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
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateCost to qualify
$500–$3,150
Time to qualify
1 yr
Renewal
—
- 1
High school diploma or GED
CourseExpected 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
On-the-job training
ExperienceEmployer-provided and typically paid — days to a few months for most no-degree roles.
Cost varies · 3 months source
- 3
Industry certification (optional for many roles)
CertificationRole-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
Junior Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
Entry / Junior
$27,120
~2 yrs to advance
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
Established
$35,070
~3 yrs to advance
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
Top colleges for Business & Finance
Explore all- University of Pennsylvania6% admit · $112,000 grad pay
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology4% admit · $124,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of California, Berkeley11% admit · $97,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.