Receptionists and Information Clerks pay in the United States

Goes furthest in District of Columbia
·Office and Administrative Support·
910k jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$18.27/hr median
910,180 employed
-2% to 2035
53% AI exposure
High school diploma or equivalent
54 states reported
and more...

What this work is

Answer inquiries and provide information to the general public, customers, visitors, and other interested parties regarding activities conducted at establishment and location of departments, offices, and employees within the organization.

Where the money actually goes furthest

District of Columbia pays the most both before and after cost of living — $49,060, worth $44,640 once local prices are counted.

Pay by state

54 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Receptionists and Information Clerks by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
District of Columbia$23.59/hr$49,060$44,640$47,1922,000
North Dakota$19.00/hr$39,530$44,435$39,5301,930
Maine$20.41/hr$42,440$43,730$40,8153,440
Wisconsin$19.78/hr$41,150$43,730$40,05325,580
Alaska$21.50/hr$44,720$43,688$44,7201,530
South Dakota$18.40/hr$38,280$43,210$38,2805,760
Iowa$17.95/hr$37,330$42,536$36,4664,660
Nebraska$18.20/hr$37,860$42,019$36,7836,750
Washington$21.49/hr$44,710$41,781$44,71026,500
Rhode Island$20.49/hr$42,620$41,669$41,4174,270
Massachusetts$21.09/hr$43,870$41,480$41,67618,970
Colorado$20.20/hr$42,010$40,766$40,84511,020
Wyoming$18.02/hr$37,480$40,435$37,4801,540
Arkansas$16.75/hr$34,840$40,073$33,65810,870
Kansas$17.33/hr$36,050$40,024$34,3267,290
New York$20.71/hr$43,080$39,918$41,31565,010
California$21.20/hr$44,100$39,830$43,17582,470
Oregon$19.66/hr$40,900$39,570$37,86213,590
Montana$17.96/hr$37,360$39,471$36,2701,280
Missouri$17.18/hr$35,740$39,352$34,91718,890
Oklahoma$16.61/hr$34,560$39,344$33,4089,380
Connecticut$19.53/hr$40,630$39,214$39,05114,980
Vermont$18.45/hr$38,370$39,169$37,3191,160
Michigan$18.02/hr$37,470$38,942$36,11525,230
Indiana$17.39/hr$36,160$38,744$35,10517,360
Ohio$17.27/hr$35,920$38,719$35,64830,850
Idaho$17.70/hr$36,810$38,548$35,6325,340
Arizona$18.62/hr$38,730$38,468$38,12623,220
New Jersey$20.02/hr$41,650$38,277$40,84142,060
New Mexico$16.89/hr$35,140$38,108$34,5045,650
Minnesota$18.04/hr$37,510$38,034$36,28211,800
Tennessee$16.79/hr$34,910$37,999$34,91011,460
South Carolina$17.07/hr$35,510$37,877$34,89011,280
Hawaii$20.00/hr$41,600$37,835$39,8383,510
Pennsylvania$17.70/hr$36,810$37,726$35,67937,830
North Carolina$17.04/hr$35,440$37,570$34,47520,080
Georgia$17.36/hr$36,100$37,490$34,84926,080
Illinois$17.98/hr$37,400$37,414$35,68640,370
Utah$17.77/hr$36,960$37,386$35,27812,020
Louisiana$15.75/hr$32,750$37,127$32,14212,820
Nevada$17.81/hr$37,050$37,057$37,05010,650
Alabama$15.67/hr$32,590$36,692$31,15010,460
Virginia$17.82/hr$37,060$36,656$35,67523,360
New Hampshire$18.34/hr$38,160$36,632$38,1605,320
Kentucky$15.84/hr$32,940$36,535$31,7489,290
Delaware$17.46/hr$36,310$36,379$34,8612,880
Maryland$18.32/hr$38,100$36,299$36,47118,390
Texas$16.93/hr$35,210$36,276$35,21078,330
Mississippi$14.98/hr$31,160$35,836$29,8906,920
West Virginia$15.34/hr$31,920$35,664$31,0235,470
Florida$17.70/hr$36,810$35,596$36,81063,280
Virgin Islands$16.65/hr$34,630Not publishedNot published120
Guam$11.20/hr$23,290Not publishedNot published210
Puerto Rico$11.01/hr$22,890Not publishedNot published4,030

National median for comparison: $38,010. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$38,010/year

$18.27/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$21,720$57,760

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

53%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

Both methods agree closely.

Method 1 — ability mix53%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content52%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by -2% between 2025 and 2035, with about 105,100 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments.
  • Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations.
  • Receive payment and record receipts for services.
  • Schedule appointments and maintain and update appointment calendars.
  • Analyze data to determine answers to questions from customers or members of the public.
  • Calculate and quote rates for tours, stocks, insurance policies, or other products or services.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where receptionists and information clerks move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Centre for Ageing Better.