Receptionist vs front desk receptionist

The differences between receptionists and front desk receptionists 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 receptionist. Additionally, a front desk receptionist has an average salary of $31,050, 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 receptionist are patients, check-in, and phone calls.

Receptionist vs front desk receptionist overview

	Receptionist	Front Desk Receptionist
Yearly salary	$30,571	$31,050
Hourly rate	$14.70	$14.93
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	65,671	82,593
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	High School Diploma, 33%
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 receptionist do?

Front desk receptionists are usually the first contact of clients or visitors in an office or building. They are responsible for welcoming and receiving guests, documenting guests' arrival and updating the visitor logbook, informing hosts and other involved employees that the guests have arrived, and directing the guests to where they should go next. They also man telephone lines, schedule appointments, receive packages or mails, and answer office visitors' questions. Front desk receptionists are expected to be personable, knowledgeable on office-related activities, and familiar with everyone.

Receptionist vs front desk receptionist salary

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

	Receptionist	Front Desk Receptionist
Average salary	$30,571	$31,050
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Alaska
Best paying company	Gensler	SightMD
Best paying industry	Finance	Government

Differences between receptionist and front desk receptionist education

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

	Receptionist	Front Desk Receptionist
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Receptionist vs front desk receptionist demographics

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

	Receptionist	Front Desk Receptionist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
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, 10.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.9% Asian, 6.4% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between receptionist and front desk receptionist 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 receptionist example responsibilities.

Accomplish computer work using a PMS system; OperaXpress.
Collect and distribute mail and packages, prepare FedEx shipments and manage online postage machine.
Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic
Acquire knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT codes and achieve up-to-date knowledge of medical record practices, standards, and regulations.
Manage patients records by keeping all medical history, insurance and personal information update and verify abiding by HIPAA protocols.
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.

Receptionist vs front desk receptionist skills

Common receptionist skills

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

Common front desk receptionist skills

Patients, 23%
Check-In, 12%
Phone Calls, 10%
Reservations, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Appointment Scheduling, 5%

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Receptionist
Receptionist vs Front Desk Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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