Office manager/receptionist vs office project manager

The differences between office managers/receptionist and office project 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/receptionist and an office project manager. Additionally, an office project manager has an average salary of $79,831, which is higher than the $39,696 average annual salary of an office manager/receptionist.

The top three skills for an office manager/receptionist include patients, customer service and payroll. The most important skills for an office project manager are project management, real estate, and powerpoint.

Office manager/receptionist vs office project manager overview

	Office Manager/Receptionist	Office Project Manager
Yearly salary	$39,696	$79,831
Hourly rate	$19.08	$38.38
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	58,318	136,662
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does an office manager/receptionist do?

An office manager/receptionist specializes in performing administrative duties in an office or department. One of their primary responsibilities is to greet visitors or clients, answer inquiries, respond to calls and correspondence, arrange appointments, manage schedules, and receive documents or messages. They may also assess staff performance, disseminate information, delegate tasks, and provide support for team members. Furthermore, should there be any issues, it is essential to address and resolve them, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.

What does an office project manager do?

An office project manager oversees office projects, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently in adherence to goals and deadlines. It is their responsibility to manage different teams, set timelines and objectives, establish guidelines, perform research and analysis, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They must also monitor the progress of all procedures and resolve issues should any arise. Moreover, as a manager, it is essential to encourage and lead teams to reach goals, all while implementing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.

Office manager/receptionist vs office project manager salary

Office managers/receptionist and office project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Office Manager/Receptionist	Office Project Manager
Average salary	$39,696	$79,831
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $57,000	Between $51,000 And $123,000
Highest paying City	-	Bellevue, WA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Northern Trust
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between office manager/receptionist and office project manager education

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

	Office Manager/Receptionist	Office Project Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California State University - Bakersfield

Office manager/receptionist vs office project manager demographics

Here are the differences between office managers/receptionist' and office project managers' demographics:

	Office Manager/Receptionist	Office Project Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 7.0% Female, 93.0%	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.4% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between office manager/receptionist and office project manager duties and responsibilities

Office manager/receptionist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate self-motivation through QuickBooks training.
Establish and maintain QuickBooks accounting systems.
Greet patients; handle overall daily business operations of a busy chiropractic office.
Engage in active communication with patients by developing and maintaining a professional and friendly relationship.
Generate bi-weekly payroll, along with reconciling monthly summaries, calculating payroll tax liabilities and preparing quarterly tax reports.
Process and distribute incoming and outgoing mail and packages via USPS and messenger services.

Office project manager example responsibilities.

Manage all aspects of billing, A/R and A/P general ledger postings and invoicing.
Manage procedural implementation for transition of office to HIPPA regulatory compliance and Medicare PQRI guidelines.
Process A/R, A/P, payments, sales tax, make travel arrangements (both domestic & international travel).
Maintain company financial records, e.g., invoicing, A/P, A/R, reconciliations and job cost tracking.
Compile certify payroll and monthly EEO reports.
Respond to employee inquiries regarding payroll and timekeeping.

Office manager/receptionist vs office project manager skills

Common office manager/receptionist skills

Patients, 21%
Customer Service, 15%
Payroll, 10%
Appointment Scheduling, 8%
Front Desk, 6%
Office Equipment, 3%

Common office project manager skills

Project Management, 30%
Real Estate, 16%
PowerPoint, 6%
SharePoint, 5%
Office Procedures, 4%
Project Scope, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Office Manager/Receptionist
Office Manager/Receptionist vs Office Project Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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