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.
- Median pay
- $38,010
- Doing it now
- 947,500
- By 2035
- Down 1.7%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
105,100 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments.
- Receive payment and record receipts for services.
- Perform administrative support tasks, such as proofreading, transcribing handwritten information, or operating calculators or computers to work with pay records, invoices, balance sheets, or other documents.
- Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations.
- Hear and resolve complaints from customers or the public.
- File and maintain records.
- Transmit information or documents to customers, using computer, mail, or facsimile machine.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Business Operations Support and Assistant ServicesSee 44 colleges that teach it
- Veterinary Administrative ServicesSee 1 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Organised and precise
Leading and persuading
Helping and teaching
Careers like this one
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants$76,590
- Office Clerks, General$45,010
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks$49,230
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $38,010 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.