Front office agent vs receptionist

The differences between front office agents and receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a front office agent has an average salary of $34,773, which is higher than the $30,571 average annual salary of a receptionist.

The top three skills for a front office agent include reservations, hotel services and excellent guest. The most important skills for a receptionist are patients, phone calls, and customer service.

Front office agent vs receptionist overview

	Front Office Agent	Receptionist
Yearly salary	$34,773	$30,571
Hourly rate	$16.72	$14.70
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	106,130	65,671
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	37	42
Years of experience	-	2

What does a front office agent do?

Front office agents are a part of a corporation that comes in touch with clients like the marketing, sales, and repair departments. In general offices, the agents can discover more information about the customer by asking them questions, also helping the purchasers out. Agents working within the front office can also affect simple tasks, like checking out emails and printing and typing works. Front office agents used different technologies, too, like using printers, fax machines, and phones.

What does a receptionist do?

Receptionists are employees assigned at the entrances or lobbies of offices. They welcome guests, check identification, issue visitor badges, attend to questions or inquiries, and direct guests to where they are supposed to go. They also receive general mail or packages, answer calls, and manage schedules. Receptionists perform various clerical or administrative functions as assigned by their supervisors. They should have good client relations skills.

Front office agent vs receptionist salary

Front office agents and receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Front Office Agent	Receptionist
Average salary	$34,773	$30,571
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $42,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Gensler
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between front office agent and receptionist education

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

	Front Office Agent	Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Front office agent vs receptionist demographics

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

	Front Office Agent	Receptionist
Average age	37	42
Gender ratio	Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8%	Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 11.7% White, 46.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	13%	6%

Differences between front office agent and receptionist duties and responsibilities

Front office agent example responsibilities.

Used EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Accommodate special requests whenever possible including making same day reservations and future reservations when necessary.
Adhere to all cashiering procedures and act as PBX operator at designate times.
Enter in and record wake up call requests then deliver it to the PBX.
Detail group resumes insuring that all VIP's are blocked and special requests and amenities are in place.
Facilitate VIP treatment for frequent guests with information supply to department management.

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Receptionist example responsibilities.

Manage invoicing with QuickBooks, taking customer calls and helping with any issues, parts and equipment delivery/pickup/ordering.
Manage multiple employee/resident databases utilizing an EMR system.
Verify insurance information and manage medical records while ensuring confidentiality according to HIPAA requirements.
Manage desk operations for the YMCA, organizing and documenting members' payments and collating operational documents
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Bill patients for medical services provide by various doctors using ICD-9 and CPT-4 coding.

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Front office agent vs receptionist skills

Common front office agent skills

Reservations, 24%
Hotel Services, 14%
Excellent Guest, 6%
Cleanliness, 5%
Hotel Reservations, 4%
Guest Service, 4%

Common receptionist skills

Patients, 17%
Phone Calls, 14%
Customer Service, 9%
Data Entry, 9%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Front Desk, 8%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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