What You Need to Know About Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk
Job 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.
What Do Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks Do On a Daily Basis?
- Issue room keys and escort instructions to bellhops.
- Keep records of room availability and guests’ accounts, manually or using computers.
- Record guest comments or complaints, referring customers to managers as necessary.
- Greet, register, and assign rooms to guests of hotels or motels.
- Answer inquiries pertaining to hotel services, guest registration, and travel directions, or make recommendations regarding shopping, dining, or entertainment.
- Prepare for basic food service, such as setting up continental breakfast or coffee and tea supplies.
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Qualities of a Desk Clerk
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Hotel Reservation Agent
- Guest Services Associate
- Front Desk Associate
- Guest Services Attendant
- Motel Clerk
Is There Job Demand for Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks?
There were about 252,600 jobs for Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk in 2016 (in the United States). 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. The BLS estimates 40,900 yearly job openings in this field.

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.
Desk Clerk Average Salary
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 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
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
How to Become a Desk Clerk
What education or degrees do I need to become a Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks Sector

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Related Careers
Those who work as a Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
- 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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