Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $27,120 | $13.04 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $35,070 | $16.86 |
| Mean (average) | $35,550 | $17.09 |
| 90th percentile | $45,470 | $21.86 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $28,050 | $22,270 | $35,150 | 3,910 | 1.1 |
| Alaska | $37,500 | $28,700 | $43,920 | 820 | 1.49 |
| Arizona | $35,880 | $30,610 | $43,780 | 5,540 | 1.02 |
| Arkansas | $28,300 | $24,150 | $35,140 | 2,420 | 1.11 |
| California | $39,360 | $35,910 | $54,020 | 27,810 | 0.91 |
| Colorado | $36,750 | $31,720 | $47,120 | 5,520 | 1.14 |
| Connecticut | $37,000 | $34,980 | $43,550 | 1,490 | 0.52 |
| Delaware | $35,730 | $31,200 | $38,340 | 740 | 0.91 |
| District of Columbia | $47,060 | $38,540 | $61,620 | 1,170 | 0.99 |
| Florida | $35,030 | $30,080 | $44,620 | 23,580 | 1.41 |
| Georgia | $29,130 | $22,520 | $36,720 | 9,490 | 1.15 |
| Hawaii | $59,110 | $42,430 | $69,310 | 2,810 | 2.67 |
| Idaho | $33,870 | $27,750 | $39,230 | 2,130 | 1.47 |
| Illinois | $35,410 | $31,200 | $44,900 | 6,390 | 0.62 |
| Indiana | $33,280 | $28,460 | $37,280 | 4,640 | 0.86 |
| Iowa | $30,590 | $22,840 | $37,190 | 2,790 | 1.07 |
| Kansas | $29,750 | $26,120 | $35,850 | 1,900 | 0.79 |
| Kentucky | $29,970 | $22,720 | $37,380 | 3,890 | 1.16 |
| Louisiana | $27,420 | $21,940 | $34,700 | 4,110 | 1.26 |
| Maine | $37,380 | $33,280 | $47,680 | 1,510 | 1.4 |
| Maryland | $35,860 | $31,560 | $42,920 | 4,020 | 0.87 |
| Massachusetts | $39,400 | $35,820 | $57,690 | 4,530 | 0.74 |
| Michigan | $33,870 | $28,570 | $43,450 | 6,300 | 0.85 |
| Minnesota | $36,320 | $29,310 | $43,080 | 4,430 | 0.89 |
| Mississippi | $27,300 | $19,050 | $32,030 | 3,050 | 1.56 |
| Missouri | $34,560 | $28,870 | $38,030 | 4,400 | 0.89 |
| Montana | $35,330 | $29,470 | $43,320 | 2,660 | 3.09 |
| Nebraska | $31,490 | $28,390 | $36,410 | 1,650 | 0.96 |
| Nevada | $38,900 | $29,110 | $49,860 | 5,040 | 1.93 |
| New Hampshire | $37,300 | $35,080 | $44,640 | 850 | 0.74 |
| New Jersey | $38,110 | $33,860 | $47,690 | 5,000 | 0.69 |
| New Mexico | $29,300 | $27,450 | $35,110 | 2,940 | 2.01 |
| New York | $38,590 | $34,530 | $62,510 | 10,130 | 0.62 |
| North Carolina | $29,900 | $23,120 | $37,330 | 7,530 | 0.91 |
| North Dakota | $34,530 | $30,550 | $37,250 | 1,390 | 1.92 |
| Ohio | $30,630 | $27,340 | $36,390 | 6,320 | 0.68 |
| Oklahoma | $27,630 | $21,760 | $35,680 | 3,090 | 1.08 |
| Oregon | $37,020 | $32,140 | $45,180 | 4,080 | 1.23 |
| Pennsylvania | $31,330 | $23,970 | $37,400 | 7,880 | 0.77 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,330 | $21,840 | $27,290 | 1,230 | 0.78 |
| Rhode Island | $37,840 | $31,200 | $46,430 | 530 | 0.63 |
| South Carolina | $30,020 | $20,510 | $38,130 | 5,910 | 1.52 |
| South Dakota | $30,550 | $28,440 | $36,010 | 1,760 | 2.29 |
| Tennessee | $30,160 | $23,880 | $37,270 | 6,930 | 1.26 |
| Texas | $29,630 | $21,570 | $37,340 | 23,690 | 1 |
| Utah | $36,250 | $28,550 | $45,050 | 4,120 | 1.41 |
| Vermont | $44,940 | $35,300 | $47,960 | 580 | 1.14 |
| Virgin Islands | $34,020 | $28,330 | $45,550 | 240 | 4.39 |
| Virginia | $33,270 | $28,550 | $38,470 | 6,560 | 0.95 |
| Washington | $40,460 | $36,850 | $48,710 | 5,630 | 0.94 |
| West Virginia | $26,830 | $22,380 | $32,870 | 1,730 | 1.47 |
| Wisconsin | $35,360 | $29,650 | $38,100 | 5,100 | 1.03 |
| Wyoming | $35,050 | $26,520 | $47,680 | 950 | 2.01 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 35,500. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Property management system PMS software (in demand)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Yardi software (hot technology)
- ASI FrontDesk
- Blink
- Delphi Technology
- Incident tracking software
- InnQuest roomMaster
- Microsoft Publisher
- Ramesys Hospitality
- Resort Data Processing
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management.
Common job titles: Desk Clerk, Front Desk Agent, Front Desk Associate, Front Desk Attendant, Front Desk Clerk, Front Desk Receptionist, Guest Service Representative (GSR), Guest Services Agent (GSA), Hotel Desk Clerk, Reservationist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks make?
The national median annual wage for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks was $35,070 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $27,120 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $45,470. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks a growing career?
BLS projects employment of hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks to change +1.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 35,500 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Hawaii ($59,110), District of Columbia ($47,060), Vermont ($44,940). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.