Front desk lead vs front office manager

The differences between front desk leads and front office managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a front office manager has an average salary of $52,141, which is higher than the $29,851 average annual salary of a front desk lead.

The top three skills for a front desk lead include reservations, patients and guest service. The most important skills for a front office manager are customer service, reservations, and guest service.

Front desk lead vs front office manager overview

	Front Desk Lead	Front Office Manager
Yearly salary	$29,851	$52,141
Hourly rate	$14.35	$25.07
Growth rate	-	18%
Number of jobs	74,010	80,983
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	37	47
Years of experience	-	6

What does a front desk lead do?

A front desk lead acts as the face of an organization, being the first point of contact for visitors. To be a front desk lead means you are responsible for administering and managing workers who work in the front office or reception area, as well as welcoming and taking care of visitors. As a front desk lead, you must possess good communication skills, have good composure, be friendly, be computer literate, have problem-solving skills, along with organizational skills to handle guests.

What does a front office manager do?

Front office managers act as the senior person in an office setting and are responsible for keeping a professional work environment, administrative support, and staff supervision. They have varied tasks and duties, including managing accounting functions, approving office equipment and supplies, and allocating work assignments. They often use several skills to accomplish their responsibilities, including in-depth knowledge of the organization, a better understanding of the company's offerings and products, and awareness of other employees' different roles.

Front desk lead vs front office manager salary

Front desk leads and front office managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Desk Lead	Front Office Manager
Average salary	$29,851	$52,141
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $46,000	Between $38,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Microsoft	Nomura Securities
Best paying industry	Retail	Hospitality

Differences between front desk lead and front office manager education

There are a few differences between a front desk lead and a front office manager in terms of educational background:

	Front Desk Lead	Front Office Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Cornell University

Front desk lead vs front office manager demographics

Here are the differences between front desk leads' and front office managers' demographics:

	Front Desk Lead	Front Office Manager
Average age	37	47
Gender ratio	Male, 28.5% Female, 71.5%	Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 22.3% Asian, 9.9% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	13%	8%

Differences between front desk lead and front office manager duties and responsibilities

Front desk lead example responsibilities.

Manage VIP clientele by delivering exceptional customer service while using creative conflict resolution, when necessary.
Manage confidential information and documentation, including financial data, and credit card information and payroll checks.
Conduct in-person and telephone customer service, including guest check-in and booking reservations.
Perform PBX duties in the absence of an operator
Operate hotel PBX switchboard system and handles professional execution of guest calls, messages and amenities.
Collect co-payments when necessary and answer any necessary questions if ask by patients.

Front office manager example responsibilities.

Serve as managing department head of the newly create small meetings group focusing on short-term incremental business across all Marriott brands.
Process monthly and quarterly taxes * deliver payroll weekly * manage accounts payable/receivable * schedule appointments * direct phone calls
Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
Direct all guest service associates, reception managers, agents and PBX with full fiscal responsibilities, including budgeting and forecasting.
Ensure that VIP reservations are appropriately block through close monitoring and proper organization.
Lead trainer for new PMS roll-out, including downtime and upgrade management.

Front desk lead vs front office manager skills

Common front desk lead skills

Reservations, 17%
Patients, 8%
Guest Service, 8%
Phone Calls, 8%
Guest Satisfaction, 5%
Booking, 5%

Common front office manager skills

Customer Service, 13%
Reservations, 11%
Guest Service, 10%
Payroll, 6%
Patients, 6%
Night Audit, 5%

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Front Desk Lead
Front Desk Lead vs Front Office Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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