Desk receptionist vs receptionist secretary

The differences between desk receptionists and receptionist secretaries 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 receptionist secretary. Additionally, a desk receptionist has an average salary of $32,434, which is higher than the $29,343 average annual salary of a receptionist secretary.

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

Desk receptionist vs receptionist secretary overview

	Desk Receptionist	Receptionist Secretary
Yearly salary	$32,434	$29,343
Hourly rate	$15.59	$14.11
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	41,301	61,892
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

Desk receptionist vs receptionist secretary salary

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

	Desk Receptionist	Receptionist Secretary
Average salary	$32,434	$29,343
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $24,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	-	Lake Oswego, OR
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Illinois Institute of Technology
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between desk receptionist and receptionist secretary education

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

	Desk Receptionist	Receptionist Secretary
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Desk receptionist vs receptionist secretary demographics

Here are the differences between desk receptionists' and receptionist secretaries' demographics:

	Desk Receptionist	Receptionist Secretary
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5%	Male, 5.6% Female, 94.4%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between desk receptionist and receptionist secretary 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 secretary example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Maintain confidential information/ HIPPA compliant.
Prepare PowerPoint presentations and distribute meeting materials.
Maintain confidentiality and release health records information following HIPPA guidelines.
Develop and present PowerPoint presentations to visiting dignitaries from higher headquarters.
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.

Desk receptionist vs receptionist secretary 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 secretary skills

Patients, 15%
Data Entry, 12%
Phone Calls, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Appointment Scheduling, 7%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Desk Receptionist
Desk Receptionist vs Receptionist Secretary

Updated January 8, 2025

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