Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks (SOC 43-4081) earn a median $35,070 a year ($16.86 an hour) in the United States, with 261,420 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks do
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks look after guests at the front desk. They greet guests, register them, assign rooms, issue room keys or cards, and escort instructions to bellhops. Before a stay begins, the clerk may make and confirm reservations and check the customer's credit to establish how the stay will be paid for. Clerks keep records of room availability and guests' accounts, either by hand or on a computer, and post charges for rooms, food, liquor, or telephone calls to the ledger. They send and receive messages for guests and contact housekeeping or maintenance staff when a guest reports a problem. At checkout, the clerk reviews the account and its charges with the departing guest and collects payment. Alternate titles such as front desk and night auditor show that some clerks also review the day's postings. Keeping room and account records, rather than arranging outside services for guests, is the center of this work.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Desk Clerk, Floor Clerk, Front Desk Agent, Front Desk and Night Auditor, Front Desk Associate.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.04 | $14.33 | $16.86 | $18.32 | $21.86 | $17.09 | 261,420 |
| Annual | $27,120 | $29,810 | $35,070 | $38,100 | $45,470 | $35,550 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $20.40 | $24.63 | $28.42 | $31.66 | $33.32 | $27.90 | 2,810 | 4.49 | 2.67 |
| Annual | $42,430 | $51,230 | $59,110 | $65,840 | $69,310 | $58,030 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.53 | $21.16 | $22.62 | $23.37 | $29.62 | $22.93 | 1,170 | 1.67 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $38,540 | $44,010 | $47,060 | $48,620 | $61,620 | $47,690 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $16.97 | $17.55 | $21.61 | $22.43 | $23.06 | $20.25 | 580 | 1.92 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $35,300 | $36,510 | $44,940 | $46,640 | $47,960 | $42,110 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.72 | $18.23 | $19.45 | $21.85 | $23.42 | $20.41 | 5,630 | 1.58 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $36,850 | $37,930 | $40,460 | $45,460 | $48,710 | $42,450 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $17.22 | $18.07 | $18.94 | $21.54 | $27.73 | $20.28 | 4,530 | 1.25 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $35,820 | $37,580 | $39,400 | $44,810 | $57,690 | $42,190 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.27 | $17.69 | $18.92 | $21.74 | $25.97 | $20.52 | 27,810 | 1.53 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $35,910 | $36,790 | $39,360 | $45,220 | $54,020 | $42,680 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.37 | $12.88 | $14.25 | $16.93 | $17.95 | $14.73 | 23,690 | 1.68 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $21,570 | $26,790 | $29,630 | $35,210 | $37,340 | $30,630 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.46 | $15.10 | $16.84 | $18.09 | $21.45 | $17.32 | 23,580 | 2.38 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $30,080 | $31,400 | $35,030 | $37,640 | $44,620 | $36,020 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.60 | $17.22 | $18.55 | $23.23 | $30.05 | $21.77 | 10,130 | 1.05 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $34,530 | $35,820 | $38,590 | $48,320 | $62,510 | $45,280 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $10.83 | $12.75 | $14.00 | $16.60 | $17.65 | $14.30 | 9,490 | 1.94 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $22,520 | $26,530 | $29,130 | $34,520 | $36,720 | $29,740 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $21.25 | $27.64 | $29.02 | $33.27 | $34.49 | $29.10 | 730 | 9.91 | 5.90 |
| Annual | $44,190 | $57,490 | $60,360 | $69,200 | $71,740 | $60,540 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $19.67 | $25.58 | $28.82 | $31.82 | $32.32 | $28.19 | 1,360 | 3.05 | 1.81 |
