Front desk clerk vs receptionist

The differences between front desk clerks and receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a receptionist has an average salary of $30,571, which is higher than the $26,669 average annual salary of a front desk clerk.

The top three skills for a front desk clerk include reservations, customer service and night audit. The most important skills for a receptionist are patients, phone calls, and customer service.

Front desk clerk vs receptionist overview

	Front Desk Clerk	Receptionist
Yearly salary	$26,669	$30,571
Hourly rate	$12.82	$14.70
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	141,042	65,671
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	37	42
Years of experience	-	2

What does a front desk clerk do?

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.

What does a receptionist do?

Receptionists are employees assigned at the entrances or lobbies of offices. They welcome guests, check identification, issue visitor badges, attend to questions or inquiries, and direct guests to where they are supposed to go. They also receive general mail or packages, answer calls, and manage schedules. Receptionists perform various clerical or administrative functions as assigned by their supervisors. They should have good client relations skills.

Front desk clerk vs receptionist salary

Front desk clerks and receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Desk Clerk	Receptionist
Average salary	$26,669	$30,571
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $33,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Hilton Grand Vacations	Gensler
Best paying industry	Retail	Finance

Differences between front desk clerk and receptionist education

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

	Front Desk Clerk	Receptionist
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Front desk clerk vs receptionist demographics

Here are the differences between front desk clerks' and receptionists' demographics:

	Front Desk Clerk	Receptionist
Average age	37	42
Gender ratio	Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8%	Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	13%	6%

Differences between front desk clerk and receptionist duties and responsibilities

Front desk clerk example responsibilities.

Manage customer service issues with ease and charm and train other co workers in daily operations.
Deliver messages and run errands.
Job responsibilities consist of being a cashier, bagging groceries, assisting customers, stocking, cleaning, etc.
Cross-Train and provide back-up for PBX representatives when necessary.
Follow emergency procedures for evacuating property safely via PBX phone.
Advertise Ramada facilities by creating fliers, arranging promotions, and facilitating group reservations.

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Receptionist example responsibilities.

Manage invoicing with QuickBooks, taking customer calls and helping with any issues, parts and equipment delivery/pickup/ordering.
Manage multiple employee/resident databases utilizing an EMR system.
Verify insurance information and manage medical records while ensuring confidentiality according to HIPAA requirements.
Manage desk operations for the YMCA, organizing and documenting members' payments and collating operational documents
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Bill patients for medical services provide by various doctors using ICD-9 and CPT-4 coding.

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Front desk clerk vs receptionist skills

Common front desk clerk skills

Reservations, 36%
Customer Service, 14%
Night Audit, 4%
Computer System, 4%
Room Availability, 4%
Guest Service, 3%

Common receptionist skills

Patients, 17%
Phone Calls, 14%
Customer Service, 9%
Data Entry, 9%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Front Desk, 8%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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