Switchboard receptionist vs receptionist/customer service

The differences between switchboard receptionists and receptionist/customer services can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a switchboard receptionist, becoming a receptionist/customer service takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a switchboard receptionist has an average salary of $31,601, which is higher than the $30,604 average annual salary of a receptionist/customer service.

The top three skills for a switchboard receptionist include data entry, greeting visitors and front desk. The most important skills for a receptionist/customer service are customer service, phone calls, and data entry.

Switchboard receptionist vs receptionist/customer service overview

	Switchboard Receptionist	Receptionist/Customer Service
Yearly salary	$31,601	$30,604
Hourly rate	$15.19	$14.71
Growth rate	-	-4%
Number of jobs	27,914	216,587
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 35%
Average age	42	40
Years of experience	2	12

Switchboard receptionist vs receptionist/customer service salary

Switchboard receptionists and receptionist/customer services have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Switchboard Receptionist	Receptionist/Customer Service
Average salary	$31,601	$30,604
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $38,000	Between $25,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Billerica, MA
Highest paying state	-	Minnesota
Best paying company	-	Uline
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between switchboard receptionist and receptionist/customer service education

There are a few differences between a switchboard receptionist and a receptionist/customer service in terms of educational background:

	Switchboard Receptionist	Receptionist/Customer Service
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 35%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Switchboard receptionist vs receptionist/customer service demographics

Here are the differences between switchboard receptionists' and receptionist/customer services' demographics:

	Switchboard Receptionist	Receptionist/Customer Service
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2%	Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	7%

Differences between switchboard receptionist and receptionist/customer service duties and responsibilities

Switchboard receptionist example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Provide efficient and professional telephone services in challenging mental health office while upholding confidentiality under HIPAA standards.

Receptionist/customer service example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Bill and collect from private pay, Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies.
Doctor authorization for treatments, understanding of Medicare and Medicaid, prior authorizations (if need).
Resolve problems with the buyers concerning invoices that do not match in the AS400 system.
Receive and apply checks into AS400 accounting database and scan checks into bank, on a daily basis.

Switchboard receptionist vs receptionist/customer service skills

Common switchboard receptionist skills

Data Entry, 15%
Greeting Visitors, 14%
Front Desk, 12%
Scheduling Appointments, 11%
Telephone Calls, 9%
Multi-Line Phone System, 7%

Common receptionist/customer service skills

Customer Service, 16%
Phone Calls, 15%
Data Entry, 14%
Telephone Calls, 8%
Front Desk, 8%
Scheduling Appointments, 8%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Switchboard Receptionist
Switchboard Receptionist vs Receptionist/Customer Service

Updated January 8, 2025

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