How long does it take to become a Front Desk Clerk?

It takes 2 years of professional experience to become a front desk clerk. That is the time it takes to learn specific front desk clerk skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

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

What is a front desk clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Your happy, smiling face is the first thing visitors will see when they walk through the door. Being at the front desk, you're usually the first one they'll approach.

Front desk clerks have to be knowledgable about the company they work for, as well as the products or service they provide. Many times, you'll be hit with lots of questions that you'll have to answer. But it's also your job to help visitors get where they need to be, whether that's a meeting in conference room #5, or they're checking into their hotel room.

Most front desk clerks work a full-time schedule. But, depending on what industry you're working in, that schedule may be all over the map. From traveling to working late evenings and weekends, front desk clerks need to be flexible. You never know what the next day will bring.

ScoreFront Desk ClerkUS Average

Salary

2.1

Avg. Salary $26,669

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.28%

Asian 9.41%

Black or African American 10.86%

Hispanic or Latino 20.25%

Unknown 6.50%

White 51.70%

Gender

female 75.80%

male 24.20%

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 front desk clerk

Explore front desk clerk education requirements

Most common front desk clerk degrees

High School Diploma

35.1 %

Bachelor's

25.9 %

Associate

22.0 %

Start to develop specific front desk clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Reservations	35.77%
Customer Service	14.41%
Night Audit	4.50%
Computer System	4.24%
Room Availability	3.52%

Complete relevant front desk clerk training and internships

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

Gain additional front desk clerk certifications

Front desk clerk certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific front desk clerk certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for front desk clerks include Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM) and Nationally Certified Medical Office Assistant (NCMOA).

More About Certifications

Research front desk clerk duties and responsibilities

Manage customer service issues with ease and charm and train other co workers in daily operations.
Deliver messages and run errands.
Job responsibilities consist of being a cashier, bagging groceries, assisting customers, stocking, cleaning, etc.
Cross-Train and provide back-up for PBX representatives when necessary.

Prepare your front desk clerk resume

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

Build a professional front 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 front desk clerk resume.

Apply for front desk clerk jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a front 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 front desk clerks rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Front desk clerk reviews

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.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

Interacting with the public very friendly helpful in problem solving also I have patience with others

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019

Pros

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.

Cons

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.

What is a front desk clerk and how to become one

Front desk clerk career paths

Key steps to become a front desk clerk

Explore front desk clerk education requirements

Most common front desk clerk degrees

Start to develop specific front desk clerk skills

Complete relevant front desk clerk training and internships

Gain additional front desk clerk certifications

Research front desk clerk duties and responsibilities

Prepare your front desk clerk resume

Choose from 10+ customizable front desk clerk resume templates

Apply for front desk clerk jobs

How did you land your first front desk clerk job

Average front desk clerk salary

How do front desk clerks rate their job?

Front desk clerk reviews

Front desk clerk FAQs

How long does it take to become a Front Desk Clerk?

Search for front desk clerk jobs

Front desk clerk jobs by state