How to hire a front desk manager

Front desk manager hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring front desk managers in the United States:

There are a total of 79,464 front desk managers in the US, and there are currently 54,551 job openings in this field.
The median cost to hire a front desk manager is $1,633.
Small businesses spend $1,105 per front desk manager on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
New York, NY, has the highest demand for front desk managers, with 23 job openings.

How to hire a front desk manager, step by step

To hire a front desk manager, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a front desk manager, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step front desk manager 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 manager job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new front desk manager
Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a front desk manager do?

A front desk manager is an employee employed to manage a hotel's reception area, coordinate all front desk activities, and supervise the support staff. A manager is expected to handle guest complaints and schedule training for front desk staff. Apart from handling hotel guests, a front desk manager must be able to handle cash, accounting procedures, and general administration. A manager should also possess talents such as multitask, manage time as well as proficient in computer skills.

Learn more about the specifics of what a front desk manager does

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Identify your hiring needs

First, determine the employments status of the front desk manager you need to hire. Certain front desk manager 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?

You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a front desk manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a front desk manager that fits the bill.

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

Type of Front Desk Manager	Description	Hourly rate
Front Desk Manager	A Front Desk Manager coordinates the front desk personnel and ensures quality customer service. They ensure that the company’s policies and security requirements are met.	$12-28
Guest Service Supervisor	A guest service supervisor supervises and trains guest service staff to have a high standard for guest delivery and efficient communication between all service staff. They ensure all guests are assisted with any complaints or service issues, with tour and travel information provided... Show more	$12-20
Manager On Duty	A manager on duty's role is to oversee operations in a store or a particular department, ensuring efficient workflow and workforce performance. They mainly evaluate and delegate tasks among employees, arrange schedules, set goals and budget, handle issues and concerns, and impose disciplinary actions... Show more	$12-25

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Front Desk Operations
- Reservations
- Customer Service
- Guest Service
- Room Availability
- Customer Satisfaction
- Payroll
- Guest Relations
- Night Audit
- Guest Complaints
- Guest Satisfaction
- Scheduling Appointments
- Guest Registration
- Inventory Control
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Manage vendor relationships in support of CRM and sales reporting projects.
- Serve as a point of escalation for guest problem resolution and manage all VIP special guests and execution of requests.
- Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
- Direct a team of three, successfully providing resolution to daily incidents, meeting SLA and KPI objectives.
- Supervise entire front of the house functions including front desk and concierge personnel, bell staff and PBX associates.
- Utilize Marriott policies and procedures to train new employees and keep proper records to relay training progress to hotel supervisors.
More front desk manager duties

Make a budget

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

Location. For example, front desk managers' average salary in mississippi is 49% less than in new york.
Seniority. Entry-level front desk managers earn 54% less than senior-level front desk managers.
Certifications. A front desk manager 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 manager's salary.

Average front desk manager salary

$40,802yearly

$19.62 hourly rate

Entry-level front desk manager salary

$27,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Average front desk manager salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$61,134	$29
2	District of Columbia	$59,247	$28
3	Massachusetts	$51,724	$25
4	Illinois	$46,940	$23
5	Washington	$45,075	$22
6	California	$43,401	$21
7	Colorado	$43,032	$21
8	Minnesota	$41,375	$20
9	Arizona	$39,774	$19
10	Florida	$39,542	$19
11	North Carolina	$39,432	$19
12	Nevada	$39,181	$19
13	Indiana	$38,713	$19
14	Texas	$38,467	$18
15	Michigan	$37,480	$18
16	South Carolina	$37,130	$18
17	Georgia	$36,126	$17
18	Louisiana	$32,327	$16
19	Utah	$31,973	$15

Average front desk manager salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	RH	$82,828	$39.82	1
2	Stanford University	$53,672	$25.80
3	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$48,625	$23.38	18
4	HEI Hotels & Resorts	$48,523	$23.33	105
5	Hotel Services	$48,519	$23.33	6
6	Hyatt Hotels	$48,386	$23.26	87
7	InterContinental Hotels Group Resources, Inc.	$48,282	$23.21	37
8	Alfred University	$46,521	$22.37
9	The Jefferson DC	$46,506	$22.36
10	Hilton	$46,375	$22.30	175
11	SRI International	$46,327	$22.27
12	W South Beach	$45,448	$21.85
13	W Holding Company	$45,131	$21.70
14	Marriott International	$44,482	$21.39	365
15	Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa	$44,424	$21.36	13
16	Monarch Casino & Resort	$43,985	$21.15	5
17	Eagle Village	$43,855	$21.08
18	Renaissance Acquisition Holdings	$43,607	$20.96	1
19	Nobu Restaurants	$43,501	$20.91
20	Remote	$43,277	$20.81	2

Writing a front desk manager job description
A front desk manager 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 manager job description:
Front desk manager job description example
Assist in managing all aspects of front office areas, which may include but not limited to guest registration, bell services, concierge services, business center, telephone services, and guest reservations to ensure guest satisfaction and maximize hotel profitability. Adhere to all brand standards and desk merchandising. Serve as Front Office Manager in his/her absence.
Job Description
Act independently as MOD, covering morning and evening shifts.Supervise all front office staff including front desk, communications, uniform services and concierge.Offer MOD support to other unsupervised departments as needed.Act as Travel pass champion.Distribute minutes and conduct Manager's Meeting.Oversee VIP arrivals.Perform VIP Escorts.Act as Lobby AmbassadorTrack and follow up on in-house guest challenges.Resolve guest related issues.Liaison with other departments to ensure guest satisfaction.Assist with post-stay guest follow up.Perform Property rounds.Act as Front Office representative during Pre-Cons.Monitor and coordinate concierge requests.Provide site tours of the hotel.
Deliver Passionate & Engaging Service to our Guests

You will be passionate and truly engaged in taking care of our guests, recognizing individual guests and anticipating their unique needs in order to exceed their expectations
You will consistently deliver our GUEST model:Greet or welcome everyone, warmly with a smile Use eye and ear contact and guest's name Establish/anticipate needs Solve and own all requests/complaints Thank everyone

Build solid relationship with your Colleagues
Treat colleagues with respect and dignity Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. The employee is expected to work in other areas of the hotel when needed to assist operations to perform job duties not necessarily contained in this job description.

Additional Job Description

Benefits

Sonesta recognizes that benefits play a vital role in helping ensure the health and financial security of employees and their families. We offer a variety of benefits to our employees including:

Medical, Dental and Vision InsuranceHealth Savings Account with Company Match 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company MatchPaid Vacation and Sick DaysSonesta Hotel DiscountsEducational AssistancePaid Parental LeaveCompany Paid Life InsuranceCompany Paid Short Term and Long Term Disability InsuranceVarious Employee Perks and Discounts

Upon submitting your application, please ensure you complete a full application in addition to attaching a resume. Incomplete applications received will not be considered.
Post your job
There are a few common ways to find front desk managers for your business:
- Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
Post your job online:
- Post your front desk manager job on Zippia to find and recruit front desk manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Your first interview with front desk manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.
Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new front desk manager
Once you've found the front desk manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.
It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.
To prepare for the new front desk manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.
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 manager?

There are different types of costs for hiring front desk managers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new front desk manager employee.

You can expect to pay around $40,802 per year for a front desk manager, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for front desk managers in the US typically range between $12 and $28 an hour.

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Updated December 15, 2025

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How to hire a front desk manager