Receptionist vs clerk

The differences between receptionists and clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a receptionist and a clerk. Additionally, a clerk has an average salary of $31,163, which is higher than the $30,571 average annual salary of a receptionist.

The top three skills for a receptionist include patients, phone calls and customer service. The most important skills for a clerk are basic math, math, and data entry.

Receptionist vs clerk overview

	Receptionist	Clerk
Yearly salary	$30,571	$31,163
Hourly rate	$14.70	$14.98
Growth rate	-	-5%
Number of jobs	65,671	80,311
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	42	47
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does a clerk do?

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. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.

Receptionist vs clerk salary

Receptionists and clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Receptionist	Clerk
Average salary	$30,571	$31,163
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Hampshire
Best paying company	Gensler	University of Massachusetts Boston
Best paying industry	Finance	Health Care

Differences between receptionist and clerk education

There are a few differences between a receptionist and a clerk in terms of educational background:

	Receptionist	Clerk
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Western Carolina University

Receptionist vs clerk demographics

Here are the differences between receptionists' and clerks' demographics:

	Receptionist	Clerk
Average age	42	47
Gender ratio	Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6%	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between receptionist and clerk duties and responsibilities

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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Clerk example responsibilities.

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Manage orthopedic accounts regarding payment posting through IDX medical systems.
Administer financial bookkeeping by way of QuickBooks.
Bank reconciliation in QuickBooks and assist bookkeeper when need.
Maintain a high level of confidentiality as required by HIPAA.
Call DMV's and dealerships when liens are not perfect.

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Receptionist vs clerk skills

Common receptionist skills

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

Common clerk skills

Basic Math, 18%
Math, 10%
Data Entry, 10%
Customer Service, 9%
Cleanliness, 8%
POS, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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