General office worker vs front office assistant

The differences between general office workers and front office assistants 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 worker and a front office assistant. Additionally, a front office assistant has an average salary of $32,913, which is higher than the $29,182 average annual salary of a general office worker.

The top three skills for a general office worker include data entry, direct calls and office equipment. The most important skills for a front office assistant are patients, customer service, and excellent interpersonal.

General office worker vs front office assistant overview

	General Office Worker	Front Office Assistant
Yearly salary	$29,182	$32,913
Hourly rate	$14.03	$15.82
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	126,332	149,847
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 24%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

General office worker vs front office assistant salary

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

	General Office Worker	Front Office Assistant
Average salary	$29,182	$32,913
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $36,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Alaska	Connecticut
Best paying company	Valmont Industries	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Transportation	Health Care

Differences between general office worker and front office assistant education

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

	General Office Worker	Front Office Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 24%
Most common major	Business	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	Western Carolina University	University of Pennsylvania

General office worker vs front office assistant demographics

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

	General Office Worker	Front Office Assistant
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4%	Male, 9.7% Female, 90.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between general office worker and front office assistant duties and responsibilities

General office worker example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Perform basic tasks using QuickBooks software.
Prepare and submit weekly payroll for processing.
Assist in payroll preparation by calculating time sheets and relate duties.
Prepare for upcoming alumni events.
Create professional sales presentations in PowerPoint.

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.

General office worker vs front office assistant skills

Common general office worker skills

Data Entry, 20%
Direct Calls, 18%
Office Equipment, 15%
Computer Programs, 15%
Adjudication Process, 8%
Customer Service, 5%

Common front office assistant skills

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

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General Office Worker
General Office Worker vs Front Office Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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