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Reference assistant vs office receptionist

The differences between reference assistants and office receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an office receptionist has an average salary of $33,554, which is higher than the $27,874 average annual salary of a reference assistant.

The top three skills for a reference assistant include library materials, library patrons and interlibrary loan. The most important skills for an office receptionist are patients, customer service, and phone calls.

Reference assistant vs office receptionist overview

Reference AssistantOffice Receptionist
Yearly salary$27,874$33,554
Hourly rate$13.40$16.13
Growth rate-4%-
Number of jobs65880,143
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age4742
Years of experience-2

Reference assistant vs office receptionist salary

Reference assistants and office receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Reference AssistantOffice Receptionist
Average salary$27,874$33,554
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $36,000Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City-Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Dairy Farmers of America
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between reference assistant and office receptionist education

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

Reference AssistantOffice Receptionist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common majorEnglishBusiness
Most common collegeNew York UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Reference assistant vs office receptionist demographics

Here are the differences between reference assistants' and office receptionists' demographics:

Reference AssistantOffice Receptionist
Average age4742
Gender ratioMale, 32.3% Female, 67.7%Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage11%6%

Differences between reference assistant and office receptionist duties and responsibilities

Reference assistant example responsibilities.

  • Construct and manage subject LibGuides.
  • Manage yearly budget for DVDs.
  • Search for and retrieve cases from online databases such as Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis.
  • Prepare library libguides and bibliographies on various areas of law.
  • Train fellow staff members in inter-library loan procedures and online database, OCLC.
  • Process requests for journal articles and books from RapidILL, OCLC, and DOCLINE.
    • Show more

Office receptionist example responsibilities.

  • Verify insurance information and manage medical records while ensuring confidentiality according to HIPAA requirements.
  • Answer phones, make copies, Microsoft, PowerPoint, scheduling, greet and interact with clients, filing and mailing.
  • Complete and audit payroll for accuracy.
  • Process payroll and monthly/quarterly sales tax liabilities.
  • Stock exam rooms, sterilize instruments and occasionally assist physician with patients.
  • Provide high-quality customer-service to patients by treating them respectfully and t with discretion.
    • Show more

Reference assistant vs office receptionist skills

Common reference assistant skills
  • Library Materials, 8%
  • Library Patrons, 7%
  • Interlibrary Loan, 6%
  • Reference Desk, 6%
  • Reference Services, 6%
  • Library Resources, 5%
Common office receptionist skills
  • Patients, 20%
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Phone Calls, 12%
  • Data Entry, 9%
  • Front Desk, 6%
  • Appointment Scheduling, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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