Front desk secretary vs receptionist secretary

The differences between front desk secretaries and receptionist secretaries 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 receptionist secretary. Additionally, a front desk secretary has an average salary of $33,351, which is higher than the $29,343 average annual salary of a receptionist secretary.

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

Front desk secretary vs receptionist secretary overview

	Front Desk Secretary	Receptionist Secretary
Yearly salary	$33,351	$29,343
Hourly rate	$16.03	$14.11
Growth rate	-8%	-
Number of jobs	80,996	61,892
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	50	42
Years of experience	2	2

Front desk secretary vs receptionist secretary salary

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

	Front Desk Secretary	Receptionist Secretary
Average salary	$33,351	$29,343
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $42,000	Between $24,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	-	Lake Oswego, OR
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Illinois Institute of Technology
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between front desk secretary and receptionist secretary education

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

	Front Desk Secretary	Receptionist Secretary
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Front desk secretary vs receptionist secretary demographics

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

	Front Desk Secretary	Receptionist Secretary
Average age	50	42
Gender ratio	Male, 10.3% Female, 89.7%	Male, 5.6% Female, 94.4%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between front desk secretary and receptionist secretary 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.

Receptionist secretary example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Maintain confidential information/ HIPPA compliant.
Prepare PowerPoint presentations and distribute meeting materials.
Maintain confidentiality and release health records information following HIPPA guidelines.
Develop and present PowerPoint presentations to visiting dignitaries from higher headquarters.
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.

Front desk secretary vs receptionist secretary skills

Common front desk secretary skills

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

Common receptionist secretary skills

Patients, 15%
Data Entry, 12%
Phone Calls, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Appointment Scheduling, 7%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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