Receptionists salary in the US
A data-first look at receptionists and information clerks' pay: the median, the thresholds for the top 25% and top 10%, and how earnings vary across the country.
How much do receptionists and information clerks earn?
The typical (median) annual earnings for receptionists and information clerks come to $32,218, which is 39% less than the $52,508 median for all US earners aged 25 and older. Of the 171 occupation groups in our data, just 27 have a lower median. The figures come from 48,540 survey records of people aged 25 and older with earnings in this occupation.
| Position | Annual earnings |
|---|---|
| Top 10% start at | $57,037 |
| Top 25% start at | $43,028 |
| Median (top 50%) | $32,218 |
| Bottom 25% earn below | $18,819 |
How wide is the pay range?
A worker earning $43,028 would already be in the top quarter of receptionists and information clerks; the top 10% begins around $57,037, 1.8 times the midpoint. At the other end, a quarter of receptionists and information clerks earned $18,819 or less, which partly reflects part-time and part-year work — the survey counts everyone with earnings, not only full-time staff. So the distance from the bottom quarter to the middle is a factor of 1.7.
Earnings by age
The age curve is gentle: $31,024 for workers aged 25–34, peaking at $35,534 for those aged 45–54. After the peak, the 65+ group's median falls to $20,573 (42% lower), largely because more older workers cut back their hours.
Men and women
Men's median earnings are $36,549 and women's are $31,528, so women's median is 14% lower. Women account for around 91% of the records behind these figures. The comparison isn't like-for-like on hours or seniority, so read it as a description rather than a pay-equity measure.
| Group | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| Men | $36,549 | 4,568 |
| Women | $31,528 | 43,972 |
Does education change the pay?
Degrees matter less than in many fields: $34,216 with a bachelor's degree versus $24,452 with a professional degree. Most workers surveyed in this job have some college or an associate degree (21,615 records); any level under 100 records is blank in the table.
| Education | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| High school or less | $31,484 | 17,113 |
| Some college / associate | $32,488 | 21,615 |
| Bachelor's | $34,216 | 7,814 |
| Master's | $31,484 | 1,663 |
| Professional degree | $24,452 | 201 |
| Doctorate | $25,033 | 134 |
Where the most work, and what they earn there
The five states with the most receptionists and information clerks in the survey are California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania. The state medians range from $30,456 in Texas up to $35,797 in California. State figures aren't price-adjusted; 47 states have a large enough sample to report.
| State | Median earnings | Survey records |
|---|---|---|
| California | $35,797 | 4,894 |
| Texas | $30,456 | 3,782 |
| Florida | $30,458 | 3,396 |
| New York | $34,121 | 2,995 |
| Pennsylvania | $31,840 | 2,094 |
Occupations with similar pay
Nearby on the pay scale are retail salespersons ($32,743), preschool and kindergarten teachers ($31,484), nursing assistants ($33,198), and first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers ($33,503). The jobs differ in training and working conditions; matching medians just means the typical paycheck is comparable.
| Occupation | Median earnings | vs. this job |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $32,743 | +2% |
| Preschool and Kindergarten Teachers | $31,484 | −2% |
| Nursing Assistants | $33,198 | +3% |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Food Preparation And Serving Workers | $33,503 | +4% |
| Freight and Material Movers | $33,583 | +4% |
About these figures
About the data: the American Community Survey asks people their occupation and earnings; we pool the 2020–2024 responses, convert them to 2024 dollars, and weight each person to represent the population. The 48,540 records for receptionists and information clerks include part-time workers, so these are annual totals rather than full-time salaries.
See where your pay ranks among receptionists and information clerks
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Open the calculatorSource: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) — personal earnings (PERNP) in 2024 dollars, person-weighted
Reference statistics only — not financial advice.