National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0

• 1 - Business, finance and administration occupations
• 14 - Administrative and financial support and supply chain logistics occupations
• 141 - Office, court, and data support occupations
• 1410 - Office support and court services occupations

14101 - Receptionists

Receptionists greet people arriving at offices, hospitals and other establishments, direct visitors to appropriate person or service, answer and forward telephone calls, take messages, schedule appointments and perform other clerical duties. They are employed by hospitals, medical and dental offices and other offices throughout the public and private sectors. Telephone operators are included in this group.

• Illustrative example(s)

  • answering service operator
  • appointment clerk
  • business receptionist
  • dental receptionist
  • hospital admitting clerk
  • medical receptionist
  • office reception clerk
  • receptionist
  • switchboard operator
  • telephone operator
  • telephone service assistant
  • telereceptionist
  • toll operator

  All examples

• Inclusion(s)

  • mail and message distribution clerk
  • medical office assistant

• Exclusion(s)

  • 911 dispatcher (See 14404 Dispatchers)
  • Hotel front desk clerks (See 64314 Hotel front desk clerks)
  • Other customer and information services representatives (See 64409 Other customer and information services representatives)
  • Supervisors, general office and administrative support workers (See 12010 Supervisors, general office and administrative support workers)

• Main duties

  This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  Receptionists

  • Greet people coming into offices and other establishments, direct them to the appropriate contacts or services, provide general information in person and by phone, and may perform clerical duties and maintain front desk security and security access lists
  • Schedule appointments, using manual or computerized systems
  • Record bookings, handle credit card checks, receive payment, issue receipts.

  Hospital admitting clerks

  • Interview patients to obtain and process information required to provide hospital and medical services
  • Greet patients, schedule appointments, using manual or computerized systems, receive and record payment for services, and direct patients to appropriate areas.

  Switchboard and answering service operators

  • Operate a telephone system or switchboard to answer, screen and forward telephone calls, take messages and provide information as required, and may perform clerical duties
  • Answer telephones and record and relay messages.

  Telephone operators

  • Operate telephone systems to advance and complete customers' telephone calls such as long distance, pay telephone, mobile radio/telephone and person to person calls, arrange teleconferences, provide relay phone service to persons with disabilities, and may calculate and record billing information.

• Employment requirements

  • Completion of secondary school is usually required.
  • On-the-job training may be provided.

• Additional information

  • Some receptionists are required to be bilingual or multilingual to perform their duties.
  • Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.