| Annual | $40,910 | $53,210 | $59,940 | $66,180 | $67,230 | $58,640 | ||||
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | Hourly | $17.13 | $17.59 | $22.36 | $23.19 | $24.59 | $21.02 | 140 | 1.15 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $35,630 | $36,590 | $46,500 | $48,240 | $51,160 | $43,720 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $19.40 | $21.08 | $21.75 | $23.00 | $27.53 | $22.64 | 1,360 | 1.20 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $40,340 | $43,840 | $45,230 | $47,850 | $57,250 | $47,090 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $19.00 | $20.76 | $21.48 | $25.97 | $33.26 | $23.64 | 3,390 | 1.43 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $39,520 | $43,180 | $44,670 | $54,020 | $69,180 | $49,160 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.06 | $18.22 | $20.91 | $24.17 | $31.38 | $22.84 | 8,470 | 0.89 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $35,470 | $37,890 | $43,490 | $50,280 | $65,260 | $47,510 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.39 | $17.64 | $19.05 | $21.93 | $28.32 | $20.82 | 7,830 | 1.25 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $36,160 | $36,700 | $39,620 | $45,610 | $58,900 | $43,300 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $14.86 | $16.30 | $17.07 | $18.22 | $21.45 | $17.53 | 6,860 | 2.43 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $30,910 | $33,900 | $35,500 | $37,900 | $44,610 | $36,470 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $11.81 | $14.25 | $16.87 | $17.67 | $20.79 | $16.38 | 6,150 | 1.52 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $24,570 | $29,640 | $35,090 | $36,750 | $43,250 | $34,060 | ||||
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | Hourly | $14.59 | $15.13 | $17.43 | $20.81 | $21.71 | $17.92 | 5,480 | 3.88 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $30,350 | $31,460 | $36,250 | $43,280 | $45,150 | $37,280 | ||||
Top industries employing hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
Traveler Accommodation employ 92.6% of hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks nationally (242,020 jobs) at a median $35,020 a year ($16.84 an hour), followed by RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (1.8%) and Gambling Industries (0.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 242,020 | 92.6% | $35,020 | $16.84 |
| RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps NAICS 721200 | 4,770 | 1.8% | $33,190 | $15.96 |
| Gambling Industries NAICS 713200 | 1,200 | 0.5% | $36,630 | $17.61 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900 | 980 | 0.4% | $36,600 | $17.60 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps NAICS 721300 | 910 | 0.3% | $32,160 | $15.46 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (261,420). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $28,080 for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks in May 2021 and $35,070 in May 2025, with employment of 220,380 and 261,420.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $28,080 | $13.50 | 220,380 |
| May 2022 | $28,910 | $13.90 | 243,180 |
| May 2023 | $30,790 | $14.80 | 263,800 |
| May 2024 | $34,270 | $16.48 | 261,430 |
| May 2025 | $35,070 | $16.86 | 261,420 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii profile | $28.42 | $59,110 | $42,430 | $69,310 | 2,810 | 4.49 | 2.67 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $22.62 | $47,060 | $38,540 | $61,620 | 1,170 | 1.67 | 0.99 |
| 3 | Vermont profile | $21.61 | $44,940 | $35,300 | $47,960 | 580 | 1.92 | 1.14 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $19.45 | $40,460 | $36,850 | $48,710 | 5,630 | 1.58 | 0.94 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $18.94 | $39,400 | $35,820 | $57,690 | 4,530 | 1.25 | 0.74 |
| 6 | California profile | $18.92 | $39,360 | $35,910 | $54,020 | 27,810 | 1.53 | 0.91 |
| 7 | Nevada profile | $18.70 | $38,900 | $29,110 | $49,860 | 5,040 | 3.25 | 1.93 |
| 8 | New York profile | $18.55 | $38,590 | $34,530 | $62,510 | 10,130 | 1.05 | 0.62 |
| 9 | New Jersey profile | $18.32 | $38,110 | $33,860 | $47,690 | 5,000 | 1.17 | 0.69 |
