Receptionist vs front desk coordinator

The differences between receptionists and front desk coordinators 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 front desk coordinator. Additionally, a front desk coordinator has an average salary of $31,667, 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 front desk coordinator are patients, customer service, and check-in.

Receptionist vs front desk coordinator overview

	Receptionist	Front Desk Coordinator
Yearly salary	$30,571	$31,667
Hourly rate	$14.70	$15.22
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	65,671	119,803
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age	42	42
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 front desk coordinator do?

A Front-Desk Coordinator is the point of contact in a commercial establishment or building such as offices, clinics, salons, and even government agencies. The primary responsibility of a Front-Desk Coordinator is to greet and assist clients of their needs, such as filling-up registrations, appointing schedules, directing clients, and bridging information in a building. Because of these responsibilities, it is crucial to have a pleasing personality and excellent communication skills. Moreover, a Front-Desk Coordinator can also have the task of correspondence in which they are to communicate with clients through calls and emails.

Receptionist vs front desk coordinator salary

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

	Receptionist	Front Desk Coordinator
Average salary	$30,571	$31,667
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $26,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Alaska
Best paying company	Gensler	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Finance	Health Care

Differences between receptionist and front desk coordinator education

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

	Receptionist	Front Desk Coordinator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common major	Business	Health Care Administration
Most common college	-	-

Receptionist vs front desk coordinator demographics

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

	Receptionist	Front Desk Coordinator
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6%	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%
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, 10.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 25.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between receptionist and front desk coordinator 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.

Front desk coordinator example responsibilities.

File invoices, process payments, collect payments, manage all customer files, using QuickBooks.
Manage check-in and registration process for all appointments including physician appointments and medical imaging.
Manage patient data per HIPAA regulations for scheduling, registration, and verification of insurance eligibility.
Enter patient demographics into computer utilize EMR system.
Verify insurance coverage for require procedures and assist patients with alternative options for payments.
Perform clerical/receptionist duties including greeting patients, check-in, and obtaining accurate insurance/demographic information for a gynecological office.

Receptionist vs front desk coordinator skills

Common receptionist skills

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

Common front desk coordinator skills

Patients, 23%
Customer Service, 10%
Check-In, 9%
Front Desk, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Insurance Verification, 6%

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Receptionist vs Front Desk Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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