Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
Machines can already do 46% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 69%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 46% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 17% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2028, and 69% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 261,420 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $35,070 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 84% for contact with people.
- Also called: Desk Clerk, Front Desk Agent, Front Desk Associate, Front Desk Attendant.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greet, register, and assign rooms to guests of hotels or motels | 18% | 10% to 32% | |
| Answer inquiries pertaining to hotel services, guest registration, and travel directions, or make recommendations regarding shopping, dining, or entertainment | 10% | 82% to 87% | |
| Make and confirm reservations | 9% | 85% to 87% | |
| Transmit and receive messages, using telephones or telephone switchboards | 8% | 40% to 80% | |
| Keep records of room availability and guests' accounts, manually or using computers | 8% | 70% to 95% | |
| Review accounts and charges with guests during the check out process | 8% | 35% to 58% | |
| Compute bills, collect payments, and make change for guests | 6% | 47% to 77% | |
| Verify customers' credit, and establish how the customer will pay for the accommodation | 5% | 70% to 95% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Concierges62% of tasks by 2035 · US median $38,950
- Library Technicians52% of tasks by 2035 · US median $44,580
- Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage57% of tasks by 2035 · US median $78,240
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School42% of tasks by 2035 · US median $65,030
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2028. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks?
Machines can do 46% of the tasks of hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks today and 69% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 43-4081.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/hotel-motel-and-resort-desk-clerks/