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Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $35,070 Median per year · $16.86/hr Most earn $27,120–$45,470

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Perform bookkeeping activities, such as balancing accounts and conducting nightly audits.
  • Clean and maintain lobby and common areas, such as restocking supplies and watering plants.
  • 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.
  • Review accounts and charges with guests during the check out process.
  • Compute bills, collect payments, and make change for guests.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 35,500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • RV (recreational vehicle) parks and recreational camps2.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: None

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: NoneEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. Most people start with a high school diploma and no prior work experience, so you can often begin right after school and learn the rest on the job.

  1. High school diploma

    About 4 years

    Finish school and build customer service, math for handling payments, and computer skills, which all show up in front desk work.

  2. Hotel Desk Clerk

    0 years to start

    Most employers train you on the job to check guests in and out, assign rooms, take reservations, and handle payments. This is the career itself.

Where it can lead

  1. Concierge

    6 months to 1 year of experience first

    You move into guest services, helping visitors with local recommendations, tickets, and special requests, which builds the people and local knowledge skills that lead to management.

  2. Lodging Manager

    2 to 4 years of experience first

    You oversee the whole hotel or lodging property, including staff, budgets, and guest satisfaction. This role usually calls for a bachelor's degree on top of your front desk experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take business, computer, or math classesCourses in typing, spreadsheets, and math help you handle reservations, bills, and payments accurately.
  • Get a part-time customer service jobWorking at a store, café, or movie theater teaches you how to greet people calmly and solve problems on the spot.
  • Join a club like DECA or a student leadership groupMany schools have business or leadership clubs where you can practice speaking with adults and working in teams.
  • Volunteer at local eventsHelping at community events or a visitor center gives you experience answering questions and directing people.
  • Practice a second language if your school offers oneBeing able to help guests in another language is a useful skill at many hotels and resorts.

In college

  • Take hospitality, tourism, or customer service coursesClasses in hospitality or guest services show you how hotels run and what guests expect.
  • Work a part-time front desk or guest services jobHands-on experience with check-ins, phone calls, and payments is the strongest preparation for this career.
  • Join a hospitality or business student organizationThese groups offer networking, events, and sometimes contacts with local hotels for internships.
  • Look for an internship or seasonal job at a hotel or resortSeasonal work at resorts can show you how busy properties operate and build your résumé.
  • Earn a customer service certificate if your school or town offers oneA short credential can show employers you already know the basics of guest service.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for part-time or weekend jobs at hotels, restaurants, or stores now, since any face-to-face customer service experience helps you stand out for front desk roles.
  • Get comfortable with basic computer programs, especially spreadsheets and typing, because hotel desks rely on reservation and billing software.
  • If you speak a second language, mention it on applications. Hotels with international guests often value it.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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