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

What is a front desk lead and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Generally, the word "front desk lead" refers to the person responsible for administering and handling staff in an office. Usually, they operate in companies with a front desk or office that represents consumers or clients where people pay, log, or get general stuff. While front office desk leads' roles vary based on the business, they typically include management, customer support, financial and reception elements.

On a daily basis, front desk leads coordinate and manage front office team members that are engaged in checking in customers. They organize and assign duties and tasks to front office members. Also, they monitor the front office members' daily performance to ensure assignments are completed accurately, efficiently, and timely.

Since "front office" means dealing with clients, most front desk leads require customer service skills. The fast-paced atmosphere in many front offices ensures employees need problem-solving skills and the ability to work efficiently and multi-task. Educational requirements vary depending on the type of industry, although a high school diploma or equivalent is usually required

ScoreFront Desk LeadUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $29,851

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.49%

Asian 9.88%

Black or African American 9.17%

Hispanic or Latino 22.33%

Unknown 6.84%

White 50.28%

Gender

female 71.53%

male 28.47%

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 lead

Explore front desk lead education requirements

Most common front desk lead degrees

Bachelor's

39.3 %

High School Diploma

24.9 %

Associate

23.0 %

Start to develop specific front desk lead skills

Skills	Percentages
Reservations	17.16%
Patients	8.24%
Guest Service	8.12%
Phone Calls	7.95%
Guest Satisfaction	5.00%

Complete relevant front desk lead training and internships

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

Research front desk lead duties and responsibilities

Manage VIP clientele by delivering exceptional customer service while using creative conflict resolution, when necessary.
Manage confidential information and documentation, including financial data, and credit card information and payroll checks.
Conduct in-person and telephone customer service, including guest check-in and booking reservations.
Perform PBX duties in the absence of an operator

Get front desk lead experience

Prepare your front desk lead resume

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

Build a professional front desk lead 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 lead resume.