Front desk office assistant vs front desk clerk

The differences between front desk office assistants and front desk clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a front desk office assistant has an average salary of $31,361, which is higher than the $26,669 average annual salary of a front desk clerk.

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

Front desk office assistant vs front desk clerk overview

	Front Desk Office Assistant	Front Desk Clerk
Yearly salary	$31,361	$26,669
Hourly rate	$15.08	$12.82
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	113,589	141,042
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 35%
Average age	47	37
Years of experience	2	-

What does a front desk office assistant do?

Front desk office assistants are the first point of contact for anyone visiting a business or an office. They greet workers and clients and perform routine administrative tasks around the office. These tasks include taking phone calls, scheduling appointments, responding to inquiries and concerns of guests, maintaining and arranging office files, taking and delivering messages, and sending mail. Being polite, jovial, and firm are key characteristics in this role.

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.

Front desk office assistant vs front desk clerk salary

Front desk office assistants and front desk clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Desk Office Assistant	Front Desk Clerk
Average salary	$31,361	$26,669
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $46,000	Between $21,000 And $33,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Hilton Grand Vacations
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between front desk office assistant and front desk clerk education

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

	Front Desk Office Assistant	Front Desk Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 35%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Front desk office assistant vs front desk clerk demographics

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

	Front Desk Office Assistant	Front Desk Clerk
Average age	47	37
Gender ratio	Male, 14.1% Female, 85.9%	Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 23.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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%

Differences between front desk office assistant and front desk clerk duties and responsibilities

Front desk office assistant example 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.
Respond to incoming patient calls, including conducting phone triage to determine necessity of scheduling appointments
Enhance student body knowledge by researching key facts to create educational PowerPoint slides to be publish throughout campus

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.

Front desk office assistant vs front desk clerk skills

Common front desk office assistant skills

Front Desk, 20%
Patients, 18%
Customer Service, 9%
Phone Calls, 9%
Data Entry, 8%
Appointment Scheduling, 5%

Common front desk clerk skills

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

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Office and Administrative Industry
Front Desk Office Assistant
Front Desk Office Assistant vs Front Desk Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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