Front office clerk vs front office administrator

The differences between front office clerks and front office administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a front office clerk, becoming a front office administrator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a front office administrator has an average salary of $33,516, which is higher than the $31,051 average annual salary of a front office clerk.

The top three skills for a front office clerk include patients, check-in and data entry. The most important skills for a front office administrator are patients, front desk, and appointment scheduling.

Front office clerk vs front office administrator overview

	Front Office Clerk	Front Office Administrator
Yearly salary	$31,051	$33,516
Hourly rate	$14.93	$16.11
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	163,789	147,279
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	6

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.

What does a front office administrator do?

Front desk administrators work for different industries at the front desk of the front office area. They are responsible mostly for handling calls and transfers these calls to extension/local numbers. They manage booking travel appointments, answering inquiries, doing paperwork, and maintaining a professional image. They greet visitors and attend to visitors' inquiries. In addition, they assist other departments by performing other miscellaneous administrative tasks as required, and they often serve as ushers during client visits. Moreover, this job requires excellent interpersonal skills and good communication skills.

Front office clerk vs front office administrator salary

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

	Front Office Clerk	Front Office Administrator
Average salary	$31,051	$33,516
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $37,000	Between $27,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Lakewood, WA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Washington
Best paying company	Limbach	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Government	Non Profits

Differences between front office clerk and front office administrator education

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

	Front Office Clerk	Front Office Administrator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Bakersfield

Front office clerk vs front office administrator demographics

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

	Front Office Clerk	Front Office Administrator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%	Male, 9.9% Female, 90.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

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

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 administrator example responsibilities.

Manage correspondence and documentation for OSHA compliance and hold some accounts payable responsibilities by coding invoices for processing and payment.
Handle day to day transactions, schedule patients, place patients onto traction tables and administer E-Stem/Ice.
Observe and perform patient's therapies such as, electric muscle stimulation, mechanical traction and acupuncture.
Cross train in veterinary technician duties including vaccines, administering medications, medical treatment for kennel and hospitalize patients.
Follow HIPPA protocol for sterilization of rooms/instruments.
Create a neck comparison using patient's cervical x-ray.

Front office clerk vs front office administrator skills

Common front office clerk skills

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

Common front office administrator skills

Patients, 21%
Front Desk, 6%
Appointment Scheduling, 6%
Phone Calls, 6%
Excellent Interpersonal, 6%
Data Entry, 5%

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Front Office Clerk
Front Office Clerk vs Front Office Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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