Office worker vs office receptionist

The differences between office workers 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 worker and an office receptionist. Additionally, an office worker has an average salary of $41,003, which is higher than the $33,554 average annual salary of an office receptionist.

The top three skills for an office worker include data entry, administrative tasks and powerpoint. The most important skills for an office receptionist are patients, customer service, and phone calls.

Office worker vs office receptionist overview

	Office Worker	Office Receptionist
Yearly salary	$41,003	$33,554
Hourly rate	$19.71	$16.13
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	84,397	80,143
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	47	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does an office worker do?

An office worker is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of the business. Office workers assist in receiving calls to respond to the clients' inquiries and concerns, as well as welcoming visitors, verifying their appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department for their business needs. They also do data processing, sorting mail, and filing documents for easy retrieval and reference, especially during meetings and company activities.

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 worker vs office receptionist salary

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

	Office Worker	Office Receptionist
Average salary	$41,003	$33,554
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $71,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Fred Hutch	Dairy Farmers of America
Best paying industry	Education	Manufacturing

Differences between office worker and office receptionist education

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

	Office Worker	Office Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	University of Pennsylvania

Office worker vs office receptionist demographics

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

	Office Worker	Office Receptionist
Average age	47	42
Gender ratio	Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8%	Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.8% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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 worker and office receptionist duties and responsibilities

Office worker example responsibilities.

Manage daily office operations maintaining accurate records for payroll and other checks.
Train in installing windows, showers and glass into homes and commercial businesses.
Used QuickBooks to accurately compute and produce invoices to be mail to various customer companies.
Serve as office secretary, organizing files, answering phones, delivering payroll and deposits, organize incoming mail and invoices.
Assist patients with sensitive and detail orient documentation, schedule appointments and verify insurance benefits.
Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents.

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.

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Office worker vs office receptionist skills

Common office worker skills

Data Entry, 28%
Administrative Tasks, 22%
PowerPoint, 18%
Payroll, 16%
Customer Service, 4%
Telephone Calls, 2%

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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Updated January 8, 2025

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