Front office secretary vs front office administrator

The differences between front office secretaries 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 secretary, becoming a front office administrator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a front office secretary has an average salary of $38,104, which is higher than the $33,516 average annual salary of a front office administrator.

The top three skills for a front office secretary include patients, patient appointments and data entry. The most important skills for a front office administrator are patients, front desk, and appointment scheduling.

Front office secretary vs front office administrator overview

	Front Office Secretary	Front Office Administrator
Yearly salary	$38,104	$33,516
Hourly rate	$18.32	$16.11
Growth rate	-8%	-5%
Number of jobs	70,604	147,279
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	50	47
Years of experience	2	6

Front office secretary vs front office administrator salary

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

	Front Office Secretary	Front Office Administrator
Average salary	$38,104	$33,516
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $47,000	Between $27,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Lakewood, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between front office secretary and front office administrator education

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

	Front Office Secretary	Front Office Administrator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Bakersfield

Front office secretary vs front office administrator demographics

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

	Front Office Secretary	Front Office Administrator
Average age	50	47
Gender ratio	Male, 7.4% Female, 92.6%	Male, 9.9% Female, 90.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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 secretary and front office administrator duties and responsibilities

Front office secretary example responsibilities.

Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
Greet patients, review accounts and update patient information and demographics.
Proofread materials and applications for accuracy, completeness, compliance with departmental policies, regulations, and minimum requirements.
Monitor checkout stations to ensure that they have adequate cash available and that they are staff appropriately.

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 secretary vs front office administrator skills

Common front office secretary skills

Patients, 28%
Patient Appointments, 24%
Data Entry, 8%
Appointment Scheduling, 4%
Front Desk, 3%
Insurance Verification, 3%

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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Office and Administrative Industry
Front Office Secretary
Front Office Secretary vs Front Office Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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