Office receptionist vs front desk coordinator

The differences between office receptionists and front desk coordinators 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 receptionist and a front desk coordinator. Additionally, an office receptionist has an average salary of $33,554, which is higher than the $31,667 average annual salary of a front desk coordinator.

The top three skills for an office receptionist include patients, customer service and phone calls. The most important skills for a front desk coordinator are patients, customer service, and check-in.

Office receptionist vs front desk coordinator overview

	Office Receptionist	Front Desk Coordinator
Yearly salary	$33,554	$31,667
Hourly rate	$16.13	$15.22
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	80,143	119,803
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does a front desk coordinator do?

A Front-Desk Coordinator is the point of contact in a commercial establishment or building such as offices, clinics, salons, and even government agencies. The primary responsibility of a Front-Desk Coordinator is to greet and assist clients of their needs, such as filling-up registrations, appointing schedules, directing clients, and bridging information in a building. Because of these responsibilities, it is crucial to have a pleasing personality and excellent communication skills. Moreover, a Front-Desk Coordinator can also have the task of correspondence in which they are to communicate with clients through calls and emails.

Office receptionist vs front desk coordinator salary

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

	Office Receptionist	Front Desk Coordinator
Average salary	$33,554	$31,667
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Dairy Farmers of America	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between office receptionist and front desk coordinator education

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

	Office Receptionist	Front Desk Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common major	Business	Health Care Administration
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Office receptionist vs front desk coordinator demographics

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

	Office Receptionist	Front Desk Coordinator
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 25.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between office receptionist and front desk coordinator duties and responsibilities

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.

Front desk coordinator example responsibilities.

File invoices, process payments, collect payments, manage all customer files, using QuickBooks.
Manage check-in and registration process for all appointments including physician appointments and medical imaging.
Manage patient data per HIPAA regulations for scheduling, registration, and verification of insurance eligibility.
Enter patient demographics into computer utilize EMR system.
Verify insurance coverage for require procedures and assist patients with alternative options for payments.
Perform clerical/receptionist duties including greeting patients, check-in, and obtaining accurate insurance/demographic information for a gynecological office.

Office receptionist vs front desk coordinator skills

Common office receptionist skills

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

Common front desk coordinator skills

Patients, 23%
Customer Service, 10%
Check-In, 9%
Front Desk, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Insurance Verification, 6%

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Office Receptionist
Office Receptionist vs Front Desk Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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