Hospital receptionist vs front office clerk

The differences between hospital receptionists 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 hospital receptionist and a front office clerk. Additionally, a hospital receptionist has an average salary of $31,183, which is higher than the $31,051 average annual salary of a front office clerk.

The top three skills for a hospital receptionist include patients, front desk and PET. The most important skills for a front office clerk are patients, check-in, and data entry.

Hospital receptionist vs front office clerk overview

	Hospital Receptionist	Front Office Clerk
Yearly salary	$31,183	$31,051
Hourly rate	$14.99	$14.93
Growth rate	-	-5%
Number of jobs	23,800	163,789
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Associate Degree, 28%
Average age	42	47
Years of experience	2	2

Hospital receptionist vs front office clerk salary

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

	Hospital Receptionist	Front Office Clerk
Average salary	$31,183	$31,051
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $37,000	Between $25,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Limbach
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between hospital receptionist and front office clerk education

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

	Hospital Receptionist	Front Office Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Associate Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Hospital receptionist vs front office clerk demographics

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

	Hospital Receptionist	Front Office Clerk
Average age	42	47
Gender ratio	Male, 10.8% Female, 89.2%	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 56.1% 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 hospital receptionist and front office clerk duties and responsibilities

Hospital receptionist example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Provide administrative support to staff members across a fast-pace medical practice, maintain office operations, and assist patients and guests.
Interact with clients regarding pet care.
Assist both the doctors and clients to assure that the pet's medical needs are meet.
Handle clerical tasks for the hospitals such as answering phones, greeting patients and visitors, record and chart keeping.
Establish accurate accounts for each guest upon check-in according to their requirements and ensure guest paperwork or documentation are filed appropriately.

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.

Hospital receptionist vs front office clerk skills

Common hospital receptionist skills

Patients, 21%
Front Desk, 16%
PET, 14%
Data Entry, 8%
Reservations, 8%
Phone Calls, 6%

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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Hospital Receptionist
Hospital Receptionist vs Front Office Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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