How To Become A Front Desk Office Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a front desk office assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A front desk office assistant is also known as a receptionist. Although automation has reduced the need for receptionists, they still work in many offices. They are the first point of contact, as they are found at the entrance of a business. Therefore, the front desk office assistant welcomes guests and notifies employees of their arrival. They are responsible for answering the phone, directing calls, and scheduling appointments for employees. As the receptionist, they maintain the office inventory and restock items when necessary.

Front desk office assistants must have a GED or high school diploma. Previous experience in customer service is highly preferred. Successful front desk office assistants possess customer service skills, computer skills, communication skills, and multitasking skills. As they are tasked with receiving information, they have to pay attention to detail. These individuals earn an hourly salary of $13.13 and earn as high as $30,000.

ScoreFront Desk Office AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,361

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.6

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.98%

Asian 7.60%

Black or African American 9.94%

Hispanic or Latino 23.46%

Unknown 4.76%

White 53.25%

Gender

female 85.93%

male 14.07%

Age - 50

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50

Stress Level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.3

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a front desk office assistant

Explore front desk office assistant education requirements

Most common front desk office assistant degrees

Bachelor's

36.8 %

High School Diploma

24.2 %

Associate

21.5 %

Start to develop specific front desk office assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Front Desk	19.95%
Patients	18.24%
Customer Service	9.28%
Phone Calls	8.86%
Data Entry	8.16%

Complete relevant front desk office assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New front desk office assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a front desk office assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real front desk office assistant resumes.

Gain additional front desk office assistant certifications

Front desk office assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific front desk office assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for front desk office assistants include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

More About Certifications

Research front desk office assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage front-line customer service efforts and deliver maximum revenue generation by scheduling patients and maintaining substantial client database.
Enter patient demographics into EMR.
Track patient files records, and other information including entry of data into EMR.
Follow health center and departmental protocols for communication with patients and providers.

Prepare your front desk office assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your front desk office assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a front desk office assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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