Front desk secretary vs front desk receptionist

The differences between front desk secretaries 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 secretary and a front desk receptionist. Additionally, a front desk secretary has an average salary of $33,351, which is higher than the $31,050 average annual salary of a front desk receptionist.

The top three skills for a front desk secretary include patients, front desk and phone calls. The most important skills for a front desk receptionist are patients, check-in, and phone calls.

Front desk secretary vs front desk receptionist overview

	Front Desk Secretary	Front Desk Receptionist
Yearly salary	$33,351	$31,050
Hourly rate	$16.03	$14.93
Growth rate	-8%	-
Number of jobs	80,996	82,593
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	50	42
Years of experience	2	2

Front desk secretary vs front desk receptionist salary

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

	Front Desk Secretary	Front Desk Receptionist
Average salary	$33,351	$31,050
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $42,000	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 secretary and front desk receptionist education

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

	Front Desk Secretary	Front Desk Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Front desk secretary vs front desk receptionist demographics

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

	Front Desk Secretary	Front Desk Receptionist
Average age	50	42
Gender ratio	Male, 10.3% Female, 89.7%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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 secretary and front desk receptionist duties and responsibilities

Front desk secretary example responsibilities.

Acquire knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT codes and achieve up-to-date knowledge of medical record practices, standards, and regulations.
Correspond with insurance companies and workers comp offices regarding patients benefit coverage and to retrieve authorizations when need for physical therapy.
Prepare PowerPoint inspection reports for existing clients.
Prepare and distribute financial documents including payroll.
Follow HIPAA regulations for handling confidential information.
Distribute weekly payroll checks; complete timely data entry of require information.

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 secretary vs front desk receptionist skills

Common front desk secretary skills

Patients, 22%
Front Desk, 15%
Phone Calls, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Appointment Scheduling, 6%
Patient Demographics, 6%

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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Front Desk Secretary
Front Desk Secretary vs Front Desk Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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