What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Receptionists and Information Clerks in the U.S. earn more than $38,010 a year — the middle 80% land between $28,760 and $49,950. About 910,180 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Receptionists and Information Clerks”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Clerical support workers earn about ₹24,252 a month on average — around ₹2.9 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$38,010typical pay / year
910,180people in this work
$49,950+top 10% earn
₹2.9 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record5
Answer calls on a switchboard
+Answer the incoming hotel line, identify whether the caller is a guest, vendor, or external enquiry, take…
Answer calls on a switchboard
+Answer the incoming hotel line, identify whether the caller is a guest, vendor, or external enquiry, take messages with name, company and callback time if the intended person is unavailable, or transfer urgent maintenance calls directly to the on-call engineer.
The tools that do the workAutomated information systemESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Greet visitors and customers
+Welcome each visitor by name, confirm who they are here to see, offer water or seating, notify the host by…
Greet visitors and customers
+Welcome each visitor by name, confirm who they are here to see, offer water or seating, notify the host by phone or desk message if they arrive early, and log arrival time plus any special access needs before they enter the reception area.
The tools that do the workAutomated information systemjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Answer customer inquiries
+Answer the customer's question about billing or service availability, pull the guest record to confirm…
Answer customer inquiries
+Answer the customer's question about billing or service availability, pull the guest record to confirm details, explain the next steps clearly, and if unresolved, create a ticket for the manager with call notes and urgency level.
The tools that do the workAutomated information systemESCOjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Perform cashier work
+Process the customer's payment at checkout, verify the amount and method, issue a printed or emailed receipt,…
Perform cashier work
+Process the customer's payment at checkout, verify the amount and method, issue a printed or emailed receipt, update the sales log with invoice number, and report any cash discrepancies to the supervisor at shift end.
The tools that do the workIntuit QuickBooksO*NETWikipedia
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Sort and hand out mail
+Collect incoming mail, sort it by department and recipient, place urgent items on the department courier…
Sort and hand out mail
+Collect incoming mail, sort it by department and recipient, place urgent items on the department courier tray, record signed-for deliveries, and hand internal envelopes directly to recipients with a time stamp.
The tools that do the work3M Post-itjob descriptionsWikipedia
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The daily work20
Perform duties, such as taking care of plants or straightening magazines to maintain lobby or reception area.
+Tidy the reception area: water the ficus and succulents, straighten the current magazines and brochure rack,…
Perform duties, such as taking care of plants or straightening magazines to maintain lobby or reception area.
+Tidy the reception area: water the ficus and succulents, straighten the current magazines and brochure rack, wipe the front desk surface, and note any damaged plant or furniture for facilities by 4pm today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
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Calculate and quote rates for tours, stocks, insurance policies, or other products or services.
+Calculate and send a clear quote for the three-day city tour to Mr. Sharma: total per person including taxes…
Calculate and quote rates for tours, stocks, insurance policies, or other products or services.
+Calculate and send a clear quote for the three-day city tour to Mr. Sharma: total per person including taxes and transport, group discount for ten or more, deposit required, and valid until Friday afternoon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Keep a current record of staff members' whereabouts and availability.
+Update the staff whereabouts sheet with today's schedules: mark Jasmin as WFH until 3pm, Rahul on client…
Keep a current record of staff members' whereabouts and availability.
+Update the staff whereabouts sheet with today's schedules: mark Jasmin as WFH until 3pm, Rahul on client visit all day, and show Kavita available at the desk after 1pm; save and notify the manager of any conflicts.
The tools that do the workGoogle DocsO*NET
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Enroll individuals to participate in programs and notify them of their acceptance.
+Enroll Ahmed and Priya into the morning yoga program, record their contact numbers and emergency contact, set…
Enroll individuals to participate in programs and notify them of their acceptance.
+Enroll Ahmed and Priya into the morning yoga program, record their contact numbers and emergency contact, set their status to confirmed, and send acceptance messages with the start date and arrival instructions.
The tools that do the workAppointment schedulingMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Forward calls to appropriate personnel
+Take incoming line and forward calls for the finance team to Rahul when available, otherwise route them to…
Forward calls to appropriate personnel
+Take incoming line and forward calls for the finance team to Rahul when available, otherwise route them to his voicemail with a brief message and flag any urgent caller to the finance director immediately.
The tools that do the workAutomated information systemjob descriptions
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Provide customer support
+Handle the walk-in complaint from Mrs. Fernandez: listen, log the issue with time and details, offer the…
Provide customer support
+Handle the walk-in complaint from Mrs. Fernandez: listen, log the issue with time and details, offer the standard resolution options, escalate to the customer service supervisor if unresolved within 24 hours and confirm follow-up by email or phone.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Wordjob descriptions
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Resolve customer complaints
+Take ownership of the complaint from Mr. Ahmed about room noise, call him within one hour, apologise, explain…
Resolve customer complaints
+Take ownership of the complaint from Mr. Ahmed about room noise, call him within one hour, apologise, explain what went wrong, offer either a complimentary room change tonight or a partial refund, log his decision in the guest complaints log and inform Housekeeping and Duty Manager by message.
