Telephone clerk vs front desk receptionist

The differences between telephone clerks 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 telephone clerk and a front desk receptionist. Additionally, a telephone clerk has an average salary of $34,549, which is higher than the $31,050 average annual salary of a front desk receptionist.

The top three skills for a telephone clerk include customer service, inbound calls and computer system. The most important skills for a front desk receptionist are patients, check-in, and phone calls.

Telephone clerk vs front desk receptionist overview

	Telephone Clerk	Front Desk Receptionist
Yearly salary	$34,549	$31,050
Hourly rate	$16.61	$14.93
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	66,738	82,593
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

Telephone clerk vs front desk receptionist salary

Telephone clerks and front desk receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Telephone Clerk	Front Desk Receptionist
Average salary	$34,549	$31,050
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $49,000	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 telephone clerk and front desk receptionist education

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

	Telephone Clerk	Front Desk Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Telephone clerk vs front desk receptionist demographics

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

	Telephone Clerk	Front Desk Receptionist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 32.6% Female, 67.4%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 56.2% 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 telephone clerk and front desk receptionist duties and responsibilities

Telephone clerk example responsibilities.

Manage booking and statistical spreadsheets for mammography and cervical cancer screening outreach care projects.
Contact clients to verify directions to delivery location and enter information into AS400 database for drivers.
Assist patients with alternative insurance options; providing them with information regarding benefits and assisting them with processing their paperwork.
Perform auto body repairs and troubleshot mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical problems utilizing computerize diagnostic equipment.

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.

Telephone clerk vs front desk receptionist skills

Common telephone clerk skills

Customer Service, 39%
Inbound Calls, 17%
Computer System, 13%
Customer Calls, 12%
Transferring Calls, 11%
Telephone Calls, 8%

Common front desk receptionist skills

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

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Telephone Clerk
Telephone Clerk vs Front Desk Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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