How to hire a front desk administration

How to hire a front desk administration, step by step

Here's a step-by-step front desk administration hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a front desk administration job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new front desk administration
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a front desk administration do?

Post a front desk administration job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the front desk administration you need to hire. Certain front desk administration roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A front desk administration's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, front desk administrations from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents front desk administration salaries for various positions.

   Type of Front Desk Administration	Description	Hourly rate
   Front Desk Administration		$12-21
   Office Receptionist	An office receptionist, or administrative assistant, performs various administrative tasks for an organization. These tasks may include answering phone calls, providing the public and customers with information, and warmly welcoming, greeting, and directing visitors or guests accordingly... Show more	$12-19
   Receptionist/Billing Clerk	A receptionist/billing clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties as needed to maintain a smooth flow of operations for the business. Receptionist/billing clerks process the customers' payment transactions, manage account payables, releasing invoices, and immediately resolve account discrepancies... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Phone Calls
   • Customer Service
   • Front Desk Operations
   • Data Entry
   • Telephone Calls
   • Appointment Scheduling
   • HR
   • Office Equipment
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Insurance Verification
   • Payroll
   • Patient Charts
   • EMR

   Check all skills

   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.

   More front desk administration duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your front desk administration job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A front desk administration salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, front desk administrations' average salary in mississippi is 41% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level front desk administrations earn 42% less than senior-level front desk administrations.
   • Certifications. A front desk administration with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a front desk administration's salary.

   Average front desk administration salary

   $16.58hourly

   $34,479 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level front desk administration salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average front desk administration salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$45,440	$22
   2	California	$41,298	$20
   3	Minnesota	$40,846	$20
   4	New York	$40,691	$20
   5	Massachusetts	$39,589	$19
   6	Oregon	$39,225	$19
   7	Colorado	$38,334	$18
   8	Ohio	$35,652	$17
   9	Maine	$35,277	$17
   10	Maryland	$34,385	$17
   11	Arizona	$33,775	$16
   12	New Mexico	$33,426	$16
   13	Pennsylvania	$32,941	$16
   14	Texas	$32,682	$16
   15	Indiana	$31,794	$15
   16	Alabama	$31,366	$15
   17	Florida	$31,310	$15
   18	North Carolina	$31,304	$15
   19	Nevada	$29,033	$14

   Average front desk administration salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	$55,136	$26.51
   2	Snowflake Computing	$43,573	$20.95	3
   3	Tesoro	$43,152	$20.75
   4	D'Youville College	$41,012	$19.72	1
   5	Five9	$39,778	$19.12
   6	DLR Group	$38,723	$18.62
   7	Henry J. Austin Health Center	$37,688	$18.12	2
   8	Amicus Therapeutics	$37,273	$17.92
   9	Black Angus Steakhouse	$35,276	$16.96	4
   10	The Joint Chiropractic	$35,202	$16.92	410
   11	Community Medical Services	$35,038	$16.85	2
   12	Cano Health	$35,004	$16.83	20
   13	Path Medical	$34,755	$16.71	18
   14	Farmers Insurance	$34,746	$16.70	2
   15	Community Dental Services Inc	$34,688	$16.68
   16	EnergyX	$34,487	$16.58
   17	Washington Prime Group	$34,420	$16.55
   18	INSTITUTE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES	$34,410	$16.54	3
   19	Actenviro	$34,405	$16.54
   20	Circuitronix	$34,350	$16.51

4. Writing a front desk administration job description

   A good front desk administration job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a front desk administration job description:

   Front desk administration job description example

   Job DescriptionThis is a fantastic way to get your foot in the door with a growing company that promotes from within! This position is an onsite position in Canton, GA. This is not a remote opportunity.
   Hours : 8am - 5pm; Monday - Friday
   JOB DESCRIPTION My Georgia Plumber is is located in Canton and services over 10,000 customers in the Metro Atlanta area annually. We have an immediate need for an ENERGETIC FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST to be the first point of contact with our company!
   We are looking for a team player with an energetic personality, who goes above and beyond to provide support internally and externally!
   The FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST/ ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE CLERK will be responsible for handling a high volume of calls, accurate data entry, accepting payments, email correspondence, and other supportive general administrative duties.
   Successful candidates must work well in an office collaborative environment, will have lots of energy, exceptional attention to detail and communication skills, enjoy working with customers, and is dependable!
   JOB REQUIREMENTS
   Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm - Must be able to arrive on time! Experience with multi-tasking and high volume calls (100+ calls on some days!) Must be able to provide exceptional customer service, even on high-stress days. Ability to learn quickly and multi-task in a fast-paced environment Experience with Service Titan software is a plus Intermediate skills with Microsoft Office word and excel Dependable, reliable transportation, outstanding written and verbal communication skills
   This position offers a benefits package, and a business casual work environment, with abundant growth for the right candidate.
   BENEFITS:
   401(k) matching Dental insurance Health, Dental, Vision & Life insurance Paid time off and Paid Holidays
   This is an entry level position with an opportunity for growth.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right front desk administration for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with front desk administrations they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit front desk administrations who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your front desk administration job on Zippia to find and recruit front desk administration candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit front desk administrations, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new front desk administration

   Once you've found the front desk administration candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new front desk administration. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a front desk administration?