State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Receptionist and Information Clerk Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Receptionists and Information Clerks earn a median of $38,010 per year ($18.27/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 0.0% through 2034, with about 128,500 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 43-4171Office and Administrative SupportLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $38,010
- Projected growth
- 0.0%
- Openings a year
- 128,500
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Clerk Specialist, Front Desk Receptionist, Greeter, Information Assistant (Info Assistant), Medical Receptionist, Member Services Representative (Member Services Rep).
How much do Receptionists and Information Clerks make?
10th percentile$28,760
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$33,960
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$38,010
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$45,130
Upper quartile
90th percentile$49,950
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $38,010 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $18.27/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $39,460 |
| People employed | 910,180 |
Versus all US occupations
At $38,010, Receptionists and Information Clerks earn 25% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $12,970 a year.
Versus office and administrative support occupations
Inside the Office and Administrative Support group, where the middle occupation pays $48,500, this is 22% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $49,950 or more while the bottom 10% earn $28,760, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 7% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $49,060, and still leads at $44,640 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Receptionists and Information Clerks the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $49,060 | $44,640 | 2,000 |
| Alaska | $44,720 | $43,689 | 1,530 |
| Washington | $44,710 | $41,780 | 26,500 |
| California | $44,100 | $39,830 | 82,470 |
| Massachusetts | $43,870 | $41,482 | 18,970 |
| New York | $43,080 | $39,918 | 65,010 |
| Rhode Island | $42,620 | $41,670 | 4,270 |
| Maine | $42,440 | $43,730 | 3,440 |
| Colorado | $42,010 | $40,766 | 11,020 |
| New Jersey | $41,650 | $38,279 | 42,060 |
Is Receptionist and Information Clerk a growing career?
Receptionists and Information Clerks0.0%
All US occupations3.1%
0.0% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Receptionists and Information Clerks to change 0.0% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 128,500 openings are projected each year, 12.8% of the 1,007,200 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Despite declining employment, about 128,500 openings for receptionists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
How to become a Receptionist and Information Clerk
Although hiring requirements vary by industry and employer, receptionists typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and good communication skills.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as receptionists and information clerks.
- High School Diploma49.5%
- Some College Courses25.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate20.9%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)3.7%
- Less than a High School Diploma0.3%
What does a Receptionist and Information Clerk do?
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.
Receptionists do administrative tasks, such as answering phones, greeting visitors, and providing general information about their organization.
Day-to-day tasks
- Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations.
- Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments.
- Transmit information or documents to customers, using computer, mail, or facsimile machine.
- File and maintain records.
- Provide information about establishment, such as location of departments or offices, employees within the organization, or services provided.
- Hear and resolve complaints from customers or the public.
- Collect, sort, distribute, or prepare mail, messages, or courier deliveries.
- Perform duties, such as taking care of plants or straightening magazines to maintain lobby or reception area.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where receptionists and information clerks work
| Healthcare and social assistance | 45% |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 11% |
| Personal care services | 7% |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | 4% |
| Administrative and support services | 3% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Speaking3.9/5
- Active Listening3.8/5
- Reading Comprehension3.1/5
- Critical Thinking3.1/5
- Writing3.0/5
- Monitoring2.9/5
- Active Learning2.8/5
- Learning Strategies2.1/5
Transferable skills
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Time Management2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.8/5
- Persuasion2.6/5
- Instructing2.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.4/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Billing and invoicing software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Data base user interface and query software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Receptionist and Information Clerk?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.9
Investigative1.8
Artistic1.1
Socialprimary3.6
Enterprisingprimary4.3
Conventionalprimary6.3
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Receptionist and Information Clerk: frequently asked questions
How much do Receptionists and Information Clerks make?
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.
Do you need a degree to become a Receptionist and Information Clerk?
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.
Is Receptionist and Information Clerk a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.0% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 128,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Receptionist and Information Clerk do?
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.
Which states pay Receptionists and Information Clerks the most?
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).
What personality type suits a Receptionist and Information Clerk?
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 923 occupations in the bank.