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Business & Finance

Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$35,070

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$27k – $45k

Job outlook

+4% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks

Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$500–$3,150

Time to qualify

1 yr

Renewal

  1. 1

    High school diploma or GED

    Course

    Expected by most employers; if you need the GED, test fees run $0–$150 depending on the state.

    $0–$150 · 3 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    On-the-job training

    Experience

    Employer-provided and typically paid — days to a few months for most no-degree roles.

    Cost varies · 3 months source

  3. 3

    Industry certification (optional for many roles)

    Certification

    Role-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.

    $500–$3,000 · 6 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks

    Entry / Junior

    $27,120

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks

    Established

    $35,070

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks

    Senior

    $40,270

Key skills

A typical day

  • Greet, register, and assign rooms to guests of hotels or motels.
  • Contact housekeeping or maintenance staff when guests report problems.
  • Issue room keys and escort instructions to bellhops.
  • Make and confirm reservations.
  • Verify customers' credit, and establish how the customer will pay for the accommodation.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.