 27, 2017, with a range usually between $57,783-$108,680, not including bonus and benefit information and other factors that impact base pay.

So, it depends.

I’ve also heard of situations where dealers can make more than pit bosses. Maybe the casino isn’t large enough to pay someone $70,000 per year, and because they cannot accept tips, the pit boss ends up making less than their dealers, who can earn both hourly and tips (tokes).

Less money, but in exchange for more work-which would cause lots of people to reconsider their current position.

However, that might be a worthy tradeoff for someone who enjoys the power trip, and – to be a little more serious – someone who prefers the stability of a salary over the instability of an hourly wage and (random) tips.

You’ll have to decide what’s more important to you. For some people, you’ll have to consider your current situation (single, married, family, bills, etc.) as well as how that might change in the future.

If you really want to become a pit boss, and you don’t live in one of the larger and more popular gambling destinations, you may even have to consider moving.

Pit bosses need to have a diverse skill set. It takes a special person to truly excel at this type of position.

To start, you’re going to need people skills, because you’re going to be surrounded by people all day long. You need to leave your problems at the door so you can welcome customers and employees, smile, be personable, empathetic and helpful.

If you have these traits and have excelled at being a dealer, then this might not seem like a challenge to you. But, keep in mind you’ll need to do all this ON TOP of your workload as a manager.

You’ll need to make sure your dealers and floor-men are following the rules, handling transactions correctly and are efficient. And if they’re not doing these things, you need to be able to show them how. The more efficient they are, the more hands dealt per hour, thus the more money the casino makes. And the more money you make a business, the more you (should) make, too.

Pit bosses need to be problem solvers, too. You’ll have to deal with customer issues, be able to stand there calm and collected while a customer screams in your face and deal with cheaters. The list goes on and on.

You also need to be able to multi-task – to pay attention to many things going on at once with a high degree of detail in a fast-moving environment, no less.

The bottom line – this isn’t a job for introverts or people with no patience, or people with no anger management skills. This isn’t a job for the unconfident, scatter-brained or anxious.

Okay, so let’s say you’re none of those things. You’re confident, great with people, love solving unique challenges and are ready to take some cheaters out back and break their legs. How do you get started? (Just kidding about the leg-breaking. Pit bosses say they don’t do those kinds of things anymore. You know, because they have to follow regulations and laws and stuff.)

You don’t need a whole lot. You don’t need (much) formal education outside of a GED or high school diploma.

That said, unless you already have industry experience, or are applying to a casino that’s just opening, you’re probably not going to be hired off the street as a pit boss.

Industry experts say that most casinos promote from within. This means you’ll need to start as a dealer, and then work your way up.

Many casinos will have their own internal training programs where you’ll learn to deal cards (including all games, strategies and cheating tactics), manage dealers and floor-men and anything else that’s required per state law.

Chances are you’ll need a gaming license from the state control board or casino gaming commission, too. For that, you’ll need a photo ID and the ability to take and pass a background and drug test. You may also need to be a state resident.

That’s the bare minimum. But don’t let that stop you from furthering your education. There are a lot of things you can do to not only improve your chances of getting the job, but increase your chances of moving up and earning higher pay – and fast.

If you live in Las Vegas, Reno or Atlantic City, then job openings are (likely) plentiful. Becoming a casino employee is akin to high school kids getting a job at McDonalds. It’s pretty standard.

In short – just walk in and apply.

But there are other ways to find out about casino (pit boss) job openings. For example:

• Check out .
• Check Craigslist for openings.
• Ask friends or family if they know of any openings – especially if they or someone they know works in a casino.
• Did a new casino open near you, or will one soon? We had one open near us, and there were a few people we know who got a job in the restaurant. Whenever a new business opens, they need to hire staff.

And remember what I said earlier – you’ll have more luck and more job opportunities if you’re willing to relocate. This will also likely affect how much you earn right out the gate, as well as what the max earning potential for you is.

Managing a casino floor sounds like a fun, entertaining and challenging job. It requires a diverse skill set, hard work and a predominately extroverted personality. In return, you get to work in an exciting industry, have a challenging and (reportedly) fulfilling career and the potential to make a modest 6-figure income.

But, it’s not for everyone. And while we can’t tell you becoming a pit boss is right for you, we hope the information we shared above helped you get one step closer to figuring it out for yourself.