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The differences between front desk administrative assistants and front desk clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a front desk administrative assistant has an average salary of $33,037, which is higher than the $26,669 average annual salary of a front desk clerk.
The top three skills for a front desk administrative assistant include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for a front desk clerk are reservations, customer service, and night audit.
| Front Desk Administrative Assistant | Front Desk Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $33,037 | $26,669 |
| Hourly rate | $15.88 | $12.82 |
| Growth rate | -8% | - |
| Number of jobs | 95,732 | 141,042 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Average age | 50 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A front desk administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties to support daily business functions and operations. Front desk administrative assistants assist guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate personnel for their needs. They also monitor office inventories, write purchase requests, and distribute mails across the departments. A front desk administrative assistants review business and financial transactions to generate reports, update information on the company's database, and sort documents for reference.
Front desk clerks are responsible for welcoming office guests and accommodating any questions they may have. As their designation suggests, they are usually stationed at the entrance or front of the office. They are often the first company employee that a guest encounters upon reaching the office area. Front desk clerks should be familiar with the office space and the employees of the company so that they can effectively direct guests or visitors. Front desk clerks should also have a copy of the general schedule of appointments or meetings in the office so that they can let in guests accordingly. They also often do most of the administrative or clerical activities needed by the front office. They should have great interpersonal skills, patience, and communication skills.
Front desk administrative assistants and front desk clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Front Desk Administrative Assistant | Front Desk Clerk | |
| Average salary | $33,037 | $26,669 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $39,000 | Between $21,000 And $33,000 |
| Highest paying City | Springfield, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Hilton Grand Vacations |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Retail |
There are a few differences between a front desk administrative assistant and a front desk clerk in terms of educational background:
| Front Desk Administrative Assistant | Front Desk Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | - |
Here are the differences between front desk administrative assistants' and front desk clerks' demographics:
| Front Desk Administrative Assistant | Front Desk Clerk | |
| Average age | 50 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0% | Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 9.4% White, 51.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 13% |