Receptionist vs office administrator

The differences between receptionists and office administrators 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 an office administrator. Additionally, an office administrator has an average salary of $37,423, 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 an office administrator are customer service, patients, and data entry.

Receptionist vs office administrator overview

	Receptionist	Office Administrator
Yearly salary	$30,571	$37,423
Hourly rate	$14.70	$17.99
Growth rate	-	-5%
Number of jobs	65,671	118,096
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
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 an office administrator do?

Office administrators are employees who ensure that the office is running in tip-top shape. They manage the administrative needs of the office. They answer calls directed to the official company phone, manage the inventory of supplies, take charge or purchase requisitions for needed supplies, and ensure the office equipment and fixtures are taken care of. Office administrators also manage correspondences, official memoranda, and other official company documents. They also keep track of files and records to ensure that these are properly organized. At times, office administrators also take charge of welcoming guests and accompanying them to their respective meetings.

Receptionist vs office administrator salary

Receptionists and office administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Receptionist	Office Administrator
Average salary	$30,571	$37,423
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $28,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Alaska
Best paying company	Gensler	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Finance	Government

Differences between receptionist and office administrator education

There are a few differences between a receptionist and an office administrator in terms of educational background:

	Receptionist	Office Administrator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Western Carolina University

Receptionist vs office administrator demographics

Here are the differences between receptionists' and office administrators' demographics:

	Receptionist	Office Administrator
Average age	42	47
Gender ratio	Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6%	Male, 14.7% Female, 85.3%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between receptionist and office administrator 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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Office administrator example responsibilities.

Monitor calls, manage calendars, travel, meeting arrangements, video conference and teleconferencing.
Formulate various procedures to assure efficient operation of the SharePoint system is managed properly for CFWB and BOS.
Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Pull patients charts for doctors using EMR system as well as pulled chart from medical records room.
Create and update all departmental ISO documents.
Collect all outgoing FedEx overnight packages and ship with accurate tracking and conformation information.

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Receptionist vs office administrator skills

Common receptionist skills

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

Common office administrator skills

Customer Service, 18%
Patients, 11%
Data Entry, 8%
Office Equipment, 5%
Front Desk, 4%
PowerPoint, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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