Desk clerk vs front desk receptionist

The differences between desk clerks 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 $29,096 average annual salary of a desk clerk.

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

Desk clerk vs front desk receptionist overview

	Desk Clerk	Front Desk Receptionist
Yearly salary	$29,096	$31,050
Hourly rate	$13.99	$14.93
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	113,183	82,593
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	37	42
Years of experience	-	2

What does a desk clerk do?

The desk clerk or general office clerk is an employee who works with little supervision from the manager. The duties and responsibilities of desk clerks vary depending on the industry they belong to. These may include but are not limited to answering phone calls, electronic correspondence, filing paperwork, taking and maintaining inventory levels, and setting calendars and schedules. They are expected to always offer excellent customer service. In hotels, they check-in and check-out their guests.

What does a front desk receptionist do?

Front desk receptionists are usually the first contact of clients or visitors in an office or building. They are responsible for welcoming and receiving guests, documenting guests' arrival and updating the visitor logbook, informing hosts and other involved employees that the guests have arrived, and directing the guests to where they should go next. They also man telephone lines, schedule appointments, receive packages or mails, and answer office visitors' questions. Front desk receptionists are expected to be personable, knowledgeable on office-related activities, and familiar with everyone.

Desk clerk vs front desk receptionist salary

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

	Desk Clerk	Front Desk Receptionist
Average salary	$29,096	$31,050
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $36,000	Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Deborah's Place	SightMD
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Government

Differences between desk clerk and front desk receptionist education

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

	Desk Clerk	Front Desk Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Desk clerk vs front desk receptionist demographics

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

	Desk Clerk	Front Desk Receptionist
Average age	37	42
Gender ratio	Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 10.0% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	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	13%	6%

Differences between desk clerk and front desk receptionist duties and responsibilities

Desk clerk example responsibilities.

Manage customer service issues with ease and charm and train other co workers in daily operations.
Assist with setting up meetings using PowerPoint presentations.
Book keeping, check ins, paperwork, PowerPoint, enter information into database.
Communicate with previous shift, organize shift and review reservations and update contingency
Position require guest reservations to be coordinate with housekeeping and maintenance needs.
Register new patients and updates existing patient demographics by collecting patient detail patient information including personal and financial information.

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 clerk vs front desk receptionist skills

Common desk clerk skills

Reservations, 22%
Front Desk, 14%
Customer Service, 12%
Room Availability, 11%
Direct Calls, 6%
Telephone Calls, 5%

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 Clerk
Desk Clerk vs Front Desk Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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