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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $37,230 in the US and is showing modest growth of 0% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows high AI exposure (0.77 on a 0-1 scale) — significant portions of core tasks are already being automated. The most in-demand skills for the role include Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £27,848 a year for Customer service occupations n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £24,583 to £33,076 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 7219). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Clerical support workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Receptionists and information clerks, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 4. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
3 open listings on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Telecommunications
A day in the life
You start the day at the front desk of a busy clinic, switching on the phone system and checking the appointment calendar. As people arrive, you greet them warmly, check them in and explain where to wait. The phones ring constantly: you book appointments, answer questions about opening hours and forward calls to the right staff. Mid-morning a patient is upset about a long wait, so you listen patiently, apologise and check how soon the doctor can see them. You also receive payments and issue receipts. After lunch you send documents to patients by email and update the calendar for next week. Later you guide a delivery person to the storeroom and give directions to a visitor. At closing time you check tomorrow's schedule. The pace can be hectic and some visitors are frustrated, but being the friendly first face people see makes a real difference.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Receptionists and information clerks 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.
What does a typical day look like in Receptionists and information clerks?
You start the day at the front desk of a busy clinic, switching on the phone system and checking the appointment calendar. As people arrive, you greet them warmly, check them in and explain where to wait. The phones ring constantly: you book appointments, answer questions about opening hours and forward calls to the right staff. Mid-morning a patient is upset about a long wait, so you listen patiently, apologise and check how soon the doctor can see them.
How much does Receptionists and information clerks earn?
The median annual salary for Receptionists and information clerks in the US is $37,230.
What is the job outlook for Receptionists and information clerks?
The role is showing modest growth of 0% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 1,007,200 workers.
How do I become receptionists and information clerks?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Receptionists and information clerks need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Receptionists and information clerks?
Our AI-durability model gives Receptionists and information clerks a score of 0.77 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at high AI risk — many core tasks are already being automated by generative AI and workflow tools. Focus on AI-adjacent skills or plan a pivot to an AI-durable adjacent role.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Receptionists and information clerks has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.