What is a Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk?
Occupation Description 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.
Desk Clerk Responsibilities
- Contact housekeeping or maintenance staff when guests report problems.
- Post charges, such as those for rooms, food, liquor, or telephone calls, to ledgers, manually or by using computers.
- Greet, register, and assign rooms to guests of hotels or motels.
- Compute bills, collect payments, and make change for guests.
- Record guest comments or complaints, referring customers to managers as necessary.
- Clean and maintain lobby and common areas, such as restocking supplies and watering plants.
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Qualities of a Desk Clerk
These are the skills Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks say are the most useful in their careers:
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Other Desk Clerk Job Titles
- Reservationist
- Front Desk Attendant
- Floor Clerk
- Front Desk Representative
- Guest Services Worker
What Kind of Desk Clerk Job Opportunities Are There?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 252,600 jobs in the United States for Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 4.4% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 11,200 new jobs for Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk by 2026. There will be an estimated 40,900 positions for Desk Clerk per year.

The states with the most job growth for Desk Clerk are Idaho, Utah, and Oklahoma. Watch out if you plan on working in Missouri, Kansas, or Wisconsin. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Desk Clerk
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks make between $18,090 and $34,040 a year.

Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks who work in Hawaii, District of Columbia, or Nevada, make the highest salaries.
How much do Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $20,690 |
Alaska | $30,320 |
Arizona | $25,210 |
Arkansas | $20,830 |
California | $29,880 |
Colorado | $28,000 |
Connecticut | $26,700 |
Delaware | $25,660 |
District of Columbia | $35,950 |
Florida | $24,890 |
Georgia | $21,100 |
Hawaii | $44,250 |
Idaho | $22,710 |
Illinois | $24,690 |
Indiana | $21,670 |
Iowa | $22,180 |
Kansas | $21,120 |
Kentucky | $20,190 |
Louisiana | $20,900 |
Maine | $25,440 |
Maryland | $26,360 |
Massachusetts | $30,770 |
Michigan | $23,710 |
Minnesota | $25,160 |
Mississippi | $20,950 |
Missouri | $23,300 |
Montana | $23,650 |
Nebraska | $24,010 |
Nevada | $30,360 |
New Hampshire | $25,360 |
New Jersey | $25,390 |
New Mexico | $22,740 |
New York | $33,860 |
North Carolina | $22,920 |
North Dakota | $26,120 |
Ohio | $21,990 |
Oklahoma | $20,570 |
Oregon | $26,410 |
Pennsylvania | $22,960 |
Rhode Island | $25,470 |
South Carolina | $22,060 |
South Dakota | $23,310 |
Tennessee | $21,860 |
Texas | $22,570 |
Utah | $24,250 |
Vermont | $28,320 |
Virginia | $22,300 |
Washington | $28,400 |
West Virginia | $21,550 |
Wisconsin | $23,010 |
Wyoming | $26,090 |
What Tools & Technology do Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Publisher
- Delphi Technology
- Yardi
- Incident tracking software
Becoming a Desk Clerk
Learn what Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk education requirements there are.

What work experience do I need to become a Desk Clerk?

Where do Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks Work?

Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks work in the following industries:

Related Careers
Career changers with experience as a Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
- Self-Enrichment Education Teachers
- Data Entry Keyers
- Singers
- Slot Supervisors
- Teacher Assistants
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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