Office & Administrative Support
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
Also called: Desk Clerk, Front Desk Agent, Front Desk Associate, Front Desk Attendant
US median pay
$35,070
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+1.8%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
35,500
264,600 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Accommodate hotel, motel, and resort patrons by registering and assigning rooms to guests, issuing room keys or cards, transmitting and receiving messages, keeping records of occupied rooms and guests' accounts, making and confirming reservations, and presenting statements to and collecting payments from departing guests.
What they do day to day
- Make and confirm reservations.
- Greet, register, and assign rooms to guests of hotels or motels.
- Verify customers' credit, and establish how the customer will pay for the accommodation.
- Post charges, such as those for rooms, food, liquor, or telephone calls, to ledgers, manually or by using computers.
- Issue room keys and escort instructions to bellhops.
- Advise housekeeping staff when rooms have been vacated and are ready for cleaning.
- Transmit and receive messages, using telephones or telephone switchboards.
- Record guest comments or complaints, referring customers to managers as necessary.
- Keep records of room availability and guests' accounts, manually or using computers.
- Perform bookkeeping activities, such as balancing accounts and conducting nightly audits.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.8/5
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Persuasion2.9/5
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service4.3/5
- English Language4.2/5
- Public Safety and Security3.7/5
- Administrative3.6/5
- Computers and Electronics3.4/5
- Administration and Management3.2/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma75%
- Some college11%
Who this job suits
Mostly Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Enterprising
Leading, persuading and starting things
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.