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The differences between dental assistant/receptionists and 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 dental assistant/receptionist and a receptionist. Additionally, a dental assistant/receptionist has an average salary of $38,823, which is higher than the $30,571 average annual salary of a receptionist.
The top three skills for a dental assistant/receptionist include patients, customer service and dental procedures. The most important skills for a receptionist are patients, phone calls, and customer service.
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Receptionist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,823 | $30,571 |
| Hourly rate | $18.66 | $14.70 |
| Growth rate | 8% | - |
| Number of jobs | 80,317 | 65,671 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A dental assistant/receptionist is responsible for managing dental appointments, including scheduling or canceling patients' dental sessions. Dental assistants/receptionists inform patients ahead of time if the dentist is out to reschedule another appointment. They also process payments, respond to customer's inquiries about dental services the clinic offers, updating patient information on the database, and creating a patient chart and visiting records for the dental staff's reference. A dental assistant/receptionist must have excellent communication and organization skills to assist patients efficiently and perform administrative tasks as needed.
Receptionists are employees assigned at the entrances or lobbies of offices. They welcome guests, check identification, issue visitor badges, attend to questions or inquiries, and direct guests to where they are supposed to go. They also receive general mail or packages, answer calls, and manage schedules. Receptionists perform various clerical or administrative functions as assigned by their supervisors. They should have good client relations skills.
Dental assistant/receptionists and receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Receptionist | |
| Average salary | $38,823 | $30,571 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $57,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Mount Sinai Health System | Gensler |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a dental assistant/receptionist and a receptionist in terms of educational background:
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Receptionist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Most common major | Dental Assisting | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between dental assistant/receptionists' and receptionists' demographics:
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Receptionist | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.7% Female, 93.3% | Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |