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Receptionist

$37,230
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Greet visitors, answer phones, schedule appointments, and handle front-desk tasks for an office.

Where you work

Offices, clinics, and lobbies

The hours

Regular weekday hours

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$37,230
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~128,500
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
0%
Little change
Working in the U.S.
1,007,200
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: On-the-job training, paid from day one.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

What it takes

CommunicationOrganizationMultitaskingFriendliness

The honest take

A steady office entry point that builds professional habits, though the work itself is often routine.

Standard Occupational Classification 43-4171. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.