How to hire a receptionist/administrator support

How to hire a receptionist/administrator support, step by step

Here's a step-by-step receptionist/administrator support hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a receptionist/administrator support job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new receptionist/administrator support
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the receptionist/administrator support you need to hire. Certain receptionist/administrator support roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A receptionist/administrator support's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, receptionist/administrator supports from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents receptionist/administrator support salaries for various positions.

   Type of Receptionist/Administrator Support	Description	Hourly rate
   Receptionist/Administrator Support	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$12-18
   Support Clerk	A support clerk is primarily in charge of performing administrative support tasks in an office, making the daily workflow easier. Their responsibilities typically include preparing and processing documentation, answering and forwarding calls, handling correspondence, disseminating and organizing files, and running errands as needed... Show more	$10-25
   Support	A support employee is responsible for assisting the business operations and responding to customers' inquiries and concerns regarding its goods and services. Support logs all customers' interaction and escalates potential complaints to the appropriate department... Show more	$11-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Entry
   • Customer Service
   • Phone Calls
   • Front Desk
   • Inbound Calls
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Clerical Support
   • Telephone Calls
   • Multi-Line Phone System
   • Telephone Switchboard
   • Payroll
   • Direct Calls
   • Office Equipment
   • Purchase Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Act as primary liaison between patients, physical therapists and physicians while accomplishing miscellaneous duties necessary for maintaining operations.
   • Prepare miscellaneous presentations using PowerPoint, prepare minutes from weekly staff meetings.
   • Take care of payroll tasks, go into system and retain any subs need for upcoming vacancies.
   • File and archive client documentation by collating, scanning and storing into client file in global network.
   • Process payroll and maintain attendance records for personnel.
   • Prepare high-level meeting presentation material and handouts, which include creating/modifying PowerPoint presentations, utilizing, and advance PowerPoint skills.

   More receptionist/administrator support duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your receptionist/administrator support job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A receptionist/administrator support salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a receptionist/administrator support in Virginia may be lower than in California, and an entry-level receptionist/administrator support usually earns less than a senior-level receptionist/administrator support. Additionally, a receptionist/administrator support with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average receptionist/administrator support salary

   $15.32hourly

   $31,863 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level receptionist/administrator support salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average receptionist/administrator support salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$43,617	$21
   2	Rhode Island	$36,092	$17
   3	New York	$34,639	$17
   4	Colorado	$33,476	$16
   5	Illinois	$32,380	$16
   6	Wisconsin	$32,276	$16
   7	Indiana	$31,793	$15
   8	Minnesota	$31,509	$15
   9	Michigan	$31,384	$15
   10	Arizona	$31,167	$15
   11	Maine	$30,639	$15
   12	North Carolina	$29,033	$14
   13	Pennsylvania	$28,862	$14
   14	Texas	$28,430	$14
   15	Missouri	$27,301	$13
   16	Oklahoma	$25,765	$12
   17	Florida	$24,739	$12

   Average receptionist/administrator support salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Opportunity Alliance	$35,248	$16.95
   2	Sysmex	$35,230	$16.94
   3	Upstate Niagara Cooperative	$34,076	$16.38
   4	Oldcastle Infrastructure	$33,945	$16.32	21
   5	NRG Energy	$33,802	$16.25	1
   6	MEDITECH	$33,789	$16.24	2
   7	Community Counseling Center	$33,558	$16.13
   8	Carnegie Corporation of New York	$32,765	$15.75
   9	Natural Grocers	$32,005	$15.39	1
   10	Kelly Services	$31,883	$15.33	37
   11	Duke University Health System	$31,758	$15.27	14
   12	Climax Portable Machining & Welding Systems	$31,660	$15.22
   13	Elwood Staffing	$31,238	$15.02
   14	Woodhouse Auto Family	$31,063	$14.93
   15	Robert Half	$31,013	$14.91	443
   16	Randstad North America, Inc.	$30,468	$14.65	34
   17	RemX	$30,142	$14.49	1
   18	AppleOne Employment Services	$30,096	$14.47
   19	UnityPoint Health	$29,555	$14.21	17
   20	Ivy Tech Community College	$29,438	$14.15	9

4. Writing a receptionist/administrator support job description

   A receptionist/administrator support job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a receptionist/administrator support job description:

   Receptionist/administrator support job description example

   Global Security and Communication, Inc. are ready to hire a full-time Receptionist to join our team in Vancouver, WA . This is a great opportunity for somebody who is detail-oriented and can help us keep our office operations running smoothly and our customers fully satisfied. For this administrative position, we offer an excellent starting wage of $16.00-$19.00+ an hour based on experience . This is a long-term position that offers plenty of advancement opportunities . Are you looking for a job that will allow you to flex your administrative and customer service muscles while working on growing and developing your career? If so, keep reading!

   
   

   WHY GLOBAL SECURITY AND COMMUNICATION, INC. IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK

   We are an established and respected security service company that believes in coming alongside our team members to see them advance in their personal and professional lives all while supporting their career advancement goals!

   TOP-NOTCH BENEFITS

   Our team enjoys the following:

   • Medical
   • Dental
   • Vision

   
   

   ABOUT US

   Global Security and Communication are committed to providing our customers with the highest level of technology for their security needs. We offer our customers home security, automation, business fire, CCTV, and security systems. Whether they're just looking for a system to protect their homes and loved ones or they're protecting 30,000 square feet of warehouse, we have the perfect system for them!

   In addition to providing our customers with the best service possible, we are happy to be of service to our team! We have created a great work environment where our employees are given the space to grow, adapt, and improve.

   
   

   YOUR ROLE AS A RECEPTIONIST

   In this Receptionist role, much of your day is spent ensuring the operational success of our office and the overall satisfaction of our clients. Your day includes completing a number of administrative tasks from answering phones, to filing paperwork, and completing data entry. Your positive and personable demeanor envelopes all you do, and both your team members and our customers enjoy working with you! You genuinely enjoy managing multiple tasks at a time and pride yourself in doing all things well. Ultimately, you are the backbone of our office operations, and our success as a company directly relates to the role you play on our team!

   
   

   REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS RECEPTIONIST POSITION

   • Top-notch customer service and phone skills
   • Functional computer skills including data entry
   • Relevant experience is required

   Previous experience that is relevant and applicable to the position is preferred but not required . Are you a team player? Can you contribute to positive company morale? Do you consider yourself a guru when it comes to office administration and customer service? If so, you might just be perfect for this administrative position in our office!

   
   

   HOW TO APPLY

   If you meet our basic qualifications and are excited about this Receptionist job, please fill out our initial 3-minute, mobile-friendly application . We look forward to hearing from you!

   Location: 98663

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find receptionist/administrator supports for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your receptionist/administrator support job on Zippia to find and recruit receptionist/administrator support candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with receptionist/administrator support candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new receptionist/administrator support

   Once you have selected a candidate for the receptionist/administrator support position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new receptionist/administrator support. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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