Jetted FoxCareers · Customer service & front desk
Receptionists and information clerks
Greets visitors, answers phones, schedules appointments and handles front-desk questions for an office, clinic or business. No college degree needed.
Start now · nothing needed
Starting pay ranges from about $12.87/hr in Mississippi to $19.16/hr in Washington, DC.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $10.98–13.52/hr | $15.67/hr |
| Alaska | $15.78–18.45/hr | $21.50/hr |
| Arizona | $15.45–17.08/hr | $18.62/hr |
| Arkansas | $13.27–14.56/hr | $16.75/hr |
| California | $17.51–18.77/hr | $21.20/hr |
| Colorado | $15.96–17.56/hr | $20.20/hr |
| Connecticut | $16.40–17.43/hr | $19.53/hr |
| Delaware | $15–15.77/hr | $17.46/hr |
| Florida | $13.87–15.73/hr | $17.70/hr |
| Georgia | $11.98–14.20/hr | $17.36/hr |
| Hawaii | $16.85–18.16/hr | $20/hr |
| Idaho | $13.70–15.48/hr | $17.70/hr |
| Illinois | $15–16.59/hr | $17.98/hr |
| Indiana | $11.74–14.32/hr | $17.39/hr |
| Iowa | $12.86–15.42/hr | $17.95/hr |
| Kansas | $13.17–15.01/hr | $17.33/hr |
| Kentucky | $11.41–13.67/hr | $15.84/hr |
| Louisiana | $10.30–13.43/hr | $15.75/hr |
| Maine | $17.25–18.49/hr | $20.41/hr |
| Maryland | $15.27–16.78/hr | $18.32/hr |
| Massachusetts | $17.21–18.36/hr | $21.09/hr |
| Michigan | $14.17–16.41/hr | $18.02/hr |
| Minnesota | $13.62–15.19/hr | $18.04/hr |
| Mississippi | $10.73–12.87/hr | $14.98/hr |
| Missouri | $14.05–15.19/hr | $17.18/hr |
| Montana | $13.10–15.91/hr | $17.96/hr |
| Nebraska | $13.98–16.28/hr | $18.20/hr |
| Nevada | $14.11–16/hr | $17.81/hr |
| New Hampshire | $12.89–14.91/hr | $18.34/hr |
| New Jersey | $16.07–17.60/hr | $20.02/hr |
| New Mexico | $12.97–14.38/hr | $16.89/hr |
| New York | $16.70–18.02/hr | $20.71/hr |
| North Carolina | $11.19–14/hr | $17.04/hr |
| North Dakota | $14.22–16.95/hr | $19/hr |
| Ohio | $12.53–14.38/hr | $17.27/hr |
| Oklahoma | $11.88–13.55/hr | $16.61/hr |
| Oregon | $16.33–17.71/hr | $19.66/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $11.93–14.76/hr | $17.70/hr |
| Rhode Island | $15.84–17.36/hr | $20.49/hr |
| South Carolina | $10.92–14.12/hr | $17.07/hr |
| South Dakota | $13.42–15.35/hr | $18.40/hr |
| Tennessee | $12.21–14.13/hr | $16.79/hr |
| Texas | $11.87–14.02/hr | $16.93/hr |
| Utah | $13.40–15.27/hr | $17.77/hr |
| Vermont | $14.82–16.87/hr | $18.45/hr |
| Virginia | $13.85–15.22/hr | $17.82/hr |
| Washington | $17.66–18.74/hr | $21.49/hr |
| Washington, DC | $17.81–19.16/hr | $23.59/hr |
| West Virginia | $11.39–13.57/hr | $15.34/hr |
| Wisconsin | $14.20–17.31/hr | $19.78/hr |
| Wyoming | $13.74–16.28/hr | $18.02/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
A normal day
You sit at the front desk and are the first person everyone sees. You answer calls, check people in, book appointments, take payments and send people to the right place. Busy times are a rush of phones and walk-ins at once; quiet times are filing and data entry.
The good parts
Clean, indoor work with mostly regular hours. Easy to get hired with no experience. A way into healthcare, hotels or offices that leads to other roles.
The hard parts
You are stuck at the desk and can't step away without cover. Upset patients or customers vent at you first. Pay is low to start and raises are small.
Where it leads
Executive assistant (after several years as an admin assistant). on its own the job stays at a similar level, but receptionists in clinics and offices often move to medical office specialist, billing, office manager or administrative assistant within 2-5 years.
Quick answers
Do receptionists and information clerks need a college degree?
No. You can start now: nothing needed.
How long is the training for receptionists and information clerks?
1–4 weeks of paid training at work.
How much do receptionists and information clerks make?
About $13.83–16.33 an hour to start and $18.27 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
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Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.