Clerical associate vs office receptionist

The differences between clerical associates and office receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a clerical associate and an office receptionist. Additionally, an office receptionist has an average salary of $33,554, which is higher than the $30,024 average annual salary of a clerical associate.

The top three skills for a clerical associate include patients, data entry and customer service. The most important skills for an office receptionist are patients, customer service, and phone calls.

Clerical associate vs office receptionist overview

	Clerical Associate	Office Receptionist
Yearly salary	$30,024	$33,554
Hourly rate	$14.43	$16.13
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	78,648	80,143
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	47	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does a clerical associate do?

A clerical associate is someone who carries out administrative tasks. Clerical associates photocopy, distribute mail, put together mailings, send faxes, respond to emails, and type letters. The associate's order office supplies, convey messages to staff members, handle payroll, and manage conference rooms. They check records for information accuracy and policy and procedure conformity. It is part of their responsibilities to perform projects for patient care facilitation. Also, they provide support to the mental health clinic in terms of patient care and satisfaction survey distribution and collection.

What does an office receptionist do?

An office receptionist, or administrative assistant, performs various administrative tasks for an organization. These tasks may include answering phone calls, providing the public and customers with information, and warmly welcoming, greeting, and directing visitors or guests accordingly. Additionally, an office receptionist is responsible for maintaining security by issuing visitor badges, monitoring logbooks, and following procedures. Administrative assistants are also responsible for preparing and processing travel vouchers and other documents. Some employers prefer someone with a college or bachelor's degree, telephone skills, and excellent communication skills.

Clerical associate vs office receptionist salary

Clerical associates and office receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clerical Associate	Office Receptionist
Average salary	$30,024	$33,554
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $37,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Bakersfield, CA	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	GBS	Dairy Farmers of America
Best paying industry	Government	Manufacturing

Differences between clerical associate and office receptionist education

There are a few differences between a clerical associate and an office receptionist in terms of educational background:

	Clerical Associate	Office Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Clerical associate vs office receptionist demographics

Here are the differences between clerical associates' and office receptionists' demographics:

	Clerical Associate	Office Receptionist
Average age	47	42
Gender ratio	Male, 20.3% Female, 79.7%	Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 7.7% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between clerical associate and office receptionist duties and responsibilities

Clerical associate example responsibilities.

Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Apply ICD-9, CPT and HCPCS codes for outpatient treatments.
Obtain and properly distributes messages using EMR.
Fax radiology reports and make calls regarding abnormal reports.
Coordinate patient radiology exams as well as patient procedures.
Update clinical records associate with patient visits in MYSIS EMR system.

Office receptionist example responsibilities.

Verify insurance information and manage medical records while ensuring confidentiality according to HIPAA requirements.
Answer phones, make copies, Microsoft, PowerPoint, scheduling, greet and interact with clients, filing and mailing.
Complete and audit payroll for accuracy.
Process payroll and monthly/quarterly sales tax liabilities.
Stock exam rooms, sterilize instruments and occasionally assist physician with patients.
Provide high-quality customer-service to patients by treating them respectfully and t with discretion.

Clerical associate vs office receptionist skills

Common clerical associate skills

Patients, 23%
Data Entry, 11%
Customer Service, 11%
Phone Calls, 5%
Clerical Functions, 5%
Patient Care, 5%

Common office receptionist skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 15%
Phone Calls, 12%
Data Entry, 9%
Front Desk, 6%
Appointment Scheduling, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Clerical Associate
Clerical Associate vs Office Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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