Business office clerk vs receptionist/billing clerk

The differences between business office clerks and receptionist/billing clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a business office clerk and a receptionist/billing clerk. Additionally, a receptionist/billing clerk has an average salary of $31,932, which is higher than the $28,097 average annual salary of a business office clerk.

The top three skills for a business office clerk include patients, data entry and insurance verification. The most important skills for a receptionist/billing clerk are patients, data entry, and customer service.

Business office clerk vs receptionist/billing clerk overview

	Business Office Clerk	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Yearly salary	$28,097	$31,932
Hourly rate	$13.51	$15.35
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	183,094	129,530
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 31%
Average age	47	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does a business office clerk do?

A business office clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support business operations that would help the company achieve its daily goals and objectives. Business office clerks monitor business and financial transactions, manage inventories, respond to inquiries and concerns, direct visitors to the appropriate personnel, schedule appointments, and file reports. A business office clerk must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in finishing duties within the deadline, even under minimal supervision.

What does a receptionist/billing clerk do?

A receptionist/billing clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties as needed to maintain a smooth flow of operations for the business. Receptionist/billing clerks process the customers' payment transactions, manage account payables, releasing invoices, and immediately resolve account discrepancies. A receptionist/billing clerk must have excellent communication and analytical skills, responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, escalating high-level complaints to the billing management. They should also maintain records of financial documentation for reference and reconciliation as needed.

Business office clerk vs receptionist/billing clerk salary

Business office clerks and receptionist/billing clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Business Office Clerk	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Average salary	$28,097	$31,932
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $37,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Tacoma, WA	Santa Maria, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	Leggett & Platt
Best paying industry	Insurance	Technology

Differences between business office clerk and receptionist/billing clerk education

There are a few differences between a business office clerk and a receptionist/billing clerk in terms of educational background:

	Business Office Clerk	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 31%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Business office clerk vs receptionist/billing clerk demographics

Here are the differences between business office clerks' and receptionist/billing clerks' demographics:

	Business Office Clerk	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Average age	47	42
Gender ratio	Male, 17.9% Female, 82.1%	Male, 7.2% Female, 92.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 8.1% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 25.0% Asian, 5.7% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between business office clerk and receptionist/billing clerk duties and responsibilities

Business office clerk example responsibilities.

Manage front office check-in, insurance verification and certifications from doctors.
Verify insurance using knowledge of medical terminology, provide customer service, and schedule patients for surgery.
Demonstrate ICD-9, CPT, and data entry.
Expand knowledge of ICD-9, CPT and HCPCS codes to include cardiovascular procedures
Complete duties in payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, purchase orders and internal control implementations.
Ensure all documents are completed, charts update, and records meet HIPPA regulations.

Receptionist/billing clerk example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Obtain and track all insurance referrals for patients with HMO products.
Coordinate in-processing of all patients, to include accurate insurance information and payments are entered correctly into office computer system.
Move from SNF billing to HMO outpatient billing and keep a large alpha current.
Maintain confidentiality and adherence to HIPAA guidelines.
Develop effective billing strategies for Medicaid recipients according to HIPPA rules and regulations.

Business office clerk vs receptionist/billing clerk skills

Common business office clerk skills

Patients, 26%
Data Entry, 13%
Insurance Verification, 7%
Hippa, 4%
Office Equipment, 3%
Customer Service, 3%

Common receptionist/billing clerk skills

Patients, 25%
Data Entry, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Telephone Calls, 7%
Appointment Scheduling, 6%
Front Desk, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Business Office Clerk
Business Office Clerk vs Receptionist/Billing Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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