Career profile
Also known as Bell Captain, Bell Person, Bellhop, Bellman, Bellperson, Doorman, Ground Support Agent, Sky Cap, Skycap, Valet
Baggage Porter
Also known as Bell Captain, Bell Person, Bellhop
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Interests Profile
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Realistic
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Conventional
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Social
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Pay Range
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$19,020 - $40,750 (annual)
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Required Skills
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Service Orientation
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Active Listening
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Speaking
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Knowledge Areas
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Customer and Personal Service
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Transportation
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Public Safety and Security
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Core tasks
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Receive and mark baggage by completing and attaching claim checks.
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Greet incoming guests and escort them to their rooms.
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Transport guests about premises and local areas, or arrange for transportation.
What does a Baggage Porter do?
Baggage Porters handle baggage for travelers at transportation terminals or for guests at hotels or similar establishments.
What kind of tasks does a Baggage Porter perform regularly?
Baggage Porters are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:
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Receive and mark baggage by completing and attaching claim checks.
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Greet incoming guests and escort them to their rooms.
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Transport guests about premises and local areas, or arrange for transportation.
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Maintain clean lobbies or entrance areas for travelers or guests.
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Transfer luggage, trunks, and packages to and from rooms, loading areas, vehicles, or transportation terminals, by hand or using baggage carts.
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Supply guests or travelers with directions, travel information, and other information, such as available services and points of interest.
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Explain the operation of room features, such as locks, ventilation systems, and televisions.
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Assist physically challenged travelers and other guests with special needs.
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Deliver messages and room service orders, and run errands for guests.
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Pick up and return items for laundry and valet service.
The above responsibilities are specific to Baggage Porters. More generally, Baggage Porters are involved in several broader types of activities:
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Activities
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Importance |
Details |
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Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
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Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
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Handling and Moving Objects
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Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
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Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
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Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
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Getting Information
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Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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Assisting and Caring for Others
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Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
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Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Handling and Moving Objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Assisting and Caring for Others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
What is a Baggage Porter salary?
The median salary for a Baggage Porter is
$27,050,
and the average salary is
$29,060.
Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Baggage Porter salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.
Many Baggage Porters earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors.
About 10% of Baggage Porters earn less than $19,020 per year,
25% earn less than $22,000,
75% earn
less than $32,850, and
90% earn
less than $40,750.
Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Baggage Porters is expected to change by 24.5%, and there should be roughly 4,800 open positions for Baggage Porters every year.
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Median annual salary
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$27,050
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Typical salary range
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$19,020 -
$40,750
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Projected growth (2020 - 2030)
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24.5%
What personality traits are common among Baggage Porters?
Interests
Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.
Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Baggage Porter are usually higher in their
Realistic
and
Conventional
interests.
Baggage Porters typically have very strong
Realistic
interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Also,
Baggage Porters typically have moderate
Conventional
interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Values
People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.
Compared to most people, those working as a Baggage Porter tend to value
Relationships,
Support, and
Independence.
Most importantly,
Baggage Porters very strongly value
Relationships.
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
Second,
Baggage Porters moderately value
Support.
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.
Lastly,
Baggage Porters moderately value
Independence.
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.
Psychological Demands
Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.
In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Baggage Porters must consistently demonstrate qualities such as
dependability,
attention to detail, and
integrity.
Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Baggage Porters, ranked by importance:
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Demands
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Importance |
Details |
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Dependability
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Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
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Attention to Detail
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Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
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Integrity
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Job requires being honest and ethical.
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Self-Control
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Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
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Concern for Others
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Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
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Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
What education and training do Baggage Porters need?
Working as a Baggage Porter usually requires a high school diploma.
Baggage Porters need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.
Educational degrees among Baggage Porters
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8.9% did not complete
high school or secondary school
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32.9% completed
high school or secondary school
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29.1% completed
some college coursework
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9.6% earned a
Associate's degree
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16.3% earned a
Bachelor's degree
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2.4% earned a
Master's degree
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0.8% earned a
doctorate or professional degree
Knowledge and expertise required by Baggage Porters
Baggage Porters may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as
customer and personal service,
transportation, or
public safety and security
knowledge.
The list below shows several areas in which most Baggage Porters might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.
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Knowledge areas
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Importance |
Details |
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Customer and Personal Service
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Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
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Transportation
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Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
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Public Safety and Security
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Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
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Sales and Marketing
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Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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Computers and Electronics
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Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Important Abilities needed by Baggage Porters
Baggage Porters must develop a particular set of
abilities
to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.
For example, Baggage Porters need abilities such as
oral comprehension,
oral expression, and
trunk strength
in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Baggage Porters, ranked by their relative importance.
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Abilities
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Importance |
Details |
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Oral Comprehension
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The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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Oral Expression
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The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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Trunk Strength
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The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
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Static Strength
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The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
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Speech Recognition
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The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
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The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Critical Skills needed by Baggage Porters
Skills
are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.
Baggage Porters frequently use skills like
service orientation,
active listening, and
speaking
to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Baggage Porters, ranked by their relative importance.
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Skills
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Importance |
Details |
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Service Orientation
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Actively looking for ways to help people.
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Active Listening
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Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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Speaking
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Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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Critical Thinking
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Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
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Coordination
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Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
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Actively looking for ways to help people.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
What is the source of this information?
The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.
