Receptionist job description template

What a receptionist does

The receptionist creates the first impression of your business, whether that's a law firm lobby, a dental office, or a busy software company. Good receptionists stay warm and organized while the phone rings, a delivery arrives, and a visitor needs directions all at the same time. Tell candidates which setting they'll work in and how much of the day is phones, visitors, and admin work.

Receptionist job description template

Copy the description, replace everything in [brackets], and cut any line that isn't true for your job. The duties and requirements are a starting point written by HR practitioners, not a legal standard, so edit them to match the real work.

Receptionist

Details
- Department: [Department]
- Reports to: [Manager title]
- Location: [City, State, or remote]
- Employment type: [Full-time, part-time, or seasonal]
- FLSA status: Nonexempt
- Pay range: [$X to $Y per hour]

About [Company]
[Two or three sentences about what your company does, who it serves, and why people like working here.]

Job summary
We're hiring a receptionist to welcome visitors, answer and route calls, and keep our front office running smoothly and professionally.

What you'll do
- Greet visitors, check them in, and notify the right employee.
- Answer and route phone calls, take messages, and respond to general inquiries.
- Manage deliveries, mail, and courier pickups.
- Schedule appointments and maintain the reception calendar.
- Keep the lobby and reception area clean and presentable.
- Issue visitor badges and follow building security procedures.
- Support the team with data entry, filing, and scanning.
- Order and stock kitchen and office supplies.

What you'll need
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Friendly, professional phone and in-person manner.
- Comfort with phone systems, email, and scheduling software.
- Reliable attendance and punctuality.

Nice to have
- Previous reception or customer service experience.
- Bilingual skills.
- Experience in a [medical, legal, or corporate] office.

Skills
Professional presence, Phone etiquette, Multitasking, Organization, Discretion, Problem solving.

Physical demands and work environment
Office lobby. Mostly seated, with occasional walking and lifting packages up to 25 pounds.

Pay and benefits
[$X to $Y per hour], based on experience and location. [List benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plan match, paid time off, and training.]

Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, contact [name] at [email or phone].

How to customize it for your job

• Name the setting, such as a medical office or corporate lobby.
• Say who covers the desk during breaks.
• List office hours and whether there's any evening coverage.
• Mention dress code if there is one.

Then check it against the HRTally job description standard, our 10-point checklist, and run it through the inclusive language swap list. Both take about five minutes.

How much to pay a receptionist

Half of US receptionists and information clerks earned more than $18.27 an hour in May 2025, and half earned less, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That national figure is a starting point, not a pay range. Pay for the same job can differ by 30 percent or more between metro areas, so check the BLS occupation profile for state and metro data before you set your range.

For hourly roles, the legal floor matters as much as the market rate. Check the current rate where the job is based in our minimum wage by state table, and the state's overtime and break rules in our state labor law library.

To convert between hourly and annual pay, use our salary to hourly calculator. If you hire in a state or city with a pay transparency law, the range must appear in the posting itself. Our pay transparency laws guide lists where, and our guide to salary bands explains how to set ranges you can defend.

Exempt status, licenses, and legal notes

FLSA status: Nonexempt (overtime eligible). Job titles don't decide overtime eligibility. Duties and pay do. Our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees walks through each test, and the overtime calculator shows what a nonexempt employee is owed.

Receptionists are nonexempt and must be paid overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek. In healthcare settings, receptionists handle protected health information and need HIPAA training. Many states and cities require meal and rest breaks, so plan who covers the desk when the receptionist takes a break, because time spent covering the phones while eating is generally paid work time.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

Interview questions to ask

Ask every candidate the same core questions and score answers against the same criteria. Structured interviews are fairer and predict job performance better than open conversation.

1. How would you handle a visitor who arrives angry while you're on a call?
2. Tell me about a time you had to juggle several tasks at once.
3. What makes a phone greeting professional?
4. How do you handle a caller who won't say why they're calling?

When you're ready to schedule, use our interview invitation email template. For a full hiring process, read the recruitment process guide.

Frequently asked questions