Receptionist & Information Clerk Careers

receptionist-500Receptionist and information clerks operate switchboards to answer telephones, forward calls, take messages and give information to customers.

Clerks who primarily interact with clients in-person may serve as greeters who give direction and escort customers to various departments within the company.

Receptionists and information clerks, whether working on the main floor or in the workroom, file and maintain records in addition to resolving complaints from customers.

Receptionist & Information Clerk Career Snapshot

Receptionist and information clerks who work on the back-end of the company sit for extended periods of time. Employees in the public’s eye usually stand for prolonged periods. Receptionists have varying schedules that may include weekend and overtime.

Further details on a career as a receptionist or information clerk are listed below (statistics from the May 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):

$27,914

is the average yearly salary for receptionists and information clerks.

10%

increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.

67%

have a High school diploma or equivalent while 15% have an Associate’s degree.

Receptionist Education

About 67 percent of receptionists have high school diplomas. Seven percent of the field’s workers have an education equivalent to less than that of a high school diploma. Around 15 percent have associate’s degrees. This is one of few entry-level administrative job titles that allows students who have not yet obtained high school diplomas to begin working in the field so long as they have good social skills.

Receptionist Job Duties

Receptionist and information clerks answer telephones, address customer inquiries and complaints and serve as greeters who escort clients to specific departments within the company. Clerks also forward phone calls and take messages for administrators.

Receptionist Salaries

Median pay for receptionists and information clerks is around $13.42 per hour or $27,914 yearly according to the BLS.gov. Workers living in areas where the cost of living is higher may receive hourly wages of $19.41. Those residing in regions where prices are lower may receive around $9.39 per hour. Education is typically not a factor in a company’s decision to pay a receptionist more or less since all new employees usually begin at the minimum rate.

Receptionist Job Outlook

Employment opportunities for receptionists are expected to grow by ten percent over the next ten years. Such rate is faster than the national average for job growth.

Receptionist Skills & Traits

Receptionist Skill Set:Required Abilities:Tools Used by Receptionists:Typical Work Activities:
• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Service Orientation
• Critical Thinking
• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Clarity
• Franking or postage machines
• Photocopying equipment
• Multi-line switchboards
• Data input scanners
• Interacting With Computers
• Performing Administrative Activities
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Getting Information

Related Careers

General Office Clerks

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Secretaries & Administrative Assistants

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Tellers

High School Diploma or Equivalent

What Do Related Careers Pay?