Receptionists
Receptionists answer inquiries and provide information to the general public, customers, visitors, and other interested parties regarding activities conducted at establishment and location of departments, offices, and employees within the organization.
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Job description
Receptionists and Information Clerks answer inquiries and provide information to the general public, customers, visitors, and other interested parties regarding activities conducted at establishment and location of departments, offices, and employees within the organization.
- Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments.
- Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations.
- Schedule appointments and maintain and update appointment calendars.
- Hear and resolve complaints from customers or the public.
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Salary
Receptionists with little to no experience tend to make between $20600 and $24120 while the more experienced ones can earn over $35660 per year.
Top 5 paying states | Hourly | Annual |
---|---|---|
DC | $18 | $38,290 |
AK | $17 | $35,310 |
CT | $17 | $34,860 |
NY | $17 | $34,430 |
WA | $16 | $33,990 |
One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Receptionist and Information Clerk is to move to a higher paying state like DC. Right now, the highest paying states for Receptionists are DC, AK, CT, NY and WA.
However, a higher pay at DC doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at DC might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.
Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Receptionist and Information Clerk is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.
Requirements
We asked other Receptionists what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a High School Diploma followed by an Associate’s Degree.
Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.
Receptionist |
Pros and Cons
Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Receptionist and Information Clerk.
PROS |
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Suitable for people who likes to follow routines |
Suitable for people who values relationships between co-workers and customers and wants to work in a friendly non-competitive environment |
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors. |
It is easy to get into this career. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career. |
Normal working hours (40 hours per week) |
CONS |
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Not suitable for people who likes to work with designs |
One of the lowest paying jobs |
What is the job like
65% of Receptionists said they were satisfied with their job and 54% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.
Is this right for me
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tends to like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas..
They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
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