Office aide vs office receptionist

The differences between office aides and office receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an office aide and an office receptionist. Additionally, an office receptionist has an average salary of $33,554, which is higher than the $29,255 average annual salary of an office aide.

The top three skills for an office aide include data entry, phone calls and telephone calls. The most important skills for an office receptionist are patients, customer service, and phone calls.

Office aide vs office receptionist overview

	Office Aide	Office Receptionist
Yearly salary	$29,255	$33,554
Hourly rate	$14.06	$16.13
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	76,712	80,143
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	47	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does an office aide do?

Also called an office assistant, an office aide is someone whose responsibility focuses on secretarial and administrative tasks in health practices, schools, businesses, or any other institution. Office aides help with logistical and clerical needs like copying files, curating schedules, and answering phones. They manage and organize files, receive and direct visitors, create presentations, and answer emails. The skills they need include computer and email use, filing documents, answering multiline phone systems, and typing.

What does an office receptionist do?

An office receptionist, or administrative assistant, performs various administrative tasks for an organization. These tasks may include answering phone calls, providing the public and customers with information, and warmly welcoming, greeting, and directing visitors or guests accordingly. Additionally, an office receptionist is responsible for maintaining security by issuing visitor badges, monitoring logbooks, and following procedures. Administrative assistants are also responsible for preparing and processing travel vouchers and other documents. Some employers prefer someone with a college or bachelor's degree, telephone skills, and excellent communication skills.

Office aide vs office receptionist salary

Office aides and office receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Office Aide	Office Receptionist
Average salary	$29,255	$33,554
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Olympia, WA	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Washington	Alaska
Best paying company	Community Solutions	Dairy Farmers of America
Best paying industry	Health Care	Manufacturing

Differences between office aide and office receptionist education

There are a few differences between an office aide and an office receptionist in terms of educational background:

	Office Aide	Office Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Pennsylvania

Office aide vs office receptionist demographics

Here are the differences between office aides' and office receptionists' demographics:

	Office Aide	Office Receptionist
Average age	47	42
Gender ratio	Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8%	Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.5% Asian, 8.3% White, 52.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between office aide and office receptionist duties and responsibilities

Office aide example responsibilities.

Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Handle bulk mailings for annual donations, alumni & target donors.
Elaborate letters, PowerPoint presentations.
Create PowerPoint presentations used for school development.
Administer executive responsibilities to assist the office manager with administrative task and operating QuickBooks.
Ensure sensitive information pertaining to veterans are kept secure.

Office receptionist example responsibilities.

Verify insurance information and manage medical records while ensuring confidentiality according to HIPAA requirements.
Answer phones, make copies, Microsoft, PowerPoint, scheduling, greet and interact with clients, filing and mailing.
Complete and audit payroll for accuracy.
Process payroll and monthly/quarterly sales tax liabilities.
Stock exam rooms, sterilize instruments and occasionally assist physician with patients.
Provide high-quality customer-service to patients by treating them respectfully and t with discretion.

Show more

Office aide vs office receptionist skills

Common office aide skills

Data Entry, 16%
Phone Calls, 15%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Front Desk, 5%
Database Systems, 5%

Common office receptionist skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 15%
Phone Calls, 12%
Data Entry, 9%
Front Desk, 6%
Appointment Scheduling, 5%

Office Aide vs. similar jobs

Office Aide related careers

Office Aide related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z