Office secretary vs receptionist

The differences between office secretaries and 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 secretary and a receptionist. Additionally, an office secretary has an average salary of $33,118, which is higher than the $30,571 average annual salary of a receptionist.

The top three skills for an office secretary include data entry, phone calls and telephone calls. The most important skills for a receptionist are patients, phone calls, and customer service.

Office secretary vs receptionist overview

	Office Secretary	Receptionist
Yearly salary	$33,118	$30,571
Hourly rate	$15.92	$14.70
Growth rate	-8%	-
Number of jobs	87,771	65,671
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	50	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does an office secretary do?

An office secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations and prevent delays with project deliverables. Office secretaries also welcome guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate department or personnel for their appointments. They schedule meetings, sort documents, handle incoming and outgoing mail, as well as manage inventories for the adequacy of office supplies. An office secretary must have excellent time-management and multitasking skills to conduct tasks within a strict deadline and minimal supervision.

What does a receptionist do?

Receptionists are employees assigned at the entrances or lobbies of offices. They welcome guests, check identification, issue visitor badges, attend to questions or inquiries, and direct guests to where they are supposed to go. They also receive general mail or packages, answer calls, and manage schedules. Receptionists perform various clerical or administrative functions as assigned by their supervisors. They should have good client relations skills.

Office secretary vs receptionist salary

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

	Office Secretary	Receptionist
Average salary	$33,118	$30,571
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $42,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Guidehouse	Gensler
Best paying industry	Telecommunication	Finance

Differences between office secretary and receptionist education

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

	Office Secretary	Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Office secretary vs receptionist demographics

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

	Office Secretary	Receptionist
Average age	50	42
Gender ratio	Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3%	Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between office secretary and receptionist duties and responsibilities

Office secretary example responsibilities.

Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
Research and keep updated on Medicare and Medicaid benefits, qualification requirements, and the legal and financial effects of options.
Determine client eligibility for Medicaid transportation.
Process and submit payroll information and invoices.
Maintain departmental inventory, purchasing/travel paperwork, and process payroll.
Answer customer phone calls-Record daily business transactions-Manage QuickBooks and bank accounts-Enter parts invoices and take inventory

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Receptionist example responsibilities.

Manage invoicing with QuickBooks, taking customer calls and helping with any issues, parts and equipment delivery/pickup/ordering.
Manage multiple employee/resident databases utilizing an EMR system.
Verify insurance information and manage medical records while ensuring confidentiality according to HIPAA requirements.
Manage desk operations for the YMCA, organizing and documenting members' payments and collating operational documents
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Bill patients for medical services provide by various doctors using ICD-9 and CPT-4 coding.

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Office secretary vs receptionist skills

Common office secretary skills

Data Entry, 12%
Phone Calls, 11%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Scheduling Appointments, 7%
Office Procedures, 7%
Payroll, 6%

Common receptionist skills

Patients, 17%
Phone Calls, 14%
Customer Service, 9%
Data Entry, 9%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Front Desk, 8%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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