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What is a front desk attendant and how to become one
Front desk attendants work in various industries where they attract and retain clients, guests, or patients. They perform clerical and general office duties that support a company's customer service. As the first point of contact, they answer all incoming calls and transfer them to the appropriate department. They welcome customers and direct them accordingly. Also, they perform data entry tasks relating to client registration, appointment scheduling or cancellations, order taking, charges, and the likes. Besides that, they monitor the lobby and front entrance security cameras. Similarly, they may verify identification before allowing clients into the building.
Employers seek applicants with at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. You must possess communication, customer service, and multitasking skills. You must be computer literate. Some employers provide on-the-job training. Front desk attendants earn an average salary of $25,856 per annum. This is between $20,000 and $34,000.
Avg. Salary $26,874
Avg. Salary $59,228
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.32%
Asian 9.52%
Black or African American 9.73%
Hispanic or Latino 17.58%
Unknown 6.56%
White 55.28%
Genderfemale 64.92%
male 35.08%
Age - 34American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 34Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
Front desk attendant career paths
Key steps to become a front desk attendant
Explore front desk attendant education requirements
Start to develop specific front desk attendant skills
Skills Percentages Reservations 17.40% Customer Service 10.25% Cleanliness 10.03% Phone Calls 9.28% Work Ethic 8.49% Complete relevant front desk attendant training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New front desk attendants 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 front desk attendant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real front desk attendant resumes.Research front desk attendant duties and responsibilities
- Manage confidential information and documentation, including financial data, and credit card information and payroll checks.
- Perform extensive customer service, including communicating with members, scheduling reservations, and fielding complaints.
- Count and identify clothing to charge correctly on POS system, rack clothing in order on conveyor belt.
- Serve guests in a timely and professional manner, handle money/make change, and work with a POS system.
Prepare your front desk attendant resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your front desk attendant 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 front desk attendant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable front desk attendant resume templates
Build a professional front desk attendant 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 front desk attendant resume.
Apply for front desk attendant jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a front desk attendant 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 did you land your first front desk attendant job
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Average front desk attendant salary
The average front desk attendant salary in the United States is $26,874 per year or $13 per hour. Front desk attendant salaries range between $20,000 and $35,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do front desk attendants rate their job?
Front desk attendant reviews
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.
Leaving aside all cons of living opposite to the rest of the world, working the night shift has also its pros: You avoid most of the Check Outs of that day and dealing with most of the guests, meaning (almost) no angry people asking for discounts because they couldn't reach the remote control. Also, no queues at the Front Desk. In some cases, working the nights could mean that there will be no bosses or supervisors around, and if you get along with they guys at the bar you might even get unlimited free coffee or sodas (and even snacks). Also: Breaks! You get to have a lot of breaks during the night shift, which you would only dream having during the day. Remember that new meme's website your friend told you about? Yes, you can watch the whole 293 pages in a quiet night during the low season. Lastly, as you are treated just like another Recepcionist, you also get your cut of all comissionable sales.
Lay overs: Everyone hates getting their flight cancelled or delayed, but no one hates it as much as the clerks of the hotels that receive the passengers of those flights. No more rest: You never get used to sleep while there's so much sun and so much noise and movement outside. You start feeling permanently tired. No amount of hours of sleep are enough to feel well rested. Earplugs and eyepatches become your new best friends No more social life: If you have no friends, then you're good. But if you do, then you will have to accept to sacrifice a lot of moments in your life. Depending on what part of the globe you live in, working the nights could mean no more going out for a drink with the guys, or no more dining with your wife or gf, or no more b-day parties, or no more going out to the theater. Bsically anything that is usually done during the evening, unless you stay in the same place long enough to get your days off on weekends, which is rare in hospitality. If you live in a country where you would have dinner at 6 or 7 p.m., then perhaps you're gonna have it a bit better. All alone, for everything: No bosses could mean you're all alone to make all decisions for any trouble that may arise, and theb take whole responsibility on it. Get ready to get woken up by your boss who would like to get more details.
Updated January 8, 2025
