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

What is a desk operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a desk operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.14 an hour? That's $37,726 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 0% and produce -5,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreDesk OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,726

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.35%

Asian 10.96%

Black or African American 11.10%

Hispanic or Latino 19.68%

Unknown 6.62%

White 50.30%

Gender

female 54.86%

male 45.14%

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 operator

Explore desk operator education requirements

Most common desk operator degrees

Bachelor's

46.9 %

Associate

19.9 %

High School Diploma

19.7 %

Start to develop specific desk operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	25.59%
Check-In	15.23%
Insurance Verification	12.33%
Windows	12.09%
Customer Service	11.78%

Complete relevant desk operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New desk operators 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 operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real desk operator resumes.

Research desk operator duties and responsibilities

Manage patients records by keeping all medical history, insurance and personal information update and verify abiding by HIPAA protocols.
Handle cash, count the till, used POS system, stock food and drinks.
Perform or delegate responsibilities of the full operation from the check-in process through to the posting of daily charges.
Handle guest luggage during check-in and check-out, deliver room service requests, and prepare conference rooms for schedule group events.

Prepare your desk operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your desk operator 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 operator 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 operator resume templates

Build a professional desk operator 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 operator resume.