Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks Salary
In Auburn-Opelika, AL, hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks earn $27,730 at the median, or about $13.33 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers.
So what does $28K get you in Auburn-Opelika?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Auburn-Opelika’s Regional Price Parity (87.9). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Auburn-Opelika
Pay for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks in Auburn-Opelika runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $995/month, which is 51.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerkss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks in metros near Auburn-Opelika, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $29K | , |
| Montgomery | $28K | , |
| Huntsville | $29K | , |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $29K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Auburn-Opelika, AL
Entry-level hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $28K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $59K | +69% | 2,810 |
| District of Columbia | $47K | +34% | 1,170 |
| Vermont | $45K | +28% | 580 |
| Washington | $40K | +15% | 5,630 |
| Massachusetts | $39K | +12% | 4,530 |
| California | $39K | +12% | 27,810 |
| Nevada | $39K | +11% | 5,040 |
| New York | $39K | +10% | 10,130 |
| New Jersey | $38K | +9% | 5,000 |
| Rhode Island | $38K | +8% | 530 |
| Alaska | $38K | +7% | 820 |
| Maine | $37K | +7% | 1,510 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +6% | 850 |
| Oregon | $37K | +6% | 4,080 |
| Connecticut | $37K | +6% | 1,490 |
| Colorado | $37K | +5% | 5,520 |
| Minnesota | $36K | +4% | 4,430 |
| Utah | $36K | +3% | 4,120 |
| Arizona | $36K | +2% | 5,540 |
| Maryland | $36K | +2% | 4,020 |
| Delaware | $36K | +2% | 740 |
| Illinois | $35K | +1% | 6,390 |
| Wisconsin | $35K | +1% | 5,100 |
| Montana | $35K | +1% | 2,660 |
| Wyoming | $35K | -0% | 950 |
| Florida | $35K | -0% | 23,580 |
| Missouri | $35K | -1% | 4,400 |
| North Dakota | $35K | -2% | 1,390 |
| Michigan | $34K | -3% | 6,300 |
| Idaho | $34K | -3% | 2,130 |
| Indiana | $33K | -5% | 4,640 |
| Virginia | $33K | -5% | 6,560 |
| Nebraska | $31K | -10% | 1,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $31K | -11% | 7,880 |
| Ohio | $31K | -13% | 6,320 |
| Iowa | $31K | -13% | 2,790 |
| South Dakota | $31K | -13% | 1,760 |
| Tennessee | $30K | -14% | 6,930 |
| South Carolina | $30K | -14% | 5,910 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -15% | 3,890 |
| North Carolina | $30K | -15% | 7,530 |
| Kansas | $30K | -15% | 1,900 |
| Texas | $30K | -16% | 23,690 |
| New Mexico | $29K | -16% | 2,940 |
| Georgia | $29K | -17% | 9,490 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -19% | 2,420 |
| Alabama | $28K | -20% | 3,910 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -21% | 3,090 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -22% | 4,110 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -22% | 3,050 |
| West Virginia | $27K | -23% | 1,730 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Auburn-Opelika numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a hotel, motel, and resort desk clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Auburn-Opelika?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $28K, rent takes 51.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $995/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks in Auburn-Opelika?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,385/month. At HUD’s $995/month FMR, rent would take 72% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is hotel, motel, and resort desk clerk a high-paying job in Auburn-Opelika?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $28K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Auburn-Opelika compare to the national average for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks?
Auburn-Opelika pays $28K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks make in Auburn-Opelika, AL?
The median is $27,730 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,080, and experienced hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks can clear $35,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $28K enough to live in Auburn-Opelika?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,925/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $995/month, which eats 51.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks salary go in Auburn-Opelika?
Auburn-Opelika has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks salary is worth about $31,547 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.