Receptionists and Information Clerks Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for receptionists and information clerkss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $39,460 ≈ $19/hr
National median salary $38,010
Total employment 910,180 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth 0% Slower than average
Annual openings 128,500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 1,007,200 → 1,007,600 (+300)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. District of Columbia$50,450
  2. California$46,100
  3. Washington$45,690
  4. New York$44,840
  5. Alaska$44,820

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Mississippi$32,160
  2. Alabama$32,560
  3. Louisiana$32,800
  4. West Virginia$32,960
  5. Kentucky$33,760
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 District of Columbia $50,450 $49,060 $24 +27.9% 2,000
2 California $46,100 $44,100 $22 +16.8% 82,470
3 Washington $45,690 $44,710 $22 +15.8% 26,500
4 New York $44,840 $43,080 $22 +13.6% 65,010
5 Alaska $44,820 $44,720 $22 +13.6% 1,530
6 Massachusetts $43,950 $43,870 $21 +11.4% 18,970
7 Hawaii $43,430 $41,600 $21 +10.1% 3,510
8 Connecticut $42,960 $40,630 $21 +8.9% 14,980
9 New Jersey $42,950 $41,650 $21 +8.8% 42,060
10 Maine $42,760 $42,440 $21 +8.4% 3,440
11 Colorado $42,380 $42,010 $20 +7.4% 11,020
12 Rhode Island $42,330 $42,620 $20 +7.3% 4,270
13 Oregon $42,040 $40,900 $20 +6.5% 13,590
14 Wisconsin $40,940 $41,150 $20 +3.8% 25,580
15 North Dakota $40,790 $39,530 $20 +3.4% 1,930

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 521 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $49,450 $53,200 8,510
2 Fairbanks-College, AK $47,260 $46,420 160
3 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $47,130 $52,950 3,990
4 Napa, CA $46,850 $48,950 280
5 Barnstable Town, MA $45,820 $45,350 670
6 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $45,820 $47,620 14,260
7 Hanford-Corcoran, CA $45,650 $43,900 180
8 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $45,550 $49,340 1,160
9 Vallejo, CA $45,500 $51,950 720
10 Sheboygan, WI $45,430 $42,010 610

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing receptionists and information clerkss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Postal Service (Federal Government) $67,560 $67,920 290
2 Postal Service (Federal Government) $67,560 $67,920 290
3 Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned $64,270 $58,620 120
4 Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) $56,720 $56,250 620
5 Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations $56,610 $55,830 460
6 Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities $55,280 $52,320 50
7 Rail Transportation $51,230 $53,090 40
8 Rail Transportation $51,230 $53,090 40
9 Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing $50,150 $47,710 60
10 Grain and Oilseed Milling $49,640 $48,530 40
11 Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures $49,420 $46,650
12 Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing $48,080 $43,600 80

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
528,426
$10-20k
212,691
$20-30k
250,006
$30-40k
302,191
$40-50k
177,813
$50-60k
68,762
$60-70k
36,663
$70-80k
15,763
$80-90k
9,578
$90-100k
6,333
$100-110k
2,973
$110-120k
1,677
$120-130k
2,273
$130-140k
2,513
$140-150k
1,716
$150-160k
277
$160-170k
470
$170-180k
274
$180-190k
360
$200k+
2,679

Pay by age band

16-24
$14,846
25-34
$27,043
35-44
$29,842
45-54
$32,553
55-64
$29,930
65+
$16,486

Education level

Regular high school diploma
$24,337
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$22,668
Bachelors Degree
$29,201
Associates Degree
$25,401
Some college, but less than 1 year
$23,716
GED or alternative credential
$20,889
Masters Degree
$30,944
Grade 11
$10,375
12th grade - no diploma
$19,495
Grade 10
$13,504
No schooling completed
$20,992
Grade 9
$11,391
Professional degree
$16,589
Doctorate degree
$39,816
Grade 8
$26,699
Grade 6
$115,323
Grade 5
$31,080
Nursery school, preschool
$29,438
Grade 3
$21,165
Grade 7
$22,918
Grade 4
$20,428
Grade 1
$7,810
Kindergarten
$49,752

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
840,524 · $37,791
Part-time
409,270 · $15,805

Race / ethnicity

White
$24,110
Two or More Races
$24,155
Black
$26,548
Other
$26,342
Asian
$21,068
American Indian
$26,007
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$24,489
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$27,172
Alaska Native
$9,952

Top fields of study

Psychology
$26,061
Business Management And Administration
$32,510
General Business
$25,796
English Language And Literature
$25,731
Sociology
$33,315
Biology
$22,918
Elementary Education
$29,959
Marketing And Marketing Research
$30,613

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Speaking
3.9
Active Listening
3.8
Service Orientation
3.6
Reading Comprehension
3.1
Critical Thinking
3.1
Social Perceptiveness
3.1
Writing
3.0
Coordination
3.0
Monitoring
2.9
Time Management
2.9
Complex Problem Solving
2.8
Active Learning
2.8

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do receptionists and information clerks make in the U.S.?

The median receptionists and information clerks salary in the United States is $38,010 per year (mean $39,460), and about 80% earn between $28,760 and $49,950.

How much do receptionists and information clerks make per hour?

Roughly $19 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $39,460 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays receptionists and information clerks the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for receptionists and information clerks at $50,450 per year (median $49,060).

What is the job outlook for receptionists and information clerks?

Employment is projected to change 0% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 128,500 openings per year.