Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerk Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks earn a median of $35,070 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 31% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $16.86/hr. The middle half earn between $29,810 and $38,100. The top 10% earn $45,470 or more.

The median hourly wage for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks is $16.86 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $35,070 annual median works out to about $2,920 a month before tax.

BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks earn less than $27,120 a year and the bottom quarter less than $29,810 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.

The highest state medians for Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks are Hawaii ($59,110), District of Columbia ($47,060), Vermont ($44,940) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

BLS does not split hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $45,470, against a median of $35,070 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are Hawaii ($59,110), District of Columbia ($47,060), Vermont ($44,940).

No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 75.0% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).

BLS does not publish a fixed length; it depends on the route. What it does publish: the typical way in for hotel front desk clerks is a high school diploma or equivalent. Once hired, BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical. O*NET classes the work as needing some preparation.

It is growing, but slowly: 1.8% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 35,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

Information clerks do routine clerical tasks such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers. A core O*NET task: make and confirm reservations. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.

Yes, for most. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 0% of hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks usually work more than 40 hours a week, 79% work exactly 40 and 21% work fewer. 97% say their schedule is regular and 3% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.

O*NET scores Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks highest on the Conventional, Social and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.

Women make up 75.8% of hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation. Only 18.2% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs): a young workforce, with 25.3% under 25. The median worker is 37.9 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.