A night auditor works for a hotel or motel doing bookkeeping and often acting as the front desk agent as well. Except for the smallest motels, most types and sizes of these businesses employ night auditors. These might be part-time positions, or the hotel may employ one full-time auditor and one part-time. Duties vary depending on the size of the facility, but the main focus of the job description is handling end-of-day accounting duties.

Bookkeeping Duties of a Night Auditor

The night auditor audits the daily guest ledger of the hotel to verify and balance entries. If the hotel includes a restaurant, the night auditor typically must verify and balance these ledger entries as well. The ledger shows all accounts receivable, such as room charges, room service and telephone calls. If any discrepancies appear, the night auditor investigates and corrects them. She creates a daily deposit and ensures the correct starting cash amount at the front desk for the morning.

Front Desk Agent - Secondary Duties of a Night Auditor

Additionally, most night auditors act as the hotel front-desk clerk during these quieter hours. In very large hotels, they assist a full-time desk agent. This involves checking guests in or out, taking reservations by phone, and providing services such as filling requests for extra towels and giving directions to nearby stores and restaurants. They refund money from attempts to use nonworking vending machines. Night auditors also keep an eye on security cameras and respond to complaints from guests about noise or room conditions.

Computer Work

The job description for night auditors includes performing data entry on spreadsheets or in a database, and processing different types of computer accounting reports for the hotel and restaurant. They input reservations on a computer system and also update the occupied status of rooms as guests come and go.

Considerations for Night Auditor Applicants

Applicants usually are required to have a high school diploma or equivalency. Some hotels prefer experience in bookkeeping or general accounting. The applicants may need to be proficient in spreadsheet and word processing software. They also must be well-groomed, personable and have excellent customer service skills.

Features and Benefits of Working as a Night Auditor

Night auditors work third shift, typically 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. The jobs require working weekends and holidays. The environment is clean, quiet and comfortable. Starting pay for night auditors in 2009, according to the PayScale salary survey website, is $8 to $10 hourly, with an increase to $9.50 to $12.50 with five years' experience. Full-time employees receive vacation pay, health insurance and a 401(k) retirement plan.