Front desk administration vs help desk administrator

The differences between front desk administrations and help desk administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a front desk administration, becoming a help desk administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a help desk administrator has an average salary of $49,798, which is higher than the $34,479 average annual salary of a front desk administration.

The top three skills for a front desk administration include patients, phone calls and customer service. The most important skills for a help desk administrator are customer service, desk support, and troubleshoot.

Front desk administration vs help desk administrator overview

	Front Desk Administration	Help Desk Administrator
Yearly salary	$34,479	$49,798
Hourly rate	$16.58	$23.94
Growth rate	-5%	5%
Number of jobs	67,462	130,180
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	6	2

What does a front desk administration do?

A front desk administration professional is responsible for performing administrative duties related to the front desk reception of an organization. This professional must assist in conferences and meetings as well as maintain inventory and costs for building and office supplies. The administration must coordinate front desk operations and maintain customer relationships by interacting with them in a professional and courteous manner. This professional must also handle phone calls and important documents by scanning and placing them in their designated files.

What does a help desk administrator do?

Help desk administrator is responsible for handling activities related to system support for their company or organization. They are in charge of providing superb client experiences and working in resolving support issues in a professional and timely manner. One of their primary tasks includes providing login resets and passwords for end-users. In addition, they will also perform innovative systems and network repairs, as well as assist computer information responses as required. Moreover, they support complete equipment set-up, renewal, or termination of a user account, handle server, and domain account changes.

Front desk administration vs help desk administrator salary

Front desk administrations and help desk administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Desk Administration	Help Desk Administrator
Average salary	$34,479	$49,798
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $45,000	Between $34,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Washington	New Jersey
Best paying company	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	Houlihan Lokey
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Finance

Differences between front desk administration and help desk administrator education

There are a few differences between a front desk administration and a help desk administrator in terms of educational background:

	Front Desk Administration	Help Desk Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Stanford University

Front desk administration vs help desk administrator demographics

Here are the differences between front desk administrations' and help desk administrators' demographics:

	Front Desk Administration	Help Desk Administrator
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0%	Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	8%	9%

Differences between front desk administration and help desk administrator duties and responsibilities

Front desk administration example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality.
Used EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Access and dispense medical records in compliance with HIPPA regulations.
Process paperwork for patient's file in accordance with HIPPA laws.
Assist patients in acquiring Medicaid coverage.
Maintain patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information.

Help desk administrator example responsibilities.

Create, deploy and manage VMWare virtual desktops as well as configured customize pools for specific operational needs.
Manage the PC refresh program transferring all user data remotely and installing require software applications.
Configure, establish and manage local area network (LAN) connectivity and remote access per customer configuration requirements.
Administer DNS / DHCP servers, work with network administer to make sure the tables are updating correctly.
Administer IP address allocation through DHCP management.
Assist in the deployment of new POS applications and hardware.

Front desk administration vs help desk administrator skills

Common front desk administration skills

Patients, 18%
Phone Calls, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Front Desk Operations, 8%
Data Entry, 7%
Telephone Calls, 4%

Common help desk administrator skills

Customer Service, 11%
Desk Support, 7%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Technical Support, 5%
Phone Calls, 4%
Remote Desktop, 4%

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Front Desk Administration
Front Desk Administration vs Help Desk Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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