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The differences between front desk receptionists and administrative 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 receptionist and an administrative receptionist. Additionally, an administrative receptionist has an average salary of $31,502, which is higher than the $31,050 average annual salary of a front desk receptionist.
The top three skills for a front desk receptionist include patients, check-in and phone calls. The most important skills for an administrative receptionist are customer service, patients, and data entry.
| Front Desk Receptionist | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Yearly salary | $31,050 | $31,502 |
| Hourly rate | $14.93 | $15.15 |
| Growth rate | - | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 82,593 | 91,892 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 42 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
An administrative receptionist is responsible for performing administrative tasks, handling visitors' inquiries and concerns, verifying appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department, as well as handling and routing calls. Administrative receptionists also keep records of the staff meeting and executive conference, including company and promotional events. They receive packages and mail, sort documents, manage office supply inventories, create incident reports, and report suspicious guests within the premises. An administrative receptionist must have excellent communication and customer service skills, especially on resolving and escalating complaints.
Front desk receptionists and administrative receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Front Desk Receptionist | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Average salary | $31,050 | $31,502 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $25,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | SightMD | Beacon Hill Staffing Group |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a front desk receptionist and an administrative receptionist in terms of educational background:
| Front Desk Receptionist | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between front desk receptionists' and administrative receptionists' demographics:
| Front Desk Receptionist | Administrative Receptionist | |
| Average age | 42 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6% | Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |