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What is a front office clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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The front office clerk is the face of the office that they work for. Whether they're welcoming nervous patients to a doctor's office or welcoming clients to a company's offices, the front office clerk makes sure that their employer makes a good first impression and that the client has a great experience from the first minute.

The front office clerk's job is not just about greeting people, although that is the most important component. They also have to manage various clerical duties, such as entering client data, updating schedules, and answering any questions. Without the logistical support of the front office clerk, the rest of the office would get bogged down very quickly.

The gender ratio of front office clerks is very skewed--about 80% of them are women! That doesn't mean that men can't be welcoming to clients or manage data. Anybody can succeed in this field if they have good organizational skills and like working with people.

ScoreFront Office ClerkUS Average
Salary
2.4

Avg. Salary $31,051

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.6

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.94%

Asian 7.02%

Black or African American 10.75%

Hispanic or Latino 24.28%

Unknown 4.49%

White 52.52%

Gender

female 86.12%

male 13.88%

Age - 50
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50
Stress Level
6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
4.3

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Front Office Clerk career paths

Key steps to become a front office clerk

  1. Explore front office clerk education requirements

    Most common front office clerk degrees

    Associate

    28.5 %

    High School Diploma

    27.4 %

    Bachelor's

    24.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific front office clerk skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients34.02%
    Check-In8.14%
    Data Entry7.83%
    Customer Service7.27%
    Front Desk4.45%
  3. Complete relevant front office clerk training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New front office clerks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a front office clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real front office clerk resumes.
  4. Gain additional front office clerk certifications

    Front office clerk certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific front office clerk certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for front office clerks include Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research front office clerk duties and responsibilities

    • Manage front office check-in, insurance verification and certifications from doctors.
    • Maintain a high knowledge level of regulations on the confidentiality of medical records (HIPAA).
    • Verify releases of information according to HIPPA regulations.
    • Maintain confidentiality of patient information; abiding by HIPPA guidelines.
  6. Prepare your front office clerk resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your front office clerk resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a front office clerk resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Front Office Clerk Resume templates

    Build a professional Front Office Clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Front Office Clerk resume.
    Front Office Clerk Resume
    Front Office Clerk Resume
    Front Office Clerk Resume
    Front Office Clerk Resume
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    Front Office Clerk Resume
    Front Office Clerk Resume
    Front Office Clerk Resume
    Front Office Clerk Resume
  7. Apply for front office clerk jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a front office clerk job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Front Office Clerk Job

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Average front office clerk salary

The average Front Office Clerk salary in the United States is $31,051 per year or $15 per hour. Front office clerk salaries range between $25,000 and $37,000 per year.

Average Front Office Clerk Salary
$31,051 Yearly
$14.93 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do front office clerks rate their job?

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Front Office Clerk reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024
Pros

There is no need to work in shift, especially evening or midnight shifts, disclaimer: i transitioned from the hospitality industry to insurance industry. Now i work 8-5 mostly and day off on weekends. And it has been great so far! I can finally sleep at nights now definitely!

Cons

Pay is too low especially in my country. And as we are a small firm, so career progression is super narrow. And regardless of how long i work there, pay will still be low.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

I like making sure other patients information was not in another patient records filing the records and also triaging the records as well.

Cons

Not have work to do.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Always something new to do, and learn, always changing.

Cons

Being taken over by computers, job is going away office staff is becoming smaller and smaller or out sourced to 3rd party companies.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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