Receptionist Job Description (2026): Duties, Skills and Salary
A receptionist runs the front desk: greeting visitors, answering and routing phone calls, managing deliveries and keeping the lobby or waiting area organized. It's often the first impression of a company or office, so tone and composure matter as much as the tasks themselves.
Receptionists work in offices, medical and dental practices, salons, law firms and hotels, and the daily rhythm shifts with the setting: a busy clinic lobby is different from a quiet corporate front desk. Most roles share a core toolkit of a multi-line phone system, a scheduling or check-in system, and basic office software.
Receptionist job description template
Copy it, replace everything in [brackets] and cut what doesn't apply. Keep the requirements to what the job really needs.
Template · replace the [brackets]
Receptionist
[Company] · [City and office days, or remote with the countries or time zones you hire in] · [Full-time]
About [Company]
[Two or three sentences on what your company does, who it serves and why this team matters now.]
About the role
[Company] is hiring a receptionist to be the first point of contact for visitors and callers at [office / location]. You'll manage the front desk, route calls and support [team] with light administrative tasks.
What you'll do
- Greet visitors, check them in and notify the right employee or department.
- Answer and route incoming calls on a multi-line phone system.
- Schedule or confirm appointments using [scheduling / EHR / booking software].
- Sort and distribute incoming mail and packages, and arrange outgoing deliveries.
- Maintain a clean, organized and well-stocked reception and waiting area.
- Support [team] with data entry, filing and basic correspondence.
- Manage conference room bookings and set up for visitors or meetings.
What you'll bring
- [X]+ years in a receptionist, front desk or customer-facing role.
- Friendly, professional phone and in-person manner under time pressure.
- Comfort with a multi-line phone system and basic office software.
- Strong organization and attention to detail for scheduling and mail handling.
- Reliable attendance, since the desk needs to be covered during business hours.
- Discretion with visitor information and confidential documents.
Nice to have
- Experience with [scheduling software, e.g. Calendly, or an EHR system].
- Bilingual or multilingual communication.
- Prior experience in [industry, e.g. healthcare, legal or hospitality].
- Basic notary or mailroom experience.
What we offer
- [Pay range: e.g. $X–$Y base salary, plus bonus or equity if offered]
- [Health insurance, paid time off, employee discount]
- [Health cover, retirement or pension plan, paid time off, parental leave]
- [Work authorization: whether you can sponsor a visa or hire through an employer of record]
[Our process: a phone screen, an in-person interview at the front desk location, and a brief shadow shift to see the role in action.]
[Your equal opportunity statement, and how candidates can ask for adjustments during the process]
Put the pay range in the ad. Several US states, including California, Colorado, New York and Washington, require it in job postings, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive gives applicants the right to know the starting pay or its range before the interview.
Receptionist duties by seniority
What the job usually looks like at each level. Pitch the ad at one level and say which in the title.
Junior
- Covers the front desk during set hours with a defined checklist.
- Answers and routes calls and greets visitors under supervision.
- Learns office layout, staff directory and basic systems.
Mid-level
- Runs the front desk independently across a full shift or day.
- Handles scheduling conflicts and visitor issues without escalation.
- Trains new front desk staff on procedures.
Senior
- Oversees front desk operations across multiple shifts or locations.
- Owns vendor relationships for office supplies, mail and facilities.
- Writes front desk procedures and handles escalated visitor or security issues.
Receptionist career path
- Receptionist
- Senior Receptionist
- Office Coordinator
- Office Manager
Receptionist is a common first office job, often reached straight from school, retail or hospitality work, since it mainly requires reliability and a professional manner rather than prior office experience. From there people move into administrative, medical front-office or office management roles with broader responsibility.
Similar roles
- Administrative Assistant job description
Broader admin support beyond the front desk, often for a specific team.
- Customer Support Specialist job description
Handles customer issues by phone or chat rather than in-person visitors.
- Office Manager job description
Runs office operations and often supervises the receptionist.
- Medical Assistant job description
Adds clinical support duties in addition to front-office work.
Receptionist job description FAQ
What does a receptionist do?
Greets visitors, answers and routes phone calls, manages scheduling and mail, and keeps the front desk area organized. In many settings they also handle light administrative tasks for other staff.
What skills should a receptionist job description require?
A professional, friendly manner in person and on the phone, comfort with a multi-line phone system and scheduling software, and solid organization. Industry-specific systems like an EHR are better listed as nice-to-have unless required.
Is receptionist an entry-level job?
Usually yes. Most receptionist roles need little prior office experience, though busier or specialized settings like medical offices may prefer candidates with relevant front-office or scheduling experience.