Concierges
Also called Chef Concierge, Concierge, Guest Service Agent, or Hotel Concierge
Updated · Source: O*NET 31.0
What Concierges do
You are the person guests come to when they want dinner reservations, concert tickets, directions, or a hot-air balloon ride arranged by morning.
A concierge helps the people who come through a hotel, apartment, or office building get what they need. Some of it is simple: pointing someone toward a good restaurant, giving walking directions, taking a message. Some of it takes real legwork: booking flights or rental cars, ordering flowers, arranging childcare, tracking down tickets to a sold-out event, or planning a party and booking the music.
You work indoors, usually at a desk in a lobby, talking with people face to face all day. Between conversations you are on email and the phone, calling restaurants, drivers, and event venues. You are part of a team, passing guest requests to housekeeping or maintenance and following up, but you also handle many requests on your own from start to finish.
A day in the life
You start by checking email and messages left overnight, then sort out what needs doing first. A guest wants a dinner table for six at eight o'clock, so you start calling. Someone else needs directions to a museum and a taxi. You pass along a request for a room repair and check later that it got done. Midday you book train tickets for one guest and a spa appointment for another. Then something odd comes in: a hard-to-find gift, or a sightseeing tour for tomorrow morning. You make calls until you find it. Between all of this, people walk up with questions, and you stop what you are doing and listen. Near the end of your shift you hand off anything unfinished to the next person.
This could fit you if you…
- ✓Enjoy talking with strangers and making them feel looked after
- ✓Like solving small puzzles, such as finding a table on a busy night
- ✓Keep track of many requests at once without losing the details
- ✓Know your local area well, or want to learn it inside out
- ✓Stay calm and polite when someone is frustrated with you
You might not like it if you…
- –Want high pay right away, since the middle of the range is $38,950 a year and the lowest tenth earns about $31,620
- –Dislike being interrupted, because people walk up whenever they have a question
- –Would rather work alone and quietly than be on display in a lobby
- –Take it personally when a guest is rude or a request cannot be filled
How people get in
- 1Finish high school or an equivalent, which is the usual level of education for this job.
- 2Get any job where you deal with the public, such as a front desk, shop, or restaurant role, and practice listening and staying friendly under pressure.
- 3Learn your city in detail: restaurants, transport, theaters, events, and what visitors usually ask about.
- 4Apply for openings at hotels, apartment buildings, or office buildings, including related roles like guest service agent or front desk clerk that can lead here.
- 5Expect moderate-term on-the-job training, where you often shadow an experienced concierge and slowly take on your own requests.
- 6Build a list of contacts you can call on, and if you want more background, some people take courses in personal service or hospitality fields.
Who tends to enjoy it
Helping
People who like teaching, caring for, and working closely with people.
Leading
People who like persuading, selling, starting things, and taking charge.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Official task list
Concierges assist patrons at hotel, apartment, or office building with personal services. May take messages; arrange or give advice on transportation, business services, or entertainment; or monitor guest requests for housekeeping and maintenance. (O*NET)
- Provide information about local features, such as shopping, dining, nightlife, or recreational destinations.
- Make reservations for patrons, such as for dinner, spa treatments, or golf tee times, and obtain tickets to special events.
- Provide directions to guests.
- Order flowers for guests.
- Make travel arrangements for sightseeing or other tours.
- Pick up and deliver items or run errands for guests.
- Plan special events, parties, or meetings, which may include booking musicians or celebrities.
- Book airline or train tickets, reserve rental cars, or arrange shuttle service for guests.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Coordination
- Reading Comprehension
What you'll need to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administrative
- Transportation
- Administration and Management
How much Concierges make
The median pay for Concierges in the U.S. is $38,950 a year ($18.73 an hour). Most earn between $31,620 and $57,570. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in Hawaii ($60,090) and lowest in Puerto Rico ($23,810).
Pay by state and territory
| State | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $30,120 | 300 |
| Arizona | $37,460 | 420 |
| Arkansas | $31,340 | 90 |
| California | $43,560 | 5,150 |
| Colorado | $46,720 | 580 |
| Connecticut | $40,550 | 400 |
| Delaware | $32,420 | 40 |
| District of Columbia | $38,230 | 3,000 |
| Florida | $35,660 | 5,380 |
| Georgia | $33,960 | 1,440 |
| Hawaii | $60,090 | 510 |
| Idaho | $34,760 | 250 |
| Illinois | $36,900 | 1,460 |
| Indiana | $34,160 | 250 |
| Iowa | $40,080 | 70 |
| Kansas | $35,340 | 110 |
| Kentucky | $31,390 | 420 |
| Louisiana | $31,340 | 320 |
| Maine | $45,330 | 110 |
| Maryland | $39,950 | 1,130 |
| Massachusetts | $40,120 | — |
| Michigan | $35,740 | 900 |
| Minnesota | $36,880 | — |
| Mississippi | $35,360 | 130 |
| Missouri | $33,280 | 500 |
| Montana | $37,520 | 50 |
| Nevada | $36,820 | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $38,950 | 120 |
| New Jersey | $37,740 | 2,650 |
| New Mexico | $35,740 | 50 |
| New York | $57,570 | 6,040 |
| North Carolina | $34,780 | 660 |
| Ohio | $35,660 | 590 |
| Oklahoma | $29,930 | 430 |
| Oregon | $38,700 | 420 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,560 | 2,160 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,810 | 310 |
| Rhode Island | $54,850 | — |
| South Carolina | $34,110 | 580 |
| Tennessee | $35,320 | 460 |
| Texas | $36,070 | 2,600 |
| Utah | $38,550 | 250 |
| Vermont | $45,610 | 90 |
| Virginia | $38,050 | 2,170 |
| Washington | $47,330 | 1,320 |
| West Virginia | $35,130 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $40,460 | 260 |
| Wyoming | $52,060 | 50 |
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services, Other 7 colleges
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 39-6012.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC 39-6012. Outlook and entry education: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.