Receptionist telephone operator vs front desk receptionist

The differences between receptionist telephone operators 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 telephone operator and a front desk receptionist. Additionally, a front desk receptionist has an average salary of $31,050, which is higher than the $27,595 average annual salary of a receptionist telephone operator.

The top three skills for a receptionist telephone operator include scheduling appointments, patients and customer service. The most important skills for a front desk receptionist are patients, check-in, and phone calls.

Receptionist telephone operator vs front desk receptionist overview

	Receptionist Telephone Operator	Front Desk Receptionist
Yearly salary	$27,595	$31,050
Hourly rate	$13.27	$14.93
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	45,734	82,593
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

Receptionist telephone operator vs front desk receptionist salary

Receptionist telephone operators and front desk receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Receptionist Telephone Operator	Front Desk Receptionist
Average salary	$27,595	$31,050
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $35,000	Between $24,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	SightMD
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between receptionist telephone operator and front desk receptionist education

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

	Receptionist Telephone Operator	Front Desk Receptionist
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Receptionist telephone operator vs front desk receptionist demographics

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

	Receptionist Telephone Operator	Front Desk Receptionist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 12.1% Female, 87.9%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.3% Asian, 6.2% White, 55.6% 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 telephone operator and front desk receptionist duties and responsibilities

Receptionist telephone operator example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Perform receptionist duties and registration of patients.
Establish accurate accounts for each guest upon check-in according to their requirements and ensure guest paperwork or documentation are filed appropriately.
Work at switchboards at a variety of businesses and handle outgoing, interoffice or incoming calls.
Prepare healthy meal replacement protein smoothies

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 telephone operator vs front desk receptionist skills

Common receptionist telephone operator skills

Scheduling Appointments, 24%
Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 12%
Direct Visitors, 11%
Telephone Calls, 6%
Telephone Switchboard, 5%

Common front desk receptionist skills

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

Receptionist Telephone Operator vs. similar jobs

Receptionist Telephone Operator related careers

Receptionist Telephone Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Receptionist Telephone Operator
Receptionist Telephone Operator vs Front Desk Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs