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Office manager vs front desk manager

The differences between office managers and front desk managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an office manager and a front desk manager. Additionally, an office manager has an average salary of $43,395, which is higher than the $40,802 average annual salary of a front desk manager.

The top three skills for an office manager include customer service, patients and financial statements. The most important skills for a front desk manager are front desk operations, reservations, and customer service.

Office manager vs front desk manager overview

Office ManagerFront Desk Manager
Yearly salary$43,395$40,802
Hourly rate$20.86$19.62
Growth rate-8%-
Number of jobs53,71254,551
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

What does an office manager do?

Office managers oversee the entire workplace. They maintain office processes and services to ensure that everything is running well. They manage office supplies by managing inventory and procurement procedures. They also device filing systems, create needed and relevant office policies, and ensure that all the policies are being followed. As a way to make sure that the office is in top shape, office managers supervise most of the logistical aspects inside the office. They also provide support to both management teams and the rest of the employees. They often act as the bridge between the two and would sometimes even assist in the training of new employees.

What does a front desk manager do?

A front desk manager is an employee employed to manage a hotel's reception area, coordinate all front desk activities, and supervise the support staff. A manager is expected to handle guest complaints and schedule training for front desk staff. Apart from handling hotel guests, a front desk manager must be able to handle cash, accounting procedures, and general administration. A manager should also possess talents such as multitask, manage time as well as proficient in computer skills.

Office manager vs front desk manager salary

Office managers and front desk managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Office ManagerFront Desk Manager
Average salary$43,395$40,802
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $62,000Between $27,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCNew York, NY
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew York
Best paying companyMoody'sRH
Best paying industryConstructionHospitality

Differences between office manager and front desk manager education

There are a few differences between an office manager and a front desk manager in terms of educational background:

Office ManagerFront Desk Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - BakersfieldCornell University

Office manager vs front desk manager demographics

Here are the differences between office managers' and front desk managers' demographics:

Office ManagerFront Desk Manager
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 13.5% Female, 86.5%Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 5.4% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between office manager and front desk manager duties and responsibilities

Office manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage international team development of RFP for new MPLS global network services.
  • Produce around $100k month sales/ billings, AIA documents, and manage customer accounts.
  • Monitor and manage the HVAC environment and nightly office cleaning performance for maximum comfort, appearance and functionality.
  • Manage PMO office functions including creation of strategic plan, marketing of services, and resource and project planning.
  • Manage production of an RFP to source $60m in software and services and manage a subset of the subsequent implementation.
  • Manage daily functions and systems to ensure patients receive appropriate accommodations under HIPAA guidelines.
  • Show more

Front desk manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage vendor relationships in support of CRM and sales reporting projects.
  • Serve as a point of escalation for guest problem resolution and manage all VIP special guests and execution of requests.
  • Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
  • Direct a team of three, successfully providing resolution to daily incidents, meeting SLA and KPI objectives.
  • Supervise entire front of the house functions including front desk and concierge personnel, bell staff and PBX associates.
  • Utilize Marriott policies and procedures to train new employees and keep proper records to relay training progress to hotel supervisors.
  • Show more

Office manager vs front desk manager skills

Common office manager skills
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Patients, 13%
  • Financial Statements, 6%
  • Office Operations, 4%
  • Office Equipment, 4%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 4%
Common front desk manager skills
  • Front Desk Operations, 16%
  • Reservations, 15%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Guest Service, 8%
  • Room Availability, 5%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 5%

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