General office clerk vs front office clerk

The differences between general office clerks 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 general office clerk and a front office clerk. Additionally, a front office clerk has an average salary of $31,051, which is higher than the $30,034 average annual salary of a general office clerk.

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

General office clerk vs front office clerk overview

	General Office Clerk	Front Office Clerk
Yearly salary	$30,034	$31,051
Hourly rate	$14.44	$14.93
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	160,597	163,789
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 28%	Associate Degree, 28%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

What does a general office clerk do?

A general office clerk is responsible for performing various clerical duties to support business functions and ensure smooth daily operations. General office clerks respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, welcoming guests, and assisting in disseminating information across the organization. They maintain the adequacy of inventories, organize business and financial transaction reports, and perform basic bookkeeping tasks and banking transactions. A general office clerk must be highly organizational and analytical, especially in encoding account statements on the database and processing business reports required by the management.

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.

General office clerk vs front office clerk salary

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

	General Office Clerk	Front Office Clerk
Average salary	$30,034	$31,051
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $38,000	Between $25,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Washington	Alaska
Best paying company	USF Reddaway	Limbach
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between general office clerk and front office clerk education

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

	General Office Clerk	Front Office Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 28%	Associate Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	University of Pennsylvania

General office clerk vs front office clerk demographics

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

	General Office Clerk	Front Office Clerk
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 22.2% Female, 77.8%	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 8.2% 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 general office clerk and front office clerk duties and responsibilities

General office clerk example responsibilities.

Set up PowerPoint presentations using LCD projectors and computers.
Update and maintain PowerPoint presentations used for new hire orientation of management and employees.
Insert data accurately and expeditiously into the company payroll system for future retrieval.
Assist patients with sensitive and detail orient documentation, schedule appointments and verify insurance benefits.
Use QuickBooks for purchase order, inventory activities and sales order.
Bag groceries, assist customers in locating merchandise, cleaning of store floors, restrooms and shelves.

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.

General office clerk vs front office clerk skills

Common general office clerk skills

Data Entry, 17%
Customer Service, 15%
Office Equipment, 12%
Front Desk, 11%
Word Processing, 9%
Telephone Calls, 8%

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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General Office Clerk
General Office Clerk vs Front Office Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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