Gross earnings for a part-time hotel front desk clerk| Hours a week | At $18.28 an hour | At $21 an hour | At $23 an hour |
|---|
| 10 hours | $183 | $210 | $230 |
| 20 hours | $366 | $420 | $460 |
| 30 hours | $548 | $630 | $690 |
| 20 hours a week over 52 weeks | $19,011 | $21,840 | $23,920 |
Which properties pay the most?
Full service hotels in high-cost cities pay the most, and the tips are the reason.
Four property types, in order of what they usually pay. A full service hotel with a bar and a restaurant pays the most, because the desk covers concierge requests and the guest tips for it. A full service hotel without them sits just below.
A limited service property pays a flat rate with no tips, and the rate follows the local market. A hostel or a budget property pays the least, and the roles often combine the desk with cleaning or bar duty.
Our guide to part time gym front desk associate covers the other membership desk role with a sales element.
How the property type moves the rate| Property | Rate position | What to check |
|---|
| Full service with a bar and restaurant | Top, plus tips | Whether the role includes concierge |
| Full service without them | Upper band | Whether the shift covers the phone |
| Limited service | Mid band, flat | The property pay band |
| Hostel or budget | Lower band | How many duties are in the role |
What should you check before you accept?
Five questions, and the first two decide the rate.
The first is the property pay band, because a chain publishes one and an independent hotel sets its own. The second is whether the role includes concierge and food and beverage tasks, because that is what the tips attach to.
The third is the shift pattern, because hotel desks cover the morning arrivals and the evening check-outs before they cover middays. The fourth is whether there is a shift differential for the weekend or overnight cover.
The fifth is what the employer offers beyond the wage. Some hotel groups run a meals benefit and a staff rate on rooms, and both are worth more than the hourly difference between properties.
Our guide to part time catering staff staff hiring covers the other hospitality role where the meal benefit decides the rate.
How do you find hotel front desk work?
The property careers page is the first place to look, because the band is published there and the local postings are not on the big job boards.
Three routes work. The employer careers site, which lists the property, the band and the shift pattern. The walk-in at an independent hotel, which is still common for the entry role.
And a hospitality recruitment agency, which is where the higher paying full service roles are filled.
Two questions to ask. What is the property pay band and does the role include concierge or food and beverage duties. Our guide to flexible part time jobs for students covers how to check a shift pattern against a course timetable.
What changes about hotel desk work next?
Expect the self check-in to take the routine and the humans to take the exceptions.
Three forces shape the next two years. Mobile check-in has removed the arrival queue, which pushes the desk towards the guests who cannot use a phone. Chat and messaging have taken the simple questions, which leaves the desk with the problems.
The third is the employment number. Hotel desk clerk employment is projected to rise from 264,600 in 2025 to 269,500 by 2035, which is 2 percent growth and about 4,900 new jobs a year, so the work is steady rather than booming.
For a candidate the conclusion is that the entry desk is stable work, and the pay ceiling comes from the property type rather than from experience on the desk.
Next steps
Compare the property, not the title, because the property decides the band and the tips.
- Compare the rate with the $21.84 information clerks median
- Ask whether the role includes concierge and food and beverage duties
- Ask for the property pay band rather than the chain average
- Check the shift pattern against the morning and evening peaks
- Ask about the shift differential for weekend or overnight cover
- Ask about the meals benefit and any staff rate on rooms
One final thought. The pay figures here are occupation medians and published employer rates, which is the best guide available before an interview.
htm">Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation profile gives the entry requirements and the training picture for desk and counter work, which is the quickest way to confirm that no experience is needed before you apply.
Photo: OleksandrPidvalnyi, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/guest-relations-front-desk-reception-6828448/)
Fazlur Rahman
