Front office assistant vs front office clerk

The differences between front office assistants and front office clerks 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 office assistant and a front office clerk. Additionally, a front office assistant has an average salary of $32,913, which is higher than the $31,051 average annual salary of a front office clerk.

The top three skills for a front office assistant include patients, customer service and excellent interpersonal. The most important skills for a front office clerk are patients, check-in, and data entry.

Front office assistant vs front office clerk overview

	Front Office Assistant	Front Office Clerk
Yearly salary	$32,913	$31,051
Hourly rate	$15.82	$14.93
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	149,847	163,789
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 24%	Associate Degree, 28%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

What does a front office assistant do?

Front office assistants typically work and perform their duty within the office. They do office support duties like welcome and greet customers, answer phone calls, and schedule and plan appointments. It is their responsibility to sort mails, route calls, and listen to voicemails. They need to organize and give out communications promptly. Also, they do clerical tasks, manage inventory, and maintain their work area. They must be keen to details, can multitask and have excellent communication and customer service skills.

What does a front office clerk do?

A front office clerk performs various administrative and secretarial duties, including welcoming and greeting clients and visitors, answering telephone calls, and managing the office budget. You will be responsible for monitoring, organizing, and forwarding emails and maintaining files and records. Other duties include following company policies and procedures, organizing transportation for guests, and handling and resolving guest complaints. In addition, you will also be responsible for invoicing and billing guests for their stay and used services.

Front office assistant vs front office clerk salary

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

	Front Office Assistant	Front Office Clerk
Average salary	$32,913	$31,051
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $25,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Alaska
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Limbach
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between front office assistant and front office clerk education

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

	Front Office Assistant	Front Office Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 24%	Associate Degree, 28%
Most common major	Medical Assisting Services	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Front office assistant vs front office clerk demographics

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

	Front Office Assistant	Front Office Clerk
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 9.7% Female, 90.3%	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between front office assistant and front office clerk duties and responsibilities

Front office assistant example responsibilities.

Manage correspondence and documentation for OSHA compliance and hold some accounts payable responsibilities by coding invoices for processing and payment.
Ensure compliance with HIPAA and OSHA regulations to improve customer relations and promote favorable patient/physician interactions.
Download all transcription for the physicians and mail out letters and patient consults.
Utilize knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT coding by verifying explanation of benefits render to patient, for insurance purposes.
Collect co-pays, enter update demographics into EHR/EMR, enter ICD-9 and CPT codes as needed into patient records electronically
Verify insurance to include commercial and Medicaid.

Front office clerk example responsibilities.

Manage front office check-in, insurance verification and certifications from doctors.
Maintain a high knowledge level of regulations on the confidentiality of medical records (HIPAA).
Verify releases of information according to HIPPA regulations.
Maintain confidentiality of patient information; abiding by HIPPA guidelines.
Register all patients per registration protocols, schedule appointments, and provide appointment reminder calls.
Respond to routine technical questions regarding patients' right and responsibilities and medical eligibility for care.

Front office assistant vs front office clerk skills

Common front office assistant skills

Patients, 21%
Customer Service, 9%
Excellent Interpersonal, 7%
Patient Demographics, 5%
Patient Care, 5%
Front Desk, 4%

Common front office clerk skills

Patients, 34%
Check-In, 8%
Data Entry, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Front Desk, 4%
Appointment Scheduling, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Front Office Assistant
Front Office Assistant vs Front Office Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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