Desk receptionist vs medical receptionist

The differences between desk receptionists and medical 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 desk receptionist and a medical receptionist. Additionally, a desk receptionist has an average salary of $32,434, which is higher than the $31,960 average annual salary of a medical receptionist.

The top three skills for a desk receptionist include scheduling appointments, customer service and front desk. The most important skills for a medical receptionist are patients, customer service, and check-in.

Desk receptionist vs medical receptionist overview

	Desk Receptionist	Medical Receptionist
Yearly salary	$32,434	$31,960
Hourly rate	$15.59	$15.37
Growth rate	-	-8%
Number of jobs	41,301	118,048
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Associate Degree, 28%
Average age	42	49
Years of experience	2	2

Desk receptionist vs medical receptionist salary

Desk receptionists and medical receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Desk Receptionist	Medical Receptionist
Average salary	$32,434	$31,960
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	CENTER FOR SIGHT
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between desk receptionist and medical receptionist education

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

	Desk Receptionist	Medical Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Associate Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Health Care Administration
Most common college	-	-

Desk receptionist vs medical receptionist demographics

Here are the differences between desk receptionists' and medical receptionists' demographics:

	Desk Receptionist	Medical Receptionist
Average age	42	49
Gender ratio	Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5%	Male, 5.2% Female, 94.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 6.7% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	9%

Differences between desk receptionist and medical receptionist duties and responsibilities

Desk receptionist example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Document and identify doctors' availability and schedule appointments utilizing AVImark scheduling software.

Medical receptionist example responsibilities.

Conduct analysis to address long wait times which lead to faster triage, shorter wait times.
Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
Greet and check-in patients, including obtaining accurate patient demographic information, patient registration, and checking insurance eligibility.
Learned and operate chiropractic equipment (decompression; Leander) & x-rays; enabling Dr to have more time for patients.
Resolve concerns of terminally ill patients with compassion and professionalism.
Identify patients' specific scheduling requirements while demonstrating care and compassion via telephone.

Desk receptionist vs medical receptionist skills

Common desk receptionist skills

Scheduling Appointments, 24%
Customer Service, 21%
Front Desk, 15%
Check-In, 10%
Emergency Situations, 4%
Office Equipment, 4%

Common medical receptionist skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 9%
Check-In, 6%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Patient Care, 4%
Front Desk, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Desk Receptionist
Desk Receptionist vs Medical Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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