Desk receptionist vs receptionist/customer service

The differences between desk receptionists and receptionist/customer services can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a desk receptionist, becoming a receptionist/customer service takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a desk receptionist has an average salary of $32,434, which is higher than the $30,604 average annual salary of a receptionist/customer service.

The top three skills for a desk receptionist include scheduling appointments, customer service and front desk. The most important skills for a receptionist/customer service are customer service, phone calls, and data entry.

Desk receptionist vs receptionist/customer service overview

	Desk Receptionist	Receptionist/Customer Service
Yearly salary	$32,434	$30,604
Hourly rate	$15.59	$14.71
Growth rate	-	-4%
Number of jobs	41,301	216,587
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	High School Diploma, 35%
Average age	42	40
Years of experience	2	12

Desk receptionist vs receptionist/customer service salary

Desk receptionists and receptionist/customer services have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Desk Receptionist	Receptionist/Customer Service
Average salary	$32,434	$30,604
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $25,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Billerica, MA
Highest paying state	-	Minnesota
Best paying company	-	Uline
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between desk receptionist and receptionist/customer service education

There are a few differences between a desk receptionist and a receptionist/customer service in terms of educational background:

	Desk Receptionist	Receptionist/Customer Service
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	High School Diploma, 35%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Desk receptionist vs receptionist/customer service demographics

Here are the differences between desk receptionists' and receptionist/customer services' demographics:

	Desk Receptionist	Receptionist/Customer Service
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5%	Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0%
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, 10.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	7%

Differences between desk receptionist and receptionist/customer service 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.

Receptionist/customer service 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.
Bill and collect from private pay, Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies.
Doctor authorization for treatments, understanding of Medicare and Medicaid, prior authorizations (if need).
Resolve problems with the buyers concerning invoices that do not match in the AS400 system.
Receive and apply checks into AS400 accounting database and scan checks into bank, on a daily basis.

Desk receptionist vs receptionist/customer service skills

Common desk receptionist skills

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

Common receptionist/customer service skills

Customer Service, 16%
Phone Calls, 15%
Data Entry, 14%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Front Desk, 8%
Scheduling Appointments, 8%

Desk Receptionist vs. similar jobs

Desk Receptionist related careers

Desk Receptionist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Desk Receptionist
Desk Receptionist vs Receptionist/Customer Service

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs