Office receptionist vs office support clerk

The differences between office receptionists and office support clerks 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 an office support clerk. Additionally, an office receptionist has an average salary of $33,554, which is higher than the $32,040 average annual salary of an office support clerk.

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

Office receptionist vs office support clerk overview

	Office Receptionist	Office Support Clerk
Yearly salary	$33,554	$32,040
Hourly rate	$16.13	$15.40
Growth rate	-	-5%
Number of jobs	80,143	185,683
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	42	47
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 an office support clerk do?

Office support clerks are professionals who provide clerical and administrative duties that support the daily activities of an organization's office setting. These clerks are required to answer incoming calls from clients while maintaining all office and cleaning supplies for the organization. They must communicate with clients and direct them to the appropriate department to ensure quality customer service. Office support clerks must also utilize the automated word processing equipment so that they can produce reports, statistical information, and other departmental information.

Office receptionist vs office support clerk salary

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

	Office Receptionist	Office Support Clerk
Average salary	$33,554	$32,040
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $25,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Tualatin, OR
Highest paying state	Alaska	Washington
Best paying company	Dairy Farmers of America	Sierra Pacific Industries
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between office receptionist and office support clerk education

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

	Office Receptionist	Office Support Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Western Carolina University

Office receptionist vs office support clerk demographics

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

	Office Receptionist	Office Support Clerk
Average age	42	47
Gender ratio	Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%	Male, 22.7% Female, 77.3%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 7.7% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between office receptionist and office support clerk 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.

Office support clerk example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Audit all deductions for each employee on payroll for various deductions such as; health care, dental and uniforms.
Initiate contact among current and potential clients by assisting in application process, new hire paperwork, and client payroll.
Compile PowerPoint presentations for various department heads.
Assist in creating Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and other documents for staff development and productivity.
Handle administrative work relate to operational process of the office and patients clinical information.

Office receptionist vs office support clerk skills

Common office receptionist skills

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

Common office support clerk skills

Customer Service, 19%
Data Entry, 17%
Word Processing, 7%
Office Equipment, 6%
Front Desk, 5%
Database Systems, 5%

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Office Receptionist
Office Receptionist vs Office Support Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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