Front desk office assistant vs front desk receptionist

The differences between front desk office assistants and front desk receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a front desk office assistant and a front desk receptionist. Additionally, a front desk office assistant has an average salary of $31,361, which is higher than the $31,050 average annual salary of a front desk receptionist.

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 receptionist are patients, check-in, and phone calls.

Front desk office assistant vs front desk receptionist overview

	Front Desk Office Assistant	Front Desk Receptionist
Yearly salary	$31,361	$31,050
Hourly rate	$15.08	$14.93
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	113,589	82,593
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	47	42
Years of experience	2	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 receptionist do?

Front desk receptionists are usually the first contact of clients or visitors in an office or building. They are responsible for welcoming and receiving guests, documenting guests' arrival and updating the visitor logbook, informing hosts and other involved employees that the guests have arrived, and directing the guests to where they should go next. They also man telephone lines, schedule appointments, receive packages or mails, and answer office visitors' questions. Front desk receptionists are expected to be personable, knowledgeable on office-related activities, and familiar with everyone.

Front desk office assistant vs front desk receptionist salary

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

	Front Desk Office Assistant	Front Desk Receptionist
Average salary	$31,361	$31,050
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $46,000	Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	SightMD
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between front desk office assistant and front desk receptionist education

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

	Front Desk Office Assistant	Front Desk Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Front desk office assistant vs front desk receptionist demographics

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

	Front Desk Office Assistant	Front Desk Receptionist
Average age	47	42
Gender ratio	Male, 14.1% Female, 85.9%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
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, 10.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.9% Asian, 6.4% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between front desk office assistant and front desk receptionist 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 receptionist example responsibilities.

Accomplish computer work using a PMS system; OperaXpress.
Collect and distribute mail and packages, prepare FedEx shipments and manage online postage machine.
Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic
Acquire knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT codes and achieve up-to-date knowledge of medical record practices, standards, and regulations.
Manage patients records by keeping all medical history, insurance and personal information update and verify abiding by HIPAA protocols.
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.

Front desk office assistant vs front desk receptionist 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 receptionist skills

Patients, 23%
Check-In, 12%
Phone Calls, 10%
Reservations, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Appointment Scheduling, 5%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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