| 10 | Rhode Island profile | $18.19 | $37,840 | $31,200 | $46,430 | 530 | 1.06 | 0.63 |
| 11 | Alaska profile | $18.03 | $37,500 | $28,700 | $43,920 | 820 | 2.51 | 1.49 |
| 12 | Maine profile | $17.97 | $37,380 | $33,280 | $47,680 | 1,510 | 2.36 | 1.40 |
| 13 | New Hampshire profile | $17.93 | $37,300 | $35,080 | $44,640 | 850 | 1.24 | 0.74 |
| 14 | Oregon profile | $17.80 | $37,020 | $32,140 | $45,180 | 4,080 | 2.08 | 1.23 |
| 15 | Connecticut profile | $17.79 | $37,000 | $34,980 | $43,550 | 1,490 | 0.88 | 0.52 |
| 16 | Colorado profile | $17.67 | $36,750 | $31,720 | $47,120 | 5,520 | 1.92 | 1.14 |
| 17 | Minnesota profile | $17.46 | $36,320 | $29,310 | $43,080 | 4,430 | 1.50 | 0.89 |
| 18 | Utah profile | $17.43 | $36,250 | $28,550 | $45,050 | 4,120 | 2.38 | 1.41 |
| 19 | Arizona profile | $17.25 | $35,880 | $30,610 | $43,780 | 5,540 | 1.71 | 1.02 |
| 20 | Maryland profile | $17.24 | $35,860 | $31,560 | $42,920 | 4,020 | 1.45 | 0.87 |
| 21 | Delaware profile | $17.18 | $35,730 | $31,200 | $38,340 | 740 | 1.52 | 0.91 |
| 22 | Illinois profile | $17.02 | $35,410 | $31,200 | $44,900 | 6,390 | 1.05 | 0.62 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $17.00 | $35,360 | $29,650 | $38,100 | 5,100 | 1.73 | 1.03 |
| 24 | Montana profile | $16.99 | $35,330 | $29,470 | $43,320 | 2,660 | 5.19 | 3.09 |
| 25 | Wyoming profile | $16.85 | $35,050 | $26,520 | $47,680 | 950 | 3.37 | 2.01 |
| 26 | Florida profile | $16.84 | $35,030 | $30,080 | $44,620 | 23,580 | 2.38 | 1.41 |
| 27 | Missouri profile | $16.62 | $34,560 | $28,870 | $38,030 | 4,400 | 1.50 | 0.89 |
| 28 | North Dakota profile | $16.60 | $34,530 | $30,550 | $37,250 | 1,390 | 3.23 | 1.92 |
| 29 | Idaho profile | $16.28 | $33,870 | $27,750 | $39,230 | 2,130 | 2.48 | 1.47 |
| 30 | Michigan profile | $16.28 | $33,870 | $28,570 | $43,450 | 6,300 | 1.43 | 0.85 |
| 31 | Indiana profile | $16.00 | $33,280 | $28,460 | $37,280 | 4,640 | 1.45 | 0.86 |
| 32 | Virginia profile | $16.00 | $33,270 | $28,550 | $38,470 | 6,560 | 1.60 | 0.95 |
| 33 | Nebraska profile | $15.14 | $31,490 | $28,390 | $36,410 | 1,650 | 1.61 | 0.96 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania profile | $15.06 | $31,330 | $23,970 | $37,400 | 7,880 | 1.30 | 0.77 |
| 35 | Ohio profile | $14.73 | $30,630 | $27,340 | $36,390 | 6,320 | 1.14 | 0.68 |
| 36 | Iowa profile | $14.71 | $30,590 | $22,840 | $37,190 | 2,790 | 1.79 | 1.07 |
| 37 | South Dakota profile | $14.69 | $30,550 | $28,440 | $36,010 | 1,760 | 3.85 | 2.29 |
| 38 | Tennessee profile | $14.50 | $30,160 | $23,880 | $37,270 | 6,930 | 2.12 | 1.26 |
| 39 | South Carolina profile | $14.43 | $30,020 | $20,510 | $38,130 | 5,910 | 2.56 | 1.52 |
| 40 | Kentucky profile | $14.41 | $29,970 | $22,720 | $37,380 | 3,890 | 1.95 | 1.16 |
| 41 | North Carolina profile | $14.38 | $29,900 | $23,120 | $37,330 | 7,530 | 1.52 | 0.91 |
| 42 | Kansas profile | $14.30 | $29,750 | $26,120 | $35,850 | 1,900 | 1.32 | 0.79 |
| 43 | Texas profile | $14.25 | $29,630 | $21,570 | $37,340 | 23,690 | 1.68 | 1.00 |
| 44 | New Mexico profile | $14.09 | $29,300 | $27,450 | $35,110 | 2,940 | 3.37 | 2.01 |
| 45 | Georgia profile | $14.00 | $29,130 | $22,520 | $36,720 | 9,490 | 1.94 | 1.15 |
| 46 | Arkansas profile | $13.61 | $28,300 | $24,150 | $35,140 | 2,420 | 1.86 | 1.11 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $13.49 | $28,050 | $22,270 | $35,150 | 3,910 | 1.85 | 1.10 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $13.29 | $27,630 | $21,760 | $35,680 | 3,090 | 1.81 | 1.08 |
| 49 | Louisiana profile | $13.18 | $27,420 | $21,940 | $34,700 | 4,110 | 2.13 | 1.26 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $13.12 | $27,300 | $19,050 | $32,030 | 3,050 | 2.62 | 1.56 |
| 51 | West Virginia profile | $12.90 | $26,830 | $22,380 | $32,870 | 1,730 | 2.47 | 1.47 |
Part of Office and Administrative Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 43-4081 Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 43-4081, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 43-4081.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.