Receptionist telephone operator vs receptionist secretary

The differences between receptionist telephone operators and receptionist secretaries 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 receptionist secretary. Additionally, a receptionist secretary has an average salary of $29,343, 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 receptionist secretary are patients, data entry, and phone calls.

Receptionist telephone operator vs receptionist secretary overview

	Receptionist Telephone Operator	Receptionist Secretary
Yearly salary	$27,595	$29,343
Hourly rate	$13.27	$14.11
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	45,734	61,892
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

Receptionist telephone operator vs receptionist secretary salary

Receptionist telephone operators and receptionist secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Receptionist Telephone Operator	Receptionist Secretary
Average salary	$27,595	$29,343
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $35,000	Between $24,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	-	Lake Oswego, OR
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Illinois Institute of Technology
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between receptionist telephone operator and receptionist secretary education

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

	Receptionist Telephone Operator	Receptionist Secretary
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Receptionist telephone operator vs receptionist secretary demographics

Here are the differences between receptionist telephone operators' and receptionist secretaries' demographics:

	Receptionist Telephone Operator	Receptionist Secretary
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 12.1% Female, 87.9%	Male, 5.6% Female, 94.4%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between receptionist telephone operator and receptionist secretary 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

Receptionist secretary example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Maintain confidential information/ HIPPA compliant.
Prepare PowerPoint presentations and distribute meeting materials.
Maintain confidentiality and release health records information following HIPPA guidelines.
Develop and present PowerPoint presentations to visiting dignitaries from higher headquarters.
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.

Receptionist telephone operator vs receptionist secretary skills

Common receptionist telephone operator skills

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

Common receptionist secretary skills

Patients, 15%
Data Entry, 12%
Phone Calls, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Appointment Scheduling, 7%

Receptionist Telephone Operator vs. similar jobs

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Office and Administrative Industry
Receptionist Telephone Operator
Receptionist Telephone Operator vs Receptionist Secretary

Updated January 8, 2025

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