Receptionists and Information Clerks Salary: $37,230 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 964,530 receptionists and information clerks work nationally, and $37,230 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 6% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.8% annual decline.
Receptionists and Information Clerks: what the data shows
Common questions about receptionists and information clerks careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a receptionists and information clerks?
Receptionists and Information Clerks is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-4171.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 964,530 workers.
What does a receptionists and information clerks do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Assisting and Caring for Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a receptionists and information clerks make?
BLS national median annual wage: $37,230 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $45,949 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,856 |
| 25th percentile | $38,246 |
| Median (50th) | $44,294 |
| 75th percentile | $49,115 |
| 90th percentile | $59,699 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Administrative, English Language, Computers and Electronics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is receptionists and information clerks in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.8% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -8.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -16.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 964,530.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do receptionists and information clerkss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 964,530 | 18.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 929,770 | 17.7% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 449,730 | 8.6% |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | 351,360 | 6.7% |
| Offices of Physicians | 164,850 | 3.1% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 109,250 | 2.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Receptionists and Information Clerks in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Airfield Operations Specialists | 16,640 | $56,750 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
| Pest Control Workers | 96,110 | $44,730 |
| Intelligence Analysts | 110,790 | $93,580 |
| Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | 46,920 | $74,690 |
| Registered Nurses | 3,282,010 | $93,600 |
| Security Guards | 1,241,770 | $38,370 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Receptionists and Information Clerks workforce.
Employment Over Time
964,530 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Receptionists and Information Clerks shrank from 428,380 in 2009 to 318,340 in 2025 (25.7%).
Historical employment for Receptionists and Information Clerks from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$37,230 Median pay (BLS national)
Receptionists and Information Clerks earn $37,230 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Salary distribution for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
290,133 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -8.9%
264,426 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -16.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Receptionists and Information Clerks and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Receptionists and Information Clerks employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 81,110 employees, $34,630 avg wage
- CA: 80,400 employees, $44,980 avg wage
- NY: 76,590 employees, $43,430 avg wage
- FL: 70,960 employees, $37,000 avg wage
- NJ: 48,710 employees, $41,270 avg wage
- IL: 39,800 employees, $38,850 avg wage
- PA: 37,080 employees, $36,340 avg wage
- GA: 33,460 employees, $36,920 avg wage
- OH: 30,880 employees, $35,020 avg wage
- WI: 26,880 employees, $39,870 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 89,130 employees, $43,680 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 29,720 employees, $39,720 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 29,090 employees, $43,740 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 23,660 employees, $38,540 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 22,040 employees, $36,600 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 21,730 employees, $39,020 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 19,140 employees, $39,510 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 18,710 employees, $35,240 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 18,600 employees, $40,150 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 17,510 employees, $41,790 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Diversity
Demographic information on Receptionists and Information Clerks in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Receptionists and Information Clerks is about 964,530 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Receptionists and Information Clerks in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Receptionists and Information Clerks workers.
Education level distribution for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Skills
Receptionists and Information Clerks need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness.
Required skills for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Receptionists and Information Clerks include Customer and Personal Service, Administrative, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Receptionists and Information Clerks include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Daily Activities
Receptionists and Information Clerks spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Receptionists and Information Clerks.
About
Receptionists and Information Clerks
Receptionists and Information Clerks earn $37,230 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
43-4171 - Receptionists and Information Clerks
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Receptionists and Information Clerks reports an average salary of $45,949.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 964,530 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.