How to hire a receptionist/billing clerk

How to hire a receptionist/billing clerk, step by step

Here's a step-by-step receptionist/billing clerk 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/billing clerk job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new receptionist/billing clerk
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a receptionist/billing clerk do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The receptionist/billing clerk hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a receptionist/billing clerk to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a receptionist/billing clerk that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of receptionist/billing clerks.

   Type of Receptionist/Billing Clerk	Description	Hourly rate
   Receptionist/Billing Clerk	Receptionists perform administrative tasks, such as answering phones, receiving visitors, and providing general information about their organization to the public and customers.	$12-18
   Clerk Typist	A clerk typist is responsible for data entry procedures and document transcriptions, alongside other clerical and administrative duties as required by the employer. Clerk typists create reports and presentation materials, transcribe audio meetings, write business drafts, and send documents to appropriate office personnel or clients... Show more	$12-18
   Clerk	Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies... Show more	$11-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Data Entry
   • Customer Service
   • Telephone Calls
   • Appointment Scheduling
   • Front Desk
   • Patient Appointments
   • Office Equipment
   • Medicaid
   • Insurance Verification
   • Insurance Forms
   • Patient Charts
   • EMR
   • Insurance Claims

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
   • Obtain and track all insurance referrals for patients with HMO products.
   • Coordinate in-processing of all patients, to include accurate insurance information and payments are entered correctly into office computer system.
   • Move from SNF billing to HMO outpatient billing and keep a large alpha current.
   • Maintain confidentiality and adherence to HIPAA guidelines.
   • Develop effective billing strategies for Medicaid recipients according to HIPPA rules and regulations.

   More receptionist/billing clerk duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your receptionist/billing clerk job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A receptionist/billing clerk can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, receptionist/billing clerks' average salary in alabama is 40% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level receptionist/billing clerks 33% less than senior-level receptionist/billing clerks.
   • Certifications. A receptionist/billing clerk with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a receptionist/billing clerk's salary.

   Average receptionist/billing clerk salary

   $15.35hourly

   $31,932 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level receptionist/billing clerk salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average receptionist/billing clerk salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$38,634	$19
   2	New York	$36,012	$17
   3	New Jersey	$33,133	$16
   4	Arizona	$31,121	$15
   5	Idaho	$29,814	$14
   6	Virginia	$29,577	$14
   7	Texas	$28,149	$14
   8	Indiana	$28,004	$13
   9	Florida	$27,975	$13

   Average receptionist/billing clerk salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Leggett & Platt	$37,162	$17.87	1
   2	University of Rochester	$35,788	$17.21	5
   3	Village of Lincolnwood	$35,226	$16.94
   4	Children's Home Society of Florida	$33,183	$15.95	1
   5	Dignity Health	$32,921	$15.83	40
   6	Carilion Clinic	$31,853	$15.31
   7	Asbury Automotive Group	$31,600	$15.19	58
   8	Kelly Services	$31,430	$15.11	37
   9	MoxieIT Solutions	$31,294	$15.05
   10	Escalon	$31,196	$15.00
   11	RWJBarnabas Health	$31,024	$14.92	53
   12	LifePoint Health	$31,005	$14.91	77
   13	Adecco	$30,720	$14.77	57
   14	NORTHERN MONTANA HOSPITAL	$30,184	$14.51	1
   15	Finger Lakes Community Health	$29,877	$14.36	10
   16	Fredericksburg School District	$29,709	$14.28
   17	Tucson Unified School District	$25,759	$12.38
   18	Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25	$23,907	$11.49	2

4. Writing a receptionist/billing clerk job description

   A receptionist/billing clerk 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/billing clerk job description:

   Receptionist/billing clerk job description example

   STATUS: FT/ Non-Exempt
   
   MISSION STATEMENT:
   
   The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
   
   The Salvation Army In Phoenix is looking to fill a Receptionist/Clerk position at our Phoenix Family Services center. This person will have have good telephone & communication skills, general clerical & computer skills and be able to handle crisis/emergency situations with the ability to maintain a non-judgmental attitude. This position is benefit eligible and comes with vacation, sick, health, vision, life insurance, free kroc membership and more.
   
   The Receptionist/Clerk will provide information to people in the community who seek our services. This person will be responsible for answering a multi-line phone system and properly routing calls. This position will provide general clerical assistance by, preparing and filing documents including application forms for economic assistance and TEFAP logs. The Receptionist/Clerk will maintain a stock and distribution of Food boxes and water and track supplies given put for monthly report. This person will assist with cooling stations during heat relief season.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   + High school diploma or GED required
   
   + Must have good telephone and communication skills
   
   + General clerical and computer skills required
   
   + Should be well organized and detail oriented
   
   + Must have the ability to handle crisis/emergency situations and the ability to maintain a non-judgmental attitude in working with clients
   
   + Possess clear understanding of importance of safety and confidentiality as it relates to the population served
   
   + Demonstrate the ability to relate positively and energetically with staff and clientele
   
   + Must possess, or be eligible to receive a class one or two fingerprint clearance card
   
   + Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred
   
   + Employment contingent upon successful completion of a background check
   
   PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
   
   Qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation. A qualified person with a disability may request a modification or adjustment to the job or work environment in order to meet the physical requirements of the position. The Salvation Army will attempt to satisfy requests as long as the accommodation needed is reasonable and no undue hardship would result.
   
   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stand, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl and reach with hands and arms on a continuous basis. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 20 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Must have the ability to operate telephone, a desktop or laptop computer, as well as the ability to access and produce information from a computer, and to understand written information.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right receptionist/billing clerk for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with receptionist/billing clerks they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit receptionist/billing clerks who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit receptionist/billing clerks, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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/billing clerk

   Once you've found the receptionist/billing clerk candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new receptionist/billing clerk. 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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