The tools that do the workAutomated information systemjob descriptionsO*NET
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File documents
+Collect the signed supplier invoices on the reception desk, check each for date and approval, file them into…
File documents
+Collect the signed supplier invoices on the reception desk, check each for date and approval, file them into the accounts payable folder in date order, scan and save a copy in the department records, and notify Finance by email that the batch is filed.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Keep records
+Update the visitor register with today's entries, reconcile it against the badge log, add any missing contact…
Keep records
+Update the visitor register with today's entries, reconcile it against the badge log, add any missing contact details, save the updated master record in the staff records folder, and send the monthly attendance extract to HR before close of day.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsWikipedia
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File and maintain records.
+Gather last week's patient intake forms, remove duplicates, enter each into the master record with name, DOB…
File and maintain records.
+Gather last week's patient intake forms, remove duplicates, enter each into the master record with name, DOB and file number, replace any damaged originals with scanned copies, and reorganise the cabinet so files are alphabetical and clearly labelled.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
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Collect, sort, distribute, or prepare mail, messages, or courier deliveries.
+Collect incoming courier packages on the loading bay list, sort them to departments, sign for deliveries that…
Collect, sort, distribute, or prepare mail, messages, or courier deliveries.
+Collect incoming courier packages on the loading bay list, sort them to departments, sign for deliveries that require a signature, notify recipients by phone or desk message of parcel arrival, and log any missing or damaged items for Carrier claims.
The tools that do the workAppointment schedulingO*NET
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Manage inventory and place orders
+Check office stationery and cleaning stock against the low-stock list, phone the supplier used last month for…
Manage inventory and place orders
+Check office stationery and cleaning stock against the low-stock list, phone the supplier used last month for delivery lead time and price, place an order that arrives by Thursday and note the expected invoice number.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Notify supervisors of visitor arrivals
+When a visitor signs in at reception, call their supervisor on their desk line and the supervisor’s mobile if…
Notify supervisors of visitor arrivals
+When a visitor signs in at reception, call their supervisor on their desk line and the supervisor’s mobile if no answer, leave a short status note with arrival time on the meeting calendar entry, and wait at reception until they arrive.
The tools that do the workAppointment schedulingjob descriptions
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Answer telephone calls
+Answer incoming lines by name, take caller’s name and company, ask the purpose, transfer urgent calls to the…
Answer telephone calls
+Answer incoming lines by name, take caller’s name and company, ask the purpose, transfer urgent calls to the appropriate extension with a brief handover, and log missed calls with callback times in the call log.
The tools that do the workAutomated information systemWikipedia
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Assist with room reservations and assignments
+Confirm room availability for the requested date, hold the room for 15 minutes while collecting guest name,…
Assist with room reservations and assignments
+Confirm room availability for the requested date, hold the room for 15 minutes while collecting guest name, check-in and check-out times, and update the booking record so facilities know the assignment and set up needs.
The tools that do the workAppointment schedulingWikipedia
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Handle guest registration
+Register arriving guest by recording full name, ID type and number, company, room assigned and expected…
Handle guest registration
+Register arriving guest by recording full name, ID type and number, company, room assigned and expected departure, print and have them sign the registration form, then notify housekeeping of the check-in.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordWikipedia
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Conduct credit checks
+For any guest requesting credit terms, call the credit reference given, verify name and account history,…
Conduct credit checks
+For any guest requesting credit terms, call the credit reference given, verify name and account history, record approval or decline with the referrer’s name, and hold the booking until finance confirms credit within two hours.
The tools that do the workIntuit QuickBooksWikipedia
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Manage key control
+Update the key log to show John Carter returned Building A master key at 14:30 today, note the key condition,…
Manage key control
+Update the key log to show John Carter returned Building A master key at 14:30 today, note the key condition, attach his ID scan, and print a receipt for his signature before you shelve the set in the locked cabinet.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OfficeWikipedia
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Provide mail and message services
+Sort incoming courier parcels, record parcel details and recipient desk in the deliveries register, leave a…
Provide mail and message services
+Sort incoming courier parcels, record parcel details and recipient desk in the deliveries register, leave a signed delivery notice at each recipient’s desk, and call Priya in HR and Mark in Sales to confirm urgent packages for collection.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookWikipedia
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Handle service problem reports
+Log the service complaint from Room 703 about the air conditioning noise, assign ticket to Facilities with…
Handle service problem reports
+Log the service complaint from Room 703 about the air conditioning noise, assign ticket to Facilities with priority High, include caller Ravi’s contact and exact wording, and text him an expected response time of two hours.
The tools that do the workAutomated information systemAppointment schedulingESCO
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Says who?
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The logs, files & records this job keeps
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Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses