How to hire a front desk representative

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

HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
The median cost to hire a front desk representative is $1,633.
Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per front desk representative on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
There are currently 349,634 front desk representatives in the US and 140,332 job openings.
New York, NY, has the highest demand for front desk representatives, with 23 job openings.
Las Vegas, NV has the highest concentration of front desk representatives.

How to hire a front desk representative, step by step

To hire a front desk representative, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a front desk representative:

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

What does a front desk representative do?

A front desk representative is responsible for welcoming guests, processing their reservations, and responding to their inquiries and concerns. Front desk representatives perform various administrative and clerical duties as needed, ensuring customer satisfaction to generate revenues and increase profitability, as well as keeping the company's good reputation for clients' loyalty. They organize and maintain the cleanliness of the front desk area at all times and lead guests to the appropriate department. A front desk representative must have excellent customer service and organizational skills to handle different visiting purposes of the guests.

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

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Identify your hiring needs

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

A front desk representative's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, front desk representatives from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

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

Type of Front Desk Representative	Description	Hourly rate
Front Desk Representative	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$10-17
Night Auditor	A Night Auditor is responsible for handling late-night front-desk operations, mostly at hotels or other lodging establishments. Among the primary duties involve greeting guests and handling check-in and check-outs, responding to reservations, process and collect payments, preparing reports and necessary documentation, and attending to the guests' inquiries, requests, and concerns... Show more	$12-18
Guest Services	Guest service representatives, also known as guest service agents, are specialists in the hospitality industry. Generally, these agents are employed in hotels, spa units, or in places where guests need service or information for better accommodation... Show more	$9-16

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Reservations
- Customer Service
- Excellent Guest
- Computer System
- Patients
- Cash Handling
- Room Availability
- Math
- Booking
- Cleanliness
- Phone Calls
- Guest Service
- POS
- Night Audit
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Control all guestroom allocations, ensuring that reservations are accurately record and monitor to ensure optimum occupancy and revenue is achieved.
- Anticipate sold-out situations and obtain satisfactory alternative accommodations when the property cannot accommodate guests with reservations.
- Control all guestroom allocations, ensuring that reservations are accurately record and monitor to ensure optimum occupancy and revenue is achieved.
- Enter new and existing student information into MindBody.
- Assist customers with setting up classes through MINDBODY.
- Provide problem resolution services for guests and act as a professional representative for Simon while following myriad corporate policies and procedures.
More front desk representative duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in your front desk representative job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A front desk representative salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

For example, the average salary for a front desk representative in Iowa may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level front desk representative usually earns less than a senior-level front desk representative. Additionally, a front desk representative with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

Average front desk representative salary

$14.05hourly

$29,224 yearly

Entry-level front desk representative salary

$22,000 yearly salary

Updated January 20, 2026

Average front desk representative salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$42,101	$20
2	California	$36,346	$17
3	Massachusetts	$35,343	$17
4	Nevada	$33,424	$16
5	Colorado	$31,729	$15
6	Minnesota	$31,446	$15
7	Illinois	$30,847	$15
8	Wisconsin	$29,780	$14
9	Arizona	$29,767	$14
10	New Jersey	$29,293	$14
11	Utah	$28,248	$14
12	Ohio	$28,032	$13
13	Pennsylvania	$27,073	$13
14	Michigan	$26,998	$13
15	Florida	$26,942	$13
16	Missouri	$24,817	$12
17	Texas	$24,778	$12
18	South Carolina	$24,530	$12
19	Georgia	$24,001	$12
20	Alabama	$22,643	$11

Average front desk representative salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Eye Consultants of Atlanta	$40,505	$19.47	5
2	Wyndham Capital Mortgage	$38,917	$18.71	1
3	Michigan State University	$38,079	$18.31	1
4	Radisson Hotels International Inc	$36,475	$17.54
5	Hyatt Hotels	$36,150	$17.38	137
6	Massachusetts General Hospital	$34,901	$16.78
7	Lone Star Circle of Care	$34,880	$16.77	3
8	My Community Dental Centers	$34,603	$16.64
9	University of Wisconsin System	$34,338	$16.51	3
10	Lahey Health Behavioral Services	$34,249	$16.47
11	Prime	$33,151	$15.94	5
12	Tenet Healthcare	$32,956	$15.84	14
13	Bloomberg	$32,681	$15.71	5
14	Retina Specialty Institute	$32,657	$15.70
15	Advanced Dermatology Associates	$32,443	$15.60	2
16	University of Houston	$32,272	$15.52	2
17	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	$32,092	$15.43	12
18	Marriott International	$32,075	$15.42	397
19	Center for Diagnostic Imaging, Inc.	$32,009	$15.39	47
20	Odawa Casino	$31,986	$15.38

Writing a front desk representative job description
A front desk representative 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a front desk representative job description:
Front desk representative job description example
We currently have openings for Front Desk Representatives on Rt 17.
Serious Applicants Only - No Phone Calls Please - Must fill out a paper application - must be able to work weekends and evenings, available at the Front Desk
Comfort Suites, 541 Warrenton Road and/or Quality Inn, 543 Warrenton Road

Full Time and Part Time Positions Available

FRONT DESK REPRESENTATIVE
A key responsibility of this position is to create experiences which leave our guests and potential guests feeling assured and optimistic. These experiences can be delivered through a variety of activities, including: welcoming our guests, extending recognition to loyal guests and providing an accurate and efficient check in/check out process. Assisting guests during their stay with questions or concerns and providing exceptional service. Individuals in this role must adhere to the company's standards and procedures in order to deliver a consistent guest experience across the brand while complying with all safety, security and quality measures.

Front Desk Job Duties Include But Not Limited To:

• Interfacing with the previous shift and managers to be updated on hotel activities.
• Provide check-in/check-out service
• Provide superior guest service
• Manages reservations for arrivals, departures and in-house guests
• Processing payments from guests
• Provide guests with information concerning amenities/services/local attractions
• Strong attention to detail required
• Respond to all hotel guests efficiently and in an appropriately friendly manner

Job Requirements:

• Previous hotel experience preferred but not required.
• Must possess Excellent customer service and communication skills
• Be self-motivated and able to work independently
• Dependability and reliable transportation a must
• Ability to work in a standing position for long periods of time.
• Ability to handle comments and suggestions
• Flexibility to work any shift including weekends and holidays
• Ability to multi-task
Post your job
To find front desk representatives for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any front desk representatives they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level front desk representatives with the right educational background.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your front desk representative job on Zippia to find and recruit front desk representative candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Recruiting front desk representatives requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 representative
Once you've selected the best front desk representative candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.
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.
Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new front desk representative. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.
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 representative?

There are different types of costs for hiring front desk representatives. 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 representative employee.

The median annual salary for front desk representatives is $29,224 in the US. However, the cost of front desk representative hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a front desk representative for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $10 and $17 an hour.

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Updated January 20, 2026

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How to hire a front desk representative