What is a front office assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Eve Leija AAS, NCMA

A front office assistant works in the reception area of a company or organization. They handle phone calls, greet visitors, and perform administrative tasks. Front office assistants may also provide customer service by answering questions and directing people to the appropriate person or department. They can work in industries including healthcare, hospitality, and finance. A successful front office assistant must have strong communication, multi-tasking, and organizational skills and work well under pressure.

What general advice would you give to a front office assistant?

Eve Leija AAS, NCMA

Medical Assistant Program Director, Website

To maximize salary for a medical assistant obtaining certification from one of the credentialing organizations such as American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) can make a new hire more competitive. Continuing educations along with developing any specialized skills such as phlebotomy. Demonstrating professionalism initiative and reliability, along with gaining a strong reference from previous employers.

ScoreFront Office AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $32,913

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.94%

Asian 7.54%

Black or African American 10.05%

Hispanic or Latino 23.67%

Unknown 4.48%

White 53.33%

Gender

female 90.29%

male 9.71%

Age - 50

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.3

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a front office assistant?

Pros

Opportunity to learn new software and technology
Possibility of advancement within the company
Potential for flexible scheduling and work hours
Opportunity to be part of a team-oriented workplace culture
Potential for competitive salary and benefits

Cons

Long hours may be required, including weekends and holidays
Repetitive tasks can become monotonous
Limited privacy due to open office environment
Entry-level positions may have limited opportunities for growth or advancement
May require working shifts outside of regular business hours

Key steps to become a front office assistant

Explore front office assistant education requirements

Most common front office assistant degrees

Bachelor's

24.2 %

Associate

24.0 %

High School Diploma

17.3 %

Start to develop specific front office assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	21.07%
Customer Service	9.03%
Excellent Interpersonal	6.55%
Patient Demographics	5.02%
Patient Care	4.78%

Complete relevant front office assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New front office assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a front office assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real front office assistant resumes.

Gain additional front office assistant certifications

Front office assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific front office assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for front office assistants include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

More About Certifications

Research front office assistant duties and 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.

Prepare your front office assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your front office assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a front office assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable front office assistant resume templates

Build a professional front office assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your front office assistant resume.