Office employee vs office receptionist

The differences between office employees 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 employee and an office receptionist. Additionally, an office employee has an average salary of $35,825, which is higher than the $33,554 average annual salary of an office receptionist.

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

Office employee vs office receptionist overview

	Office Employee	Office Receptionist
Yearly salary	$35,825	$33,554
Hourly rate	$17.22	$16.13
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	74,182	80,143
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	47	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does an office employee do?

An office employee is someone who performs clerical and any other tasks usually performed by managers. Office employees are employed as clerical workers in offices or organizations. They execute tasks such as typing and word processing, answering phone calls, bookkeeping, and stenography. It is their responsibility to ensure the smooth daily operations of an office. Their diligence, communication skills, customer service, hard work, and attention to detail are necessary for this job.

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 employee vs office receptionist salary

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

	Office Employee	Office Receptionist
Average salary	$35,825	$33,554
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $64,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	East Palo Alto, CA	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	OSF HealthCare	Dairy Farmers of America
Best paying industry	Professional	Manufacturing

Differences between office employee and office receptionist education

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

	Office Employee	Office Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	University of Pennsylvania

Office employee vs office receptionist demographics

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

	Office Employee	Office Receptionist
Average age	47	42
Gender ratio	Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6%	Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	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 employee and office receptionist duties and responsibilities

Office employee example responsibilities.

Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Complete payroll by compiling hours and verifying submissions weekly, via QuickBooks.
File paperwork, organize PowerPoint presentations, assist with typing correspondence and fax documents to appropriate destination.
Demonstrate ability to maintain composure and work efficiently in a fast-pace environment while following HIPAA guidelines.

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 employee vs office receptionist skills

Common office employee skills

Customer Service, 72%
Telephone Calls, 5%
Customer Accounts, 4%
Medical Billing, 4%
Computer System, 2%
Front Desk, 1%

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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