Receptionist and Information Clerk Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Receptionists and Information Clerks earn a median of $38,010 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 25% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $18.27/hr. The middle half earn between $33,960 and $45,130. The top 10% earn $49,950 or more.

The median hourly wage for receptionists and information clerks is $18.27 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $38,010 annual median works out to about $3,170 a month before tax.

BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of receptionists and information clerks earn less than $28,760 a year and the bottom quarter less than $33,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.

The highest state medians for Receptionists and Information Clerks are District of Columbia ($49,060), Alaska ($44,720), Washington ($44,710) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

BLS does not split receptionists and information clerks' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $49,950, against a median of $38,010 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are District of Columbia ($49,060), Alaska ($44,720), Washington ($44,710).

No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Receptionists and Information Clerks. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 49.5% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).

BLS does not publish a fixed length; it depends on the route. What it does publish: the typical way in for receptionists and information clerks is a high school diploma or equivalent. Once hired, BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical. O*NET classes the work as needing some preparation.

No. BLS projects employment to fall 1.7% over 2025–2035, a loss of 16,000 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 105,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

Receptionists do administrative tasks, such as answering phones, greeting visitors, and providing general information about their organization. A core O*NET task: greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.

Yes, for most. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 2% of receptionists and information clerks usually work more than 40 hours a week, 63% work exactly 40 and 35% work fewer. 0% say their schedule is regular and 0% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.

O*NET scores Receptionists and Information Clerks highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Social interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.

Women make up 89.6% of receptionists and information clerks, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation. 21.4% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 36.8 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.