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The differences between hotel associates and front desk clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a hotel associate has an average salary of $32,062, which is higher than the $26,669 average annual salary of a front desk clerk.
The top three skills for a hotel associate include taking care, PET and customer service. The most important skills for a front desk clerk are reservations, customer service, and night audit.
| Hotel Associate | Front Desk Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $32,062 | $26,669 |
| Hourly rate | $15.41 | $12.82 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 4,387 | 141,042 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A hotel associate takes care of hotel patrons by registering them and assigning them to rooms. They are expected to give keys and cards to guests, transmit and receive messages, and keep a record of occupied rooms. They may also be in charge of making reservations. Different hotels may assign their associates a variety of other small tasks. However, the associate's primary duty is to ensure that the best services are provided to clients.
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.
Hotel associates and front desk clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hotel Associate | Front Desk Clerk | |
| Average salary | $32,062 | $26,669 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $43,000 | Between $21,000 And $33,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Hilton Grand Vacations |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between a hotel associate and a front desk clerk in terms of educational background:
| Hotel Associate | Front Desk Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between hotel associates' and front desk clerks' demographics:
| Hotel Associate | Front Desk Clerk | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.5% Female, 63.5% | Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 10.8% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |