Hotel Front Desk Clerks

(NOC 6525)

in All Sales and Service

Hotel front desk clerks make room reservations, provide information and services to guests, and receive payment for services. They work for hotels, motels, and resorts.

Job Outlook

Good

Read more

  • Estimate Moderate growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 105 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Moderate rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Sales and Service

  • Estimate 10325 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 17495 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$14.50

Minimum

$14.50

Median

$17.00

Maximum

Annual Pay

$5,812

Minimum

$15,605

Median

$30,804

Maximum

Compared to: All Sales and Service

Hourly Pay

$12.95

Minimum

$15.00

Median

$25.60

Maximum

Annual Pay

$2,949

Minimum

$16,629

Median

$45,086

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Hotel front desk clerks make room reservations, provide information and services to guests, and receive payment for services. They work for hotels, motels, and resorts.

Job duties

Hotel front desk clerks:

  • Maintain an inventory of vacancies, reservations, and room assignments.
  • Register arriving guests and assign rooms.
  • Answer questions about hotel services and registration by letter, by telephone and in person, provide information about services available in the community and respond to guests' complaints.
  • Compile and check daily record sheets, guest accounts, receipts and vouchers using computerized or manual systems.
  • Present statements of charges to departing guests and receive payment.

Sample job titles

  • guest service representative
  • hotel clerk
  • hotel concierge
  • hotel front desk clerk
  • hotel night auditor
  • hotel receptionist
  • night auditor - hotel
  • reception clerk - hotel
  • reservations clerk - hotel

Skills

  • You should be poised, organized, tactful, and patient. Interpersonal skills and the ability to deal comfortably with strangers are important. You should be resourceful and able to handle the unexpected. Good communication skills are also necessary. Knowledge of both official languages and an additional language may be required.

Job requirements

  • High school or equivalent is usually required.
  • A two-year apprenticeship program, or a college program in front desk operations or hotel management may be required.
  • Guest service trade certification is available, but voluntary, through the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council.

Other considerations

  • Many of these jobs are heavily influenced by tourism activity in Nova Scotia. Employment levels tend to vary throughout the year and peak in the summer months. Also, general economic conditions will have an effect on the level of business and pleasure travel undertaken by Nova Scotians. Therefore, employment levels will vary from year to year in many of these jobs. Movement to senior positions like accommodations manager is possible with additional training and experience.

By the numbers

Quick look

780

employed in 2016

75.6%

employed full-time

0.0%

self employed

75.0%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
25%
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33.6

median age

Compared to: All Sales and Service

102,605

employed in 2016

56.4%

employed full-time

5.8%

self employed

60.1%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
39.9%
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37

median age

Where will I likely work?

44.2%

Halifax

$15,164 median annual income
17.3%

North Shore

$18,724 median annual income
17.3%

Cape Breton

$15,148 median annual income
11.5%

Southern

$18,599 median annual income
9.6%

Annapolis Valley

$15,243 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

100.0%

Accommodation and food services

What is the age of Employment?

28.0%

15-24

25.0%

25-34

18.0%

45-54

15.0%

35-44

8.0%

55-64

6.0%

65+

Compared to: All Sales and Service

30.0%

15-24

17.2%

45-54

17.2%

25-34

16.1%

55-64

13.8%

35-44

Top levels of education

38.5%

High school

$14,039 median annual income
30.1%

College Diploma

$18,118 median annual income
17.9%

Bachelor

$14,004 median annual income
5.1%

Trade Certification

N/A
4.5%

Less than high school

$14,740 median annual income

Compared to: All Sales and Service

39.8%

High school

$15,705 median annual income
19.7%

Less than high school

$9,866 median annual income
19.5%

College Diploma

$20,644 median annual income
9.9%

Bachelor

$21,262 median annual income
8.0%

Trade Certification

$21,234 median annual income

Education & training

High School Diploma or Equivalent

High School Program

Adults without a high school diploma can contact the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning (NSSAL) for tuition-free programming across the province. NSSAL oversees adult education programs in Nova Scotia. NSSAL partners with the Nova Scotia Community College, Adult High Schools, Université Sainte-Anne, and community-based learning organizations to deliver programs. NSSAL offers clear, accessible pathways from adult basic education to a high school credential or GED.

Institutions providing this program

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Adult High Schools

Various, NS

Community Learning Organizations

Various, NS

Hospitality Administration/Management

College or University Program

These programs prepare students to serve as general managers and directors of hospitality operations on a system-wide basis, including both travel arrangements and promotion and the provision of traveller facilities. These include courses in principles of operations in the travel and tourism, hotel and lodging facilities, food services, and recreation facilities industries, hospitality marketing strategies, hospitality planning, management and coordination of franchise and unit operations, business management, accounting and financial management, hospitality transportation and logistics, and hospitality industry policies and regulations.

Institutions providing this program

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Tourism and Travel Services Management

College or University Program

These programs prepare students to manage travel-related enterprises and related convention and/or tour services. They include courses in travel agency management, tour arranging and planning, convention and event planning, travel industry operations and procedures, tourism marketing and promotion strategies, travel counselling, travel industry law, international and domestic operations, and travel and tourism policy.

Institutions providing this program

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Nova Scotia Tourism Talent
Halifax, NS
Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Sector Council
Halifax, NS
Hotel Association of Canada
Ottawa, ON

Additional resources