Wheel luggage on a cart
Load suitcases onto a baggage cart and roll them among vehicles, guest rooms, or terminal areas.
Career profile
Baggage Porter and Bellhop
Bellhops and baggage porters carry travelers' luggage and give directions inside hotels or transportation terminals.
Picture a guest with several suitcases, asking where to go. Taking the bags and then telling them where to head next are both your job.
A day in the life
Tag and store bags
You tag each stored bag, give the guest a claim ticket, then match the two at pickup.
Show guests how the room works
After the bags reach the room, show the guest how the door lock, thermostat, and other features work.
Give directions or call taxis
Confirm the guest's destination, then explain the route or book a taxi through the hotel's approved service.
Quick facts
High school + workplace training
United States · 2025
$37,080/year
United States · 2025
3% decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + workplace trainingTypical entry preparation is a high school diploma or equivalent, followed by short-term training on the job. Employer requirements vary.
Pay
$37,080/yearNational median for baggage porters and bellhops in 2025, equivalent to $17.83 an hour.
Outlook
3% declineEmployment is projected to decline during 2025–2035, with about 3,800 openings a year on average.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy brief conversations with people you have just met.
- You notice identifying details even when several bags look alike.
- You prefer moving around to sitting at a desk.
Things to weigh
- Standing, walking, and handling bags can be tiring. Some travelers are impatient or discourteous.
- Hotel entrance jobs can include evening and weekend shifts, so your free time may fall outside your friends’ schedules.
Where AI may help
Some airport skycap operations use software to produce baggage-handling reports and plan staffing around passenger activity.
What people still lead
You still handle luggage and respond when a traveler needs help with a bag or destination.
What we can’t predict yet
How much check-in and recordkeeping will shift away from staffed service remains uncertain; the mix of guest assistance and computer work may change.
Pay in context
Earnings
Compare the hourly wage, tips, and scheduled hours separately when considering an offer.
The national pay range
The 2025 median was $37,080 a year, or $17.83 an hour. The lowest-paid 10% earned $27,040 or less annually; the highest-paid 10% earned $51,600 or more. These are pay percentiles, not beginner and experienced-worker rates.
Read the tip terms
The national figures include tips and exclude overtime premiums. Ask whether an advertised rate includes expected tips, how tips are shared, and how many hours you can expect.
Openings despite a decline
The projected 3% employment decline does not mean hiring stops. About 3,800 openings are projected annually during 2025–2035, including replacement needs.
Getting started
Start in hotel luggage service
- What the route involves
- Apply for bell or luggage-attendant jobs accepting beginners, including seasonal roles. Learn the employer’s baggage and guest-service procedures on the job.
- What it can lead to
- You can enter luggage service without prior related employment at hotels that hire beginners; high school completion may be preferred.
Bring related service experience
- What the route involves
- Build related guest-service experience or training before applying to bell-attendant employers that request it.
- What it can lead to
- That preparation can satisfy an experience or training requirement for a hotel bell role.
- What to check
- Requirements remain employer-specific: some include high school completion and the employer’s wheelchair safety course.
A college degree is not the typical entry route. You can look for direct-entry work or build related experience for employers that request it.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn the luggage-storage layout and make accurate tagging and retrieval a dependable habit.
Handle more guest requests
Build your knowledge of rooms, meeting spaces, and local transportation so you can answer more questions without passing them along.
Lead the bell team
Bell captain is a possible next step: coordinate luggage assistance, transportation, and the flow of arrivals. Combined bell-and-valet leadership jobs may also require a driver’s license.
Where you can work
Hotels and resorts
Your route connects the entrance, luggage storage, and guest rooms. You coordinate with front-desk staff and may explain room features or help guests move rooms.
- Indoors
- Physical demands
Airport curbside services
Skycaps help departing passengers check bags and receive boarding passes at the curb. Some operations provide these services at parking or rental-car centers, putting your work outside the main terminal.
- Outdoors
- Physical demands
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Use three empty bags and paper claim tickets to set up a pretend luggage desk. Have someone collect the bags in a different order while asking you for directions. Notice whether you enjoy staying accurate while talking.
Stay safe: Use your own empty bags; the exercise is about tracking belongings, not lifting weight.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 39-6011.00 — Baggage Porters and Bellhops. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Baggage Porters and Bellhops. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Frequently Asked Questions. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Marriott International. Seasonal Luggage Attendant — New York Marriott Marquis. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Towne Park. Hotel Bell Attendant — JW Marriott Galleria. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Crescent Hotels & Resorts / Marriott Careers. Bell Captain — La Posada de Santa Fe. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Bags. Skycap Services. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- SP+. Airlines. Accessed 2026-10-04.