How much does a receptionists and information clerk make?

The median pay is $18.27 per hour — roughly $38,000 a year, with the real range running from about $13.83/hr (10th percentile) to $24.01/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a receptionists and information clerk?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a receptionists and information clerk actually do all day?

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. Receive payment and record receipts for services.

Office & Administrative

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.

What it pays
Receptionists and Information Clerks earn a median of $18.27/hr — about $38,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $13.83/hr; the top 10% earn $24.01/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.
Receive payment and record receipts for services.
Schedule appointments and maintain and update appointment calendars.
Transmit information or documents to customers, using computer, mail, or facsimile machine.
Hear and resolve complaints from customers or the public.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

The work is mostly indoors; you're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0.6% of receptionists and information clerks are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, take-charge and people-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a receptionists and information clerk make?: The median pay is $18.27 per hour — roughly $38,000 a year, with the real range running from about $13.83/hr (10th percentile) to $24.01/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a receptionists and information clerk?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a receptionists and information clerk actually do all day?: 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. Receive payment and record receipts for services.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.