Office clerk vs office receptionist

The differences between office clerks 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 clerk and an office receptionist. Additionally, an office receptionist has an average salary of $33,554, which is higher than the $30,927 average annual salary of an office clerk.

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

Office clerk vs office receptionist overview

	Office Clerk	Office Receptionist
Yearly salary	$30,927	$33,554
Hourly rate	$14.87	$16.13
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	106,497	80,143
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	47	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does an office clerk do?

Office clerks are administrative employees who handle clerical activities for the organization. They are in charge of managing company records, organizing and storing documents, filing and sorting hard copies of documents, and liaising with other departments or external partners. They are also in charge of handling and scheduling meetings and appointments, managing the reservation of office meeting rooms, and manning telephone lines. Office clerks may also be in charge of ordering office supplies, preparing purchase requisitions for office needs, sending out and receiving official company documents, and other correspondences.

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 clerk vs office receptionist salary

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

	Office Clerk	Office Receptionist
Average salary	$30,927	$33,554
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $38,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Englewood, CO	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	University of Massachusetts Boston	Dairy Farmers of America
Best paying industry	Transportation	Manufacturing

Differences between office clerk and office receptionist education

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

	Office Clerk	Office Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	University of Pennsylvania

Office clerk vs office receptionist demographics

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

	Office Clerk	Office Receptionist
Average age	47	42
Gender ratio	Male, 23.3% Female, 76.7%	Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 53.0% 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 clerk and office receptionist duties and responsibilities

Office clerk example responsibilities.

Complete medical records requests as specified under HIPAA regulations.
Scan EOB's and attach to payments in software system.
Perform electronic billing of Medicare, Medicaid, and HMO/PPO submissions.
Follow all HIPAA guidelines and safety rules as required within the healthcare policy.
Perform account analysis on credit balance accounts using insurance explanation of benefit information (EOB).
Provide information about establishment, such as location of departments or offices, employees within the organization, or services provide.

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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.

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Office clerk vs office receptionist skills

Common office clerk skills

Customer Service, 21%
Data Entry, 18%
Telephone Calls, 7%
Payroll, 5%
Office Equipment, 4%
Office Machines, 3%

Common office receptionist skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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