Office representative vs office receptionist

The differences between office representatives 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 representative and an office receptionist. Additionally, an office receptionist has an average salary of $33,554, which is higher than the $32,535 average annual salary of an office representative.

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

Office representative vs office receptionist overview

	Office Representative	Office Receptionist
Yearly salary	$32,535	$33,554
Hourly rate	$15.64	$16.13
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	149,852	80,143
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	47	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does an office representative do?

Office Representatives are administrative professionals assigned to do various admin work in the office. They are in charge of managing communication lines, correspondences, and packages. They are often assigned to sort documents, update records, and file papers in the proper cabinets. Office representatives are considered front desk officers as well. They respond to inquiries by guests, direct guests to their meeting areas, and receive mail. They may also be assigned to manage meeting rooms and update appointment calendars. They should have good communication skills and should be service-oriented.

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 representative vs office receptionist salary

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

	Office Representative	Office Receptionist
Average salary	$32,535	$33,554
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $45,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	Citi	Dairy Farmers of America
Best paying industry	Agriculture	Manufacturing

Differences between office representative and office receptionist education

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

	Office Representative	Office Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	University of Pennsylvania

Office representative vs office receptionist demographics

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

	Office Representative	Office Receptionist
Average age	47	42
Gender ratio	Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4%	Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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 representative and office receptionist duties and responsibilities

Office representative example responsibilities.

Manage the medical front office and coordinate business operations with physicians and legal staff for a busy MRI facility.
Manage correspondence and documentation for OSHA compliance and hold some accounts payable responsibilities by coding invoices for processing and payment.
Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Reconcile any EOB, insurance payment or discount errors.
Perform physician coding abstracting medical records with ICD-10, and CPT.
Post payments and enter charges utilizing appropriate ICD9 and CPT codes.

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 representative vs office receptionist skills

Common office representative skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 13%
Phone Calls, 8%
Patient Appointments, 7%
EMR, 5%
Excellent Interpersonal, 5%

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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Office and Administrative Industry
Office Representative
Office Representative vs Office Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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