How To Become A Desk Clerk: What It Is and Career Path

What is a desk clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A desk clerk is otherwise called a general office clerk. He/She performs a variety of clerical tasks. His/Her duties vary by the industry of employment. Generally, a desk clerk is the first point of contact in an organization. They are the ones people talk to about their inquiries. They keep information organized and fill paperwork such as letters, invoices, and purchase orders. Also, they may maintain monthly calendars and schedules for other employees, informing all involved parties of any changes promptly. Additionally, they maintain an inventory of office supplies and restock them as needed.

Generally, a high school diploma or its equivalent is required for this job. You must be experienced with using voicemail systems, fax machines, computer software programs, filing systems, and printers. You must possess time management, problem-solving, attention to detail, interpersonal, and organization skills. Desk clerks earn as high as $37,000 yearly, with an average of $25,363 and a low of $18,000.

ScoreDesk ClerkUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $29,096

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.28%

Asian 9.97%

Black or African American 10.61%

Hispanic or Latino 16.52%

Unknown 6.50%

White 55.12%

Gender

female 69.96%

male 30.04%

Age - 34

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34

Stress level

8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.8

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

9.3

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a desk clerk

Explore desk clerk education requirements

Most common desk clerk degrees

Bachelor's

35.2 %

High School Diploma

30.7 %

Associate

18.7 %

Start to develop specific desk clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Reservations	22.16%
Front Desk	14.13%
Customer Service	11.61%
Room Availability	11.40%
Direct Calls	6.04%

Complete relevant desk clerk training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New desk clerks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a desk clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real desk clerk resumes.

Research desk clerk duties and responsibilities

Manage customer service issues with ease and charm and train other co workers in daily operations.
Assist with setting up meetings using PowerPoint presentations.
Book keeping, check ins, paperwork, PowerPoint, enter information into database.
Communicate with previous shift, organize shift and review reservations and update contingency

Prepare your desk clerk resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your desk clerk resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a desk clerk resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable desk clerk resume templates

Build a professional desk clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your desk clerk resume.

Apply for desk clerk jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a desk clerk job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do desk clerks rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Desk clerk reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Pros

Helping People.As a child my Mom was a Nurse in Long-term Care. And as My Mom, I get the most out of life when I'm helping someone.

Cons

Graveyard Shifts! Staying up alnight is hard most nights that I had to work from midnight to 8am. And watching people suffer the most at that hour of the night morning.