How to hire a front desk associate

How to hire a front desk associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step front desk associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a front desk associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new front desk associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a front desk associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the front desk associate you need to hire. Certain front desk associate roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A front desk associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, front desk associates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of front desk associates.

   Type of Front Desk Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Front Desk Associate	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$9-16
   Guest Services Agent	Guest services agents are the ones who communicate with hotel guests who want to reserve or cancel bookings. Their job includes welcoming guests upon arrival, assigning them their rooms and suites, issuing their room keys, and collecting payment information... Show more	$11-17
   Night Auditor	A Night Auditor is responsible for handling late-night front-desk operations, mostly at hotels or other lodging establishments. Among the primary duties involve greeting guests and handling check-in and check-outs, responding to reservations, process and collect payments, preparing reports and necessary documentation, and attending to the guests' inquiries, requests, and concerns... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Phone Calls
   • Math
   • Customer Service
   • Basic Math
   • Strong Customer Service
   • Cash Handling
   • Reservations
   • Booking
   • Cleanliness
   • Membership Sales
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Night Audit
   • Guest Satisfaction
   • Administrative Tasks

   Check all skills

   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.

   More front desk associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your front desk associate job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A front desk associate salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, front desk associates' average salary in mississippi is 47% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level front desk associates earn 43% less than senior-level front desk associates.
   • Certifications. A front desk associate with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a front desk associate's salary.

   Average front desk associate salary

   $13.09hourly

   $27,236 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level front desk associate salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average front desk associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$37,457	$18
   2	California	$35,478	$17
   3	Massachusetts	$34,519	$17
   4	Maine	$33,146	$16
   5	Nevada	$31,195	$15
   6	Washington	$31,153	$15
   7	Delaware	$30,784	$15
   8	Colorado	$29,779	$14
   9	Maryland	$29,125	$14
   10	New Jersey	$28,651	$14
   11	Minnesota	$28,252	$14
   12	Arizona	$27,940	$13
   13	Oregon	$26,825	$13
   14	Pennsylvania	$26,406	$13
   15	Illinois	$25,995	$13
   16	Virginia	$25,392	$12
   17	Indiana	$25,189	$12
   18	Utah	$24,913	$12
   19	Texas	$24,046	$12
   20	Ohio	$23,941	$12

   Average front desk associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Wyndham Capital Mortgage	$42,212	$20.29	1
   2	AKT	$38,277	$18.40
   3	Uline	$36,939	$17.76	4
   4	HEI Hotels & Resorts	$36,052	$17.33	93
   5	KPMG LLP	$35,710	$17.17	9
   6	S A F E Inc	$35,187	$16.92
   7	Grosse Pointe Yacht Club	$34,740	$16.70
   8	BCP	$34,396	$16.54
   9	Hyatt Hotels	$34,348	$16.51	86
   10	Wyndham Hotels & Resorts	$34,136	$16.41
   11	Northeastern Eye Institute	$33,921	$16.31
   12	Morgan Stanley	$33,837	$16.27	6
   13	Elite Prep	$33,151	$15.94
   14	My Community Dental Centers	$32,689	$15.72
   15	Capital City Club	$32,553	$15.65	1
   16	DoorDash	$32,497	$15.62	2
   17	Beacon Hill Staffing Group	$32,297	$15.53
   18	West Hawaii Community Health Center	$31,810	$15.29
   19	Connecticut Children's Medical Center	$31,634	$15.21	3
   20	BMO Capital Markets	$31,362	$15.08

4. Writing a front desk associate job description

   A front desk associate job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a front desk associate job description:

   Front desk associate job description example

   Starting Wage $14.50+
   Eligible for the Quarterly Bonus Program!
   
   

   True North Hotel Group , an award-winning management and development company, is seeking a Front Desk Associate to join our team at our Fairfield Inn & Suites in Marlborough , Massachusetts . This family-owned organization has a uniquely remarkable culture and is conveniently headquartered in Overland Park, KS.

   What do we have to offer? Excellent healthcare benefits, work-life balance (paid time off, flexibility, family atmosphere), 401k with matching, great team members and more!

   So, what is the role and requirements? Looking for an individual who is attentive to detail, has a high interest in customer satisfaction and values communication.

   RESPONSIBILITIES

   • Greets guests and checks them into hotel, issuing room keys, directing guests to rooms and other areas.
   • Responds to guest questions either in person or over the phone
   • Fulfills guests’ needs, ensuring their stay is as enjoyable as possible; assists with dining, entertainment, and transportation reservations, as needed.
   • Resolves guest problems/complaints
   • Clerical duties including answering phone calls, taking messages, entering reservations, filing, photocopying, faxing, and mailing

   QUALIFICATIONS

   • High school diploma or general education degree (GED), or one to three months related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.
   • Must be able to move, lift, carry, push, pull and place objects weighing less than or equal to 50 pounds without assistance

   
   

   We look forward to hearing from you!

   True North is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or genetic information.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right front desk associate for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with front desk associates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit front desk associates who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your front desk associate job on Zippia to find and recruit front desk associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit front desk associates, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new front desk associate

   Once you've decided on a perfect front desk associate candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a front desk associate?