Hotel Desk Clerks Description OES Code: 538080 Accommodate hotel patrons by registering and assigning rooms to guests, issuing room keys, 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. CA Wages/hour median range New, no experience: $6.00 minimum – $10.53 New, experienced: $7.00 minimum – $11.72 3 yrs+ experience: $8.00 minimum – $13.00 Local Wages • CCOIS Survey • OES Survey Hours & Benefits Hotels are usually open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Work shifts in hotels are usually from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; and 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Employees may be asked to work any of these three shifts or to work on a rotating shift plan. Sunday and holiday work may also be rotated. A 40-hour work week is common. Overtime is sometimes required during busy periods. Fringe benefits can be different and may include paid vacations and holidays, medical and dental insurance and retirement plans. In some hotels, which have restaurants, Hotel Desk Clerks may be given free meals. Employment Trends Employment 1996 13,530 Projected Employment 2006 15,920 Growth Rate 1996-2006 17.7% Openings due to Separations 6,510 Employment Trends by California County The hotel industry is growing because of increased business travel, people on vacation, and conventions. The hotel industry should keep on growing. Travel for fun and pleasure should increase because family earnings are increasing. Although new hotels will provide some employment opportunities, most of the expected openings will happen because of the need to replace workers who retire or stop working for other reasons. In some places, low pay contributes to a high turnover rate; in others places, the turnover rate is low. In most areas of California, hotels are busiest between the months of May and September. The majority of job openings will occur during this time. Advancement Promotion often depends on the employee's personality and skills, experience, training, work performance and education. A Hotel Desk Clerk may advance to chief room clerk, assistant front office manager, front office manager, sales and promotion manager or hotel manager. Experience is important for upward mobility. Top managerial posts usually require many years of experience and specialized training. Employers prefer a college education for management training positions. Desk Clerks may improve their opportunities for advancement by taking college courses in general business. Getting the Job & Other Information Many Desk Clerks get jobs by being referred by others in the hotel business; others find work through direct application to hotels. Registration with the California Employment Development Department or private employment agencies, schools or unions can lead to jobs. For current job listings, browse CalJOBS or America's Job Bank.

Click arrow at bottom left of image to begin. Requires QuickTime Education and Training Most employers hire high school graduates who have clerical ability and training, particularly in typing, bookkeeping, and office machines. Employers are impressed by job applicants with experience in such jobs as bank tellers or sales clerks, since those jobs include both public contact and cash-handling experience. Bilingual skills are a plus. Many hotels demand computer skills. Neatness, patience, and a friendly and courteous personality in dealing with the public are important. Dependability, a sense of responsibility, maturity and good customer relations skills are also needed. There are two ways of getting the job. Some hotels have a policy of promoting from within. Many hotels hire people from the outside and give them on-the-job training. In some hotels, trainees start as switchboard operators and key clerks, information clerks, or mail clerks. Skills & Other Requirements The work of Hotel Desk Clerks is different depending on the size of the hotel. In small hotels they may process mail, collect payments, record accounts, handle reservations, operate the telephone switchboard and do simple bookkeeping. Desk Clerks must know the hotel floor plan, fire escape routes, and the location of and sometimes the operation of the hotel's mechanical systems. Desk clerks must also know about local stores, restaurants, and churches. Most hotels are very comfortable to work in. Desk Clerks work at a counter in the lobby. While the work is not physically hard, there's a lot of standing involved. You might have to do some reaching and bending. Desk Clerks work under a head clerk, assistant manager or hotel manager. Teamwork is a must for good front office work. Clerks must cooperate with other hotel workers to serve guests properly. During the busiest registration and checkout periods, Desk Clerks work under pressure to meet the different needs of the customers. References Note: The references below (and/or on other parts of this page) will link to pages on the internet outside the Career Video system. California Occupational Guide: Hotel Desk Clerks #70 Related Occupation: Hotel & Motel Managers #114, Property & Real Estate Managers #423 Training: California State Training Inventory     © State of California EDD/LMID, US Department of Labor Unless indicated otherwise, wage data is based on Statewide aggregated CCOIS survey responses between 1995 and 1997. Questions or Comments? Contact us.