Research Summary. Here are some key points about hiring receptionists in the United States:
Before you start to hire receptionists, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire receptionists pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.
The median annual salary for receptionists is $30,571 in the US. However, the cost of receptionist hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a receptionist for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $11 and $18 an hour.
To hire a receptionist, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a receptionist:
Before you post your receptionist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business need. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a receptionist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.
Hiring the perfect receptionist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires, and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.
Here's a comparison of the average salaries of common receptionist roles:
Type Of Receptionist | Description | Hourly Rate |
---|---|---|
Receptionist | Receptionists perform administrative tasks, such as answering phones, receiving visitors, and providing general information about their organization to the public and customers. | $11-18 |
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 |
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 |
Before you draft a receptionist job description, imagine the ideal employee for the role and begin creating a profile. What are they proficient in and what sort of background do they have?
Here is a list of skills that are commonly associated with receptionist:
Here is a list of common responsibilities that receptionists may be expected to fulfill:
Beyond the nuts and bolts, cultural fit is an important factor. It might help to ask yourself how your ideal receptionist will live by the company's mission statement and contribute to the team dynamic you already have in place. Clearly communicating this vision in your receptionist job description will help attract candidates who are better suited for the role.
Rank # | State | # Of Jobs | % of Population | Avg. Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Florida | 2,221 | 11% | $25,992 |
2 | New Jersey | 1,111 | 12% | $32,262 |
3 | Pennsylvania | 972 | 8% | $29,358 |
4 | Massachusetts | 751 | 11% | $34,278 |
5 | Arizona | 706 | 10% | $28,873 |
Including a salary range in the job description is a good way to get more applicants. A receptionist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, their level of experience, education and certifications, and the prestige of the employer. For example, the average salary for a receptionist in Oklahoma may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level receptionist. Additionally, a receptionist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.
Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | District of Columbia | $34,708 | $17 | 11 |
2 | Massachusetts | $34,245 | $16 | 28 |
3 | California | $34,223 | $16 | 18 |
4 | Washington | $34,145 | $16 | |
5 | New York | $34,142 | $16 | 10 |
Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gensler | $45,965 | $22.10 | 1 |
2 | Cornerstone Research | $43,642 | $20.98 | 1 |
3 | The PNC Financial Services Group | $43,079 | $20.71 | |
4 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $42,738 | $20.55 | 10 |
5 | University of California-Berkeley | $42,617 | $20.49 | |
6 | Fidelity Investments | $41,570 | $19.99 | |
7 | NRDC | $40,388 | $19.42 | |
8 | Epiq | $40,376 | $19.41 | 42 |
9 | The University of Chicago | $40,098 | $19.28 | 15 |
10 | Louisville Water | $39,643 | $19.06 | 1 |
11 | Beacon Hill Staffing Group | $38,712 | $18.61 | |
12 | AEG | $38,577 | $18.55 | |
13 | Student Conservation Association | $38,513 | $18.52 | |
14 | Metals USA | $38,452 | $18.49 | 1 |
15 | UBS | $38,428 | $18.48 | 2 |
16 | Uline | $38,339 | $18.43 | 4 |
17 | Cargill | $38,280 | $18.40 | |
18 | United States Courts | $38,042 | $18.29 | 18 |
19 | Eastern Metal Supply | $37,979 | $18.26 | 5 |
20 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $37,353 | $17.96 |
A receptionist 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 job description:
There are a few common ways to find receptionists for your business:
Post your job online:
Recruiting receptionists involves bringing your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they introduce their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.
Don't forget to include a few questions that give a candidate chance to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their special skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, candidates who are good enough 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.
Once you've selected the best receptionist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks that you're offering the candidate. It's essential to ensure that your offer is competitive, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it's important to be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.
It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.
To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.