Front desk agent vs front desk associate

The differences between front desk agents and front desk associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a front desk agent has an average salary of $31,008, which is higher than the $27,236 average annual salary of a front desk associate.

The top three skills for a front desk agent include reservations, team work and guest service. The most important skills for a front desk associate are phone calls, math, and customer service.

Front desk agent vs front desk associate overview

	Front Desk Agent	Front Desk Associate
Yearly salary	$31,008	$27,236
Hourly rate	$14.91	$13.09
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	96,392	77,432
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

What does a front desk agent do?

Front desk agents are usually the first hotel employees that the guest encounters upon entering the hotel. They greet and welcome guests. They are in charge of checking and validating the guests' reservations and issuing their room keys. Front desk agents are responsible for collecting any applicable fees from the guests and ensuring that only the registered guests stay. Front desk agents also coordinate with the housekeeping team and any other team to ensure that the guests' stay is the best.

What does a front desk associate do?

Front-Desk Associates are the face of a hotel. Their duties are focused on assisting guests and attaining customer satisfaction. Aside from great communication skills, Front-Desk Associates must also have a pleasing personality and great presence of mind as guests will come to them first should there be any issues on the services provided. Moreover, among the duties of Front-Desk Associates include performing room check-ins and check-outs, accepting and arranging reservations, assigning rooms, maintain booking and payments, and communicate with the entire hotel staff to ensure quality service.

Front desk agent vs front desk associate salary

Front desk agents and front desk associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Desk Agent	Front Desk Associate
Average salary	$31,008	$27,236
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $37,000	Between $20,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	New York
Best paying company	Brookhaven National Laboratory	Wyndham Capital Mortgage
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between front desk agent and front desk associate education

There are a few differences between a front desk agent and a front desk associate in terms of educational background:

	Front Desk Agent	Front Desk Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Front desk agent vs front desk associate demographics

Here are the differences between front desk agents' and front desk associates' demographics:

	Front Desk Agent	Front Desk Associate
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8%	Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 9.9% White, 50.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 9.3% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between front desk agent and front desk associate duties and responsibilities

Front desk agent example responsibilities.

Train new associates to Hyatt standards and the most efficient way to accomplish the day's tasks.
Work as front desk, PBX, and make error free reservations for a full size hotel consisting of 123 rooms.
Welcome guests into the 2nd largest Hyatt in the world.
Receive recognition for dependability and a``can-do"attitude.
Inform members and guests of current sales and promotions while accounting for an accurate POS drawer
Coordinate request for dry cleaning pickup/drop off, pet walking, housekeeping, grocery, delivery, etc.

Front desk associate example responsibilities.

Manage customer service issues with ease and charm and train other co workers in daily operations.
Manage confidential information and documentation, including financial data, and credit card information and payroll checks.
Manage patients records by keeping all medical history, insurance and personal information update and verify abiding by HIPAA protocols.
Process reservations for business groups via opera system.
Process guest reservations, assess needs and ensure appropriate accommodations and assist guests with concierge-relate services.
Contact patients regarding unpaid and underpay accounts, verification of insurance, accounting, customer service, computer and telephone operations.

Front desk agent vs front desk associate skills

Common front desk agent skills

Reservations, 23%
Team Work, 8%
Guest Service, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Computer System, 4%
Guest Satisfaction, 4%

Common front desk associate skills

Phone Calls, 21%
Math, 13%
Customer Service, 13%
Basic Math, 11%
Strong Customer Service, 10%
Cash Handling, 8%

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Front Desk Agent
Front Desk Agent vs Front Desk Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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