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Receptionist vs front desk associate

The differences between receptionists and front desk associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a receptionist has an average salary of $30,571, which is higher than the $27,236 average annual salary of a front desk associate.

The top three skills for a receptionist include patients, phone calls and customer service. The most important skills for a front desk associate are phone calls, math, and customer service.

Receptionist vs front desk associate overview

ReceptionistFront Desk Associate
Yearly salary$30,571$27,236
Hourly rate$14.70$13.09
Growth rate--
Number of jobs65,67177,432
Job satisfaction3-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 33%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age4237
Years of experience2-

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 front desk associate do?

Front-Desk Associates are the face of a hotel. Their duties are focused on assisting guests and attaining customer satisfaction. Aside from great communication skills, Front-Desk Associates must also have a pleasing personality and great presence of mind as guests will come to them first should there be any issues on the services provided. Moreover, among the duties of Front-Desk Associates include performing room check-ins and check-outs, accepting and arranging reservations, assigning rooms, maintain booking and payments, and communicate with the entire hotel staff to ensure quality service.

Receptionist vs front desk associate salary

Receptionists and front desk associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

ReceptionistFront Desk Associate
Average salary$30,571$27,236
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $38,000Between $20,000 And $35,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCNew York, NY
Highest paying stateMassachusettsNew York
Best paying companyGenslerWyndham Capital Mortgage
Best paying industryFinanceHospitality

Differences between receptionist and front desk associate education

There are a few differences between a receptionist and a front desk associate in terms of educational background:

ReceptionistFront Desk Associate
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 33%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Receptionist vs front desk associate demographics

Here are the differences between receptionists' and front desk associates' demographics:

ReceptionistFront Desk Associate
Average age4237
Gender ratioMale, 8.4% Female, 91.6%Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 9.3% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage6%13%

Differences between receptionist and front desk associate 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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Front desk associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage customer service issues with ease and charm and train other co workers in daily operations.
  • Manage confidential information and documentation, including financial data, and credit card information and payroll checks.
  • Manage patients records by keeping all medical history, insurance and personal information update and verify abiding by HIPAA protocols.
  • Process reservations for business groups via opera system.
  • Process guest reservations, assess needs and ensure appropriate accommodations and assist guests with concierge-relate services.
  • Contact patients regarding unpaid and underpay accounts, verification of insurance, accounting, customer service, computer and telephone operations.
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Receptionist vs front desk associate skills

Common receptionist skills
  • Patients, 17%
  • Phone Calls, 14%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Data Entry, 9%
  • Telephone Calls, 8%
  • Front Desk, 8%
Common front desk associate skills
  • Phone Calls, 21%
  • Math, 13%
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Basic Math, 11%
  • Strong Customer Service, 10%
  • Cash Handling, 8%

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