Front desk clerk vs front desk associate

The differences between front desk clerks and front desk associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a front desk associate has an average salary of $27,236, which is higher than the $26,669 average annual salary of a front desk clerk.

The top three skills for a front desk clerk include reservations, customer service and night audit. The most important skills for a front desk associate are phone calls, math, and customer service.

Front desk clerk vs front desk associate overview

	Front Desk Clerk	Front Desk Associate
Yearly salary	$26,669	$27,236
Hourly rate	$12.82	$13.09
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	141,042	77,432
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

What does a front desk clerk do?

Front desk clerks are responsible for welcoming office guests and accommodating any questions they may have. As their designation suggests, they are usually stationed at the entrance or front of the office. They are often the first company employee that a guest encounters upon reaching the office area. Front desk clerks should be familiar with the office space and the employees of the company so that they can effectively direct guests or visitors. Front desk clerks should also have a copy of the general schedule of appointments or meetings in the office so that they can let in guests accordingly. They also often do most of the administrative or clerical activities needed by the front office. They should have great interpersonal skills, patience, and communication skills.

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 clerk vs front desk associate salary

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

	Front Desk Clerk	Front Desk Associate
Average salary	$26,669	$27,236
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $33,000	Between $20,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Hawaii	New York
Best paying company	Hilton Grand Vacations	Wyndham Capital Mortgage
Best paying industry	Retail	Hospitality

Differences between front desk clerk and front desk associate education

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

	Front Desk Clerk	Front Desk Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Front desk clerk vs front desk associate demographics

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

	Front Desk Clerk	Front Desk Associate
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8%	Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 9.4% White, 51.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	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 clerk and front desk associate duties and responsibilities

Front desk clerk example 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.
Follow emergency procedures for evacuating property safely via PBX phone.
Advertise Ramada facilities by creating fliers, arranging promotions, and facilitating group reservations.

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 clerk vs front desk associate skills

Common front desk clerk skills

Reservations, 36%
Customer Service, 14%
Night Audit, 4%
Computer System, 4%
Room Availability, 4%
Guest Service, 3%

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 Clerk
Front Desk Clerk vs Front Desk Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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