Desk attendant vs front desk receptionist

The differences between desk attendants and front desk receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a front desk receptionist has an average salary of $31,050, which is higher than the $24,747 average annual salary of a desk attendant.

The top three skills for a desk attendant include front desk, customer service and cash control. The most important skills for a front desk receptionist are patients, check-in, and phone calls.

Desk attendant vs front desk receptionist overview

	Desk Attendant	Front Desk Receptionist
Yearly salary	$24,747	$31,050
Hourly rate	$11.90	$14.93
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	119,555	82,593
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	34	42
Years of experience	-	2

Desk attendant vs front desk receptionist salary

Desk attendants and front desk receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Desk Attendant	Front Desk Receptionist
Average salary	$24,747	$31,050
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $33,000	Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Alameda, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Maine	Alaska
Best paying company	Mayo Clinic	SightMD
Best paying industry	Retail	Government

Differences between desk attendant and front desk receptionist education

There are a few differences between a desk attendant and a front desk receptionist in terms of educational background:

	Desk Attendant	Front Desk Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Desk attendant vs front desk receptionist demographics

Here are the differences between desk attendants' and front desk receptionists' demographics:

	Desk Attendant	Front Desk Receptionist
Average age	34	42
Gender ratio	Male, 40.3% Female, 59.7%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.9% Asian, 6.4% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	6%

Differences between desk attendant and front desk receptionist duties and responsibilities

Desk attendant example responsibilities.

Grind maintenance, snow removal and mowing.
Assist on special projects consisting of transferring reservations to new internal booking system and balancing advance deposits
Perform lifeguard duties, such as water rescues and administers first aid as necessary.
Help to maintain office organization and functionality

Front desk receptionist example responsibilities.

Accomplish computer work using a PMS system; OperaXpress.
Collect and distribute mail and packages, prepare FedEx shipments and manage online postage machine.
Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic
Acquire knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT codes and achieve up-to-date knowledge of medical record practices, standards, and regulations.
Manage patients records by keeping all medical history, insurance and personal information update and verify abiding by HIPAA protocols.
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.

Desk attendant vs front desk receptionist skills

Common desk attendant skills

Front Desk, 17%
Customer Service, 17%
Cash Control, 14%
CPR, 11%
Residential Life, 9%
Security Cameras, 3%

Common front desk receptionist skills

Patients, 23%
Check-In, 12%
Phone Calls, 10%
Reservations, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Appointment Scheduling, 5%

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Desk Attendant
Desk Attendant vs Front Desk Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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