Receptionists and Information Clerks
Office and Administrative Support
The front desk is where visitors are greeted and callers are picked up on the switchboard. Each visit is sorted out—who they need, which office that is—and people are directed or walked there, while callers get screened, transferred, or left a message. Appointments go on the calendar, information about staff and services is given out, documents are sent by computer or mail, and payments for services are taken and recorded. Complaints from customers or the public land here too, along with the filing. It tends to suit people who like greeting a mix of visitors and callers while keeping calendars and records in order.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$38'010
Median Wage Market Position
$38'010
What you might do
- Answer, screen, and forward incoming phone calls
- Greet visitors and take them to the right place
- Schedule appointments and keep calendars current
- Tell people where offices and staff are located
- Accept payments and record receipts for services
- Hear complaints and try to resolve them
Skills that matter
- Screening and forwarding incoming calls
- Greeting visitors and escorting them
- Listening to the purpose of a visit
- Scheduling appointments and updating calendars
- Hearing and resolving public complaints
- Recording receipts and filing records
AI & the future of this role
Routine inquiries, scheduling, and directory lookup may shift toward chatbots and self-service kiosks, shrinking demand for desk-based intake. Face-to-face hospitality and handling unsettled visitors still matter, but those moments are a thinner slice of the overall workload.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details