Medical Receptionist: Tasks, Skills, Salary, and How to Get Started

Key takeaways

• Medical receptionists are administrative professionals who are the first point of contact in a health care setting.

• This may be an ideal role if you're interested in the growing health care field but don't want a clinical position.

• After gaining experience as a medical receptionist, you can advance to become a medical office manager and earn a higher salary.

Learn more about what a medical receptionist does, the skills you'll need to be successful in this role, and how to get started. Afterward, develop your knowledge and abilities with the Johns Hopkins Medical Office Manager Professional Certificate.

What is a medical receptionist?

Medical receptionists are administrators who serve as the first point of contact in a health care setting, such as a doctor's office, hospital, or other medical facility. They're often responsible for greeting patients and ensuring that offices, clinics, or hospital departments run smoothly and efficiently.

Becoming a medical receptionist can be a good career move for someone who is organized, enjoys interacting with people, and is familiar with using software programs. With experience and training, medical receptionists can advance to become a medical office manager, or with more clinical development, a lab tech or medical assistant.

Where do medical receptionists work?

Medical receptionists can work in the following locations:

• Doctors’ or physicians’ offices 

• Outpatient care centers

• General hospitals

• Nonprofit organizations (grantmaking or fundraising)

• Insurance companies

• Scientific research facilities

Salary and job outlook 

Medical receptionists earn a median total pay of $44,000 per year, according to Glassdoor [1]. The type of medical facility where you work, the amount of experience you have, and your geographic location may affect how much you can earn in this role.

Jobs in the health care industry are expected to add 1.9 million jobs every year between 2023 and 2033 [2]. That includes medical receptionists, who play an important role in a medical facility's operations.  

What are the duties of a medical receptionist?

The day-to-day work of a medical receptionist will depend on where they work, but this role largely balances administrative responsibilities with customer service. A medical receptionist who works in a hospital will have different responsibilities than someone who works in a local doctor's office.

Typically, your work will involve greeting patients, entering data, answering phones, and doing clerical work, such as filing or correspondence. Throughout the day, you may interact with patients, their loved ones, and others who call or visit the office, like salespeople, vendors, and insurance companies. 

Medical receptionist tasks can include:

• Greeting patients and their loved ones when they come for appointments

• Answering phone calls and emails from patients

• Maintaining an office schedule for other staff members

• Filing medical records and other documents

• Keeping the front desk or office organized and running smoothly

• Scheduling appointments and follow-ups for patients

• Calling patients to remind them of their appointments

• Using a computer, medical office software, and other technology to keep information organized and up-to-date

• Processing payments from patients

• Assisting patients with filling out forms and answering their questions

• Transcribing notes from doctors

• Keeping the waiting and reception areas clean and inviting

• Contacting insurance companies

• Maintaining a working relationship with the medical receptionists at other medical offices or departments

Important skills to succeed as a medical receptionist

Like any profession, medical receptionists need a combination of workplace and technical skills to effectively perform their duties. These typically include:

• Knowledge of medical terminology and procedures

• Familiarity with basic bookkeeping and accounts receivable software

• Experience with software systems, especially those used by medical offices

• NueMD, Phreesia, Epic Systems, medical coding software

• Ability to send emails, generate reports, and keep track of scheduling

• Effective communication (written and oral)

• Organization

• Time management

• Empathy

• Attention to detail

• Flexibility

How to become a medical receptionist

You don't need extensive training to become a medical receptionist, but you do need a willingness to learn, to care for others, and to hone your administrative skills. Here's what you can expect to do as you pursue a career as a medical receptionist.

1. Obtain your diploma. 

Typically, to work as a medical receptionist, you'll need to have at least a high school diploma or GED. Some organizations, especially if they work in more niche areas of medicine, may prefer that you have an associate degree.

2. Gain customer service experience. 

Experience isn't always necessary to become a medical receptionist, though it can be helpful to have some prior receptionist or customer service experience. Many organizations will offer on-the-job training, which allows you to learn the specific policies and procedures for their front office. They may also have you attend training on medical software, billing, or medical terminology.

If you want to gain experience, you can look for internships and volunteer work in medical facilities. You can also find work that gives you direct experience with customer service, managing records, or administrative work.

3. Hone the right skills.

There are certain skills you may want to develop as you apply for medical receptionist openings. These include customer service, data entry, and the ability to use computers, including email, scheduling programs, medical office software, and databases.

Because working in a medical office is different from working as a receptionist in other organizations, you'll also need to be familiar with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). It helps protect patients' privacy regarding their medical records and information.

Finally, while being bilingual isn't a requirement to work as a medical receptionist, it can improve your chances of landing a job in a diverse town or city. If you speak another language, particularly Spanish, be sure to put that on your resume.

4. Consider certification.

Certifications aren't a requirement, but they can help your resume stand out. The medical administrative assistant certification offered by the National Healthcareer Association is one option. You'll learn CPR, first aid, medical ethics, medical terminology, and all about health insurance, among other topics.

You might also consider the electronic health records specialist certification. You'll learn how to manage and interpret health records, including patient data, like allergies, prescriptions, and patient history. You can often find these certification programs offered through community colleges, vocational schools, technical schools, and even some universities. 

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