JobAfterNext

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.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$38,010
Employment, U.S.910,180
Median hourly wage$18.27
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$28,760$33,960$38,010$45,130$49,950
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama10,460$32,5900.85
Alaska1,530$44,7200.80
Arizona23,220$38,7301.22
Arkansas10,870$34,8401.42
California82,470$44,1000.77
Colorado11,020$42,0100.66
Connecticut14,980$40,6301.51
Delaware2,880$36,3101.01
District of Columbia2,000$49,0600.49
Florida63,280$36,8101.09
Georgia26,080$36,1000.91
Hawaii3,510$41,6000.96
Idaho5,340$36,8101.06
Illinois40,370$37,4001.13
Indiana17,360$36,1600.93
Iowa4,660$37,3300.51
Kansas7,290$36,0500.87
Kentucky9,290$32,9400.79
Louisiana12,820$32,7501.13
Maine3,440$42,4400.92
Maryland18,390$38,1001.14
Massachusetts18,970$43,8700.89
Michigan25,230$37,4700.98
Minnesota11,800$37,5100.68
Mississippi6,920$31,1601.02
Missouri18,890$35,7401.10
Montana1,280$37,3600.43
Nebraska6,750$37,8601.13
Nevada10,650$37,0501.17
New Hampshire5,320$38,1601.33
New Jersey42,060$41,6501.68
New Mexico5,650$35,1401.11
New York65,010$43,0801.15
North Carolina20,080$35,4400.69
North Dakota1,930$39,5300.77
Ohio30,850$35,9200.95
Oklahoma9,380$34,5600.94
Oregon13,590$40,9001.18
Pennsylvania37,830$36,8101.07
Rhode Island4,270$42,6201.45
South Carolina11,280$35,5100.84
South Dakota5,760$38,2802.15
Tennessee11,460$34,9100.60
Texas78,330$35,2100.95
Utah12,020$36,9601.18
Vermont1,160$38,3700.65
Virginia23,360$37,0600.97
Washington26,500$44,7101.28
West Virginia5,470$31,9201.33
Wisconsin25,580$41,1501.49
Wyoming1,540$37,4800.94

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Office Clerks, General1-20.977
2Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks1-20.973
3Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants30.972
4Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service1-20.970
5Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan30.969
6Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive1-20.969
7Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks1-20.965
8Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants1-20.961
9Medical Records Specialists30.959
10Customer Service Representatives1-20.957

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Receptionists and Information Clerks, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing ClerksJudgment and Decision Making0.760.973
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and ExecutiveReading Comprehension0.760.969
Customer Service RepresentativesActive Listening0.880.957
TellersMathematics0.870.953
Bill and Account CollectorsPersuasion1.120.952
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and SearchersReading Comprehension0.880.951
Gambling Cage WorkersMathematics1.000.935

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Receptionists and Information Clerks, excluding software Receptionists and Information Clerks already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Sage 50 Accounting6 of 206.6x
Zoom6 of 205.3x
LexisNexis6 of 204.9x
Microsoft Exchange6 of 204.7x
Google Sites4 of 209.2x
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS5 of 205.8x
Dropbox4 of 207.4x
Google Workspace software4 of 207.1x
Microsoft Access14 of 201.7x
GroupMe4 of 206.8x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
SpeakingEssential skill 3.88 3.00
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.75 3.12
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.62 3.25
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 3.12 3.12
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.12 3.00
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.12 2.88
WritingEssential skill 3.00 3.00
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.00 2.88
MonitoringEssential skill 2.88 2.75
Time ManagementTransferable skill 2.88 2.62
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 2.75 2.62
Active LearningEssential skill 2.75 2.12
PersuasionTransferable skill 2.62 2.50
InstructingTransferable skill 2.62 2.00
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 2.38 2.12
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.25 2.38
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.12 1.88
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.00 2.00
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 2.00 2.00
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 2.00 2.00
MathematicsEssential skill 2.00 1.88
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 1.88 1.38
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 1.62 0.88
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.38 0.50
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.38 0.50
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 1.12not rated
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
ScienceEssential skill 1.00not rated
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Customer and Personal Service 4.21 3.83
Administrative 3.87 4.53
English Language 3.73 3.12
Computers and Electronics 3.40 3.65
Mathematics 2.73 2.71
Public Safety and Security 2.72 2.35
Administration and Management 2.67 1.96
Telecommunications 2.66 1.45
Personnel and Human Resources 2.55 1.46
Communications and Media 2.50 2.39
Education and Training 2.47 2.34
Law and Government 2.32 1.32
Medicine and Dentistry 2.01 1.73
Production and Processing 1.92 0.77
Foreign Language 1.87 1.19
Sociology and Anthropology 1.84 0.96
Psychology 1.79 1.38
Economics and Accounting 1.72 0.96
Sales and Marketing 1.65 1.40
Transportation 1.48not rated
Engineering and Technology 1.45 0.88
Physics 1.33not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.26not rated
Therapy and Counseling 1.26not rated
Design 1.25not rated
Geography 1.25not rated
Chemistry 1.24not rated
Food Production 1.20not rated
Building and Construction 1.19not rated
History and Archeology 1.19not rated
Mechanical 1.19not rated
Fine Arts 1.18not rated
Biology 1.13not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Expression 4.00 3.88
Oral Comprehension 3.88 3.75
Speech Recognition 3.88 3.62
Speech Clarity 3.75 3.12
Written Comprehension 3.62 3.00
Written Expression 3.38 3.00
Near Vision 3.12 3.38
Selective Attention 3.00 2.88
Time Sharing 2.88 2.62
Far Vision 2.75 2.88
Problem Sensitivity 2.75 2.88
Inductive Reasoning 2.75 2.75
Information Ordering 2.75 2.75
Deductive Reasoning 2.62 2.88
Category Flexibility 2.62 2.62
Perceptual Speed 2.62 2.50
Fluency of Ideas 2.50 2.50
Memorization 2.50 2.12
Number Facility 2.50 2.12
Flexibility of Closure 2.38 2.38
Mathematical Reasoning 2.38 2.00
Originality 2.38 2.00
Auditory Attention 2.25 2.00
Finger Dexterity 2.25 2.00
Hearing Sensitivity 2.12 2.00
Speed of Closure 2.12 1.88
Visualization 2.12 1.88
Visual Color Discrimination 2.00 2.00
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.00 1.88
Manual Dexterity 2.00 1.62
Control Precision 2.00 1.38
Multilimb Coordination 1.50 0.50
Trunk Strength 1.38 0.62
Depth Perception 1.25not rated
Static Strength 1.25not rated
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.25not rated
Dynamic Strength 1.12not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.12not rated
Spatial Orientation 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Extent Flexibility 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated
Reaction Time 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated
Stamina 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 39
  • Kodak Dental Systems Kodak SOFTDENT Practice management software PMS
  • McKesson Lytec
  • Medical condition coding software
  • Medical procedure coding software
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Microsoft SharePoint Server
  • St. Paul Travelers e-CARMA
  • Web browser software

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Rapid City, SD1,2402.87$37,990
Sioux Falls, SD-MN2,4302.33$38,560
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT4,7802.02$44,610
Eau Claire, WI9901.96$41,310
Wausau, WI7901.94$39,670
Jonesboro, AR6701.89$32,540
Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ7701.82$37,770
Fond du Lac, WI4701.81$40,390
Hot Springs, AR4001.78$32,210
Medford, OR9101.75$40,630

More metros, other thresholds