Dental office manager vs front office manager

The differences between dental office managers and front office managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a dental office manager and a front office manager. Additionally, a dental office manager has an average salary of $55,915, which is higher than the $52,141 average annual salary of a front office manager.

The top three skills for a dental office manager include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a front office manager are customer service, reservations, and guest service.

Dental office manager vs front office manager overview

	Dental Office Manager	Front Office Manager
Yearly salary	$55,915	$52,141
Hourly rate	$26.88	$25.07
Growth rate	28%	18%
Number of jobs	68,831	80,983
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a dental office manager do?

A dental office manager oversees the business operations of the dental practice, including billing, expenses, and budget. Dental office managers are leaders in the practice. Among their duties and responsibilities are appointment schedule maintenance and staff supervision. They coordinate the treatment of patients and oversee billing. They may become successful when they incorporate modern communication skills.

What does a front office manager do?

Front office managers act as the senior person in an office setting and are responsible for keeping a professional work environment, administrative support, and staff supervision. They have varied tasks and duties, including managing accounting functions, approving office equipment and supplies, and allocating work assignments. They often use several skills to accomplish their responsibilities, including in-depth knowledge of the organization, a better understanding of the company's offerings and products, and awareness of other employees' different roles.

Dental office manager vs front office manager salary

Dental office managers and front office managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dental Office Manager	Front Office Manager
Average salary	$55,915	$52,141
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $77,000	Between $38,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	GPAC	Nomura Securities
Best paying industry	Professional	Hospitality

Differences between dental office manager and front office manager education

There are a few differences between a dental office manager and a front office manager in terms of educational background:

	Dental Office Manager	Front Office Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Dental Assisting	Business
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	Cornell University

Dental office manager vs front office manager demographics

Here are the differences between dental office managers' and front office managers' demographics:

	Dental Office Manager	Front Office Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 9.7% Female, 90.3%	Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 5.3% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between dental office manager and front office manager duties and responsibilities

Dental office manager example responsibilities.

Manage medical health documents, submit laboratory works and input diagnoses, ICD-9 and procedure codes.
Manage daily office operations, policies and procedures, and OSHA compliance in a fast pace setting.
Help dentist manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification.
Manage business accounts receivable and payable, payroll, and insurance verification and submission responsibilities.
Work a POS register and sell movie tickets.
Ensure HIPAA compliance, perform monthly inventory, order supplies.

Front office manager example responsibilities.

Serve as managing department head of the newly create small meetings group focusing on short-term incremental business across all Marriott brands.
Process monthly and quarterly taxes * deliver payroll weekly * manage accounts payable/receivable * schedule appointments * direct phone calls
Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
Direct all guest service associates, reception managers, agents and PBX with full fiscal responsibilities, including budgeting and forecasting.
Ensure that VIP reservations are appropriately block through close monitoring and proper organization.
Lead trainer for new PMS roll-out, including downtime and upgrade management.

Dental office manager vs front office manager skills

Common dental office manager skills

Patients, 24%
Patient Care, 11%
Customer Service, 10%
Dental Care, 6%
OSHA, 6%
Payroll, 5%

Common front office manager skills

Customer Service, 13%
Reservations, 11%
Guest Service, 10%
Payroll, 6%
Patients, 6%
Night Audit, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Dental Office Manager
Dental Office Manager vs Front Office Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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