Front desk administration vs office specialist

The differences between front desk administrations and office specialists 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 an office specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a front desk administration has an average salary of $34,479, which is higher than the $33,477 average annual salary of an office specialist.

The top three skills for a front desk administration include patients, phone calls and customer service. The most important skills for an office specialist are customer service, data entry, and patients.

Front desk administration vs office specialist overview

	Front Desk Administration	Office Specialist
Yearly salary	$34,479	$33,477
Hourly rate	$16.58	$16.09
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	67,462	98,760
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	47	47
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 an office specialist do?

An office specialist is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the organization's daily operations. Office specialists must be highly organizational, as well as having excellent time-management skills to handle work units. They have duties including data entry procedures, greeting visitors, responding to customers' inquiries through phone calls and e-mails, and filing and sorting documents. Office specialists are responsible for creating meeting reports, scheduling appointments, evaluating financial statements, coordinating with other staff for event planning, and assisting the senior management with complex functions.

Front desk administration vs office specialist salary

Front desk administrations and office specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Desk Administration	Office Specialist
Average salary	$34,479	$33,477
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $45,000	Between $25,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Washington	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	Brookhaven National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Finance

Differences between front desk administration and office specialist education

There are a few differences between a front desk administration and an office specialist in terms of educational background:

	Front Desk Administration	Office Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Western Carolina University

Front desk administration vs office specialist demographics

Here are the differences between front desk administrations' and office specialists' demographics:

	Front Desk Administration	Office Specialist
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0%	Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7%
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, 8.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 8.4% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between front desk administration and office specialist 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.

Office specialist example responsibilities.

Provide support for enrolling patients into health coverage programs and manage sensitive patient information to ensure accuracy and confidentiality.
Manage and maintain patients' medical records by utilizing computer applications management database processing system to ensure county compliance.
Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Provide assistance to office staff including preparing and proofreading memos and grants, transcribing meeting minutes for staff and answering phones.
Perform multiple bookkeeping duties including departmental payroll, print financial reports and other financial material as needed.
Communicate HIPAA compliance to staff, field and outside agencies.

Front desk administration vs office specialist 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 office specialist skills

Customer Service, 18%
Data Entry, 10%
Patients, 9%
Office Equipment, 6%
Phone Calls, 6%
Word Processing, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Front Desk Administration
Front Desk Administration vs Office Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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