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Medical Receptionist Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

Last updated September 11, 2026
Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
Last updated September 11, 2026
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Guide helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
8 min read

A medical receptionist, or medical front desk clerk, interacts with patients and performs clerical tasks in healthcare settings.

In this article, we explore how to build a competitive job description for this role, featuring key duties such as scheduling appointments, explaining intake forms and processing patient payments and insurance claims.

Related Content

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Medical receptionist duties and responsibilities

Medical receptionist working at the front desk of a doctor's office Text reads:

Medical receptionists are often the first and last person patients speak to when they visit a private practice, clinic or imaging center. Consequently, they typically have customer service responsibilities and clerical duties to perform daily. 

Common duties include:

  • Greeting patients and visitors upon arrival, directing them to the appropriate provider or waiting area and notifying providers of patient arrivals
  • Managing multi-line phone systems to answer inquiries about practice hours, insurance policies and general office information
  • Scheduling appointments according to provider availability and patient needs
  • Providing intake forms and explaining how to complete them
  • Retrieving, updating and organizing patient records
  • Keeping the reception area and waiting room tidy, comfortable and well organized
  • Verifying financial records, collecting copays and processing insurance claims to support timely reimbursement
  • Managing office inventory by monitoring stock levels and placing orders to prevent service interruptions

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Medical Receptionist Job Description Examples

Example 1

Job title: Medical Receptionist/Billing Liaison

Reports to:Office Manager

Summary of Responsibilities
Position requires good understanding of ophthalmic practice and patient care. Ability to communicate with patients, coworkers and supervisor is critical. Must be willing to take initiative and be a team player.

This job is ideally suited for someone who has in interest in future leadership positions and is interested in learning the check in, check out, and being familiar with billing process. (Third party biller completes actual billing).

List of Responsibilities/Duties

  • Check in patients, confirm ID and insurance
  • Handle phone calls, make appointments
  • Check out patients, collect co-pays, remaining balances
  • Coordinate with third party biller if there are outstanding questions
  • Attends required meetings.

Minimum Education Requirements

  • High school diploma or GED.

Minimum Background Requirements

  • Previous experience or training in this or similar position.
  • Prior experience in medical billing and/or as an ophthalmic technician preferred

Minimum Demonstrated Skills

  • Motivated to learn and be part of a growing medical clinic
  • Displays consistent professionalism.
  • Is energetic and empathetic with patients.
  • Consistently displays positive rapport with fellow employees.
  • Cooperates with supervisory staff and physicians.
  • Demonstrates flexibility in job assignment.
  • Seeks and/or maintains certification.
  • Experience with electronic medical records (EMR).
  • Ability to learn EMR systems quickly and efficiently.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that reasonable accommodations be made for qualified individuals to help perform the required duties and tasks of the position. Please let us know at the time you apply for a position if you will need any special accommodations.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $21.00 - $25.00 per hour based on experience.

Medical Specialty:

  • Ophthalmology

Schedule:

  • Day shift (usually arrive by 8am and leave before 5pm.
  • Monday to Friday (Most staff work 4 full days)

Education:

  • High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience:

  • Ophthalmology: 1 year (Preferred)
  • Optical: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location:

  • One location (Libertyville, IL)

Work Remotely:

  • No

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $21.00 - $25.00 per hour

Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • Dental insurance
  • Flexible schedule
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
Healthcare setting:
  • Outpatient
Medical specialties:
  • Ophthalmology
Schedule:
  • 10 hour shift
  • 8 hour shift
  • Monday to Friday



Education:
  • High school or equivalent (Preferred)

Experience:
  • Ophthalmology Experience: 2 years Location: In person

Example 2

Full-time position

Monday through Friday 8:30-5pm

Single-physician gynecologic surgery practice located in Stamford, CT. We provide high quality and compassionate care for women. We are seeking a Medical Receptionist/Front Desk who desires a long-term position. We are seeking a team-player who is reliable and passionate about delivering the highest quality care.

  • Assist with other clinical and clerical duties to ensure optimization of patient experience within the practice.
  • Welcomes patients by greeting them, in person or on the telephone; answering or referring inquiries.

Scheduling patient appointments and verifying insurance eligibility and obtains prior authorizations

 Handle phone calls and messages for prescriptions, employment/disability forms, etc.

  • Maintains patient confidentiality and protects operations by keeping patient care information confidential.

Assists Surgical Scheduler with obtaining prior auths, maintaining surgical schedule

 Serves and protects the physician or health care provider practice by adhering to professional standards, policies and procedures, federal, state, and local requirements.
  • Maintains knowledge in area of medical terminology.
  • Maintain open lines of communication with staff, physicians, and others.
  • Ensure ongoing commitment of excellent customer service and supports the customer service plan.
  • Required Skills
  • High School Diploma or equivalent.
  • Two years job experience preferred.
  • Demonstrate basic computer skills.
  • Demonstrate willingness to work in a team environment.
  • Demonstrate flexibility due to unexpected changes in workload.
  • Demonstrate ability to work independently and as a team player.
  • Strong organizational skills.
  • Superior customer service skills.
  • Effective communication skills, both verbal and written English proficiency required


Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $19.00 - $24.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
Healthcare setting:
  • Private practice
Medical specialties:
  • Ob/Gyn
  • Surgery
Schedule:
  • Day shift



Education:
  • High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience:
  • Customer service: 1 year (Preferred)
  • Medical terminology: 1 year (Preferred)
  • Computer skills: 2 years Location: In person

Example 3

Looking for a reliable, professional and efficient medical assistant/secretary for a high volume physical therapy rehabilitation private practice. We work with all insurances including No fault and Workers Compensation.

MUST speak Spanish and English

Responsibilities include:
  • managing front desk & answering phones; high office call volume
  • verifying insurance eligibility
  • registering patients
  • preparing charts
  • scheduling appointments
  • handling Prior Auths and MRI approvals during the work day
  • assisting physical therapist and physicians as needed

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $16.00 - $19.00 per hour

Expected hours: 15 – 25 per week

Benefits:
  • Paid time off
Healthcare setting:
  • Outpatient
  • Private practice
Medical specialties:
  • Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine
Schedule:
  • Monday to Friday
  • Weekends as needed



Experience:
  • Medical office management: 5 years (Preferred)

Language:
  • Spanish Location: In person

Example 4

A career at Sono Bello means being part of a dynamic and high energy work environment, where each one of our team members can make a difference. We love what we do, and it shows, we are the national leader in providing cutting edge, personalized body transformations. We believe everyone deserves to have their best body today and pursue their best life now.

  • No work on Holidays or night shifts so you can have a normal/regular life balance
  • Work in happy medicine ; treating patients who are excited about improving their lives
  • An opportunity to work in the growing fast paced world of aesthetics
  • A small practice feel, with big company support

Key Responsibilities:

  • Customer Service/Administration
  • Greet all patients, and offer beverage
  • Check patients in and make sure schedule reflects appointment status
  • Check patients out and schedule next appointment
  • Maintain accountability for the schedule book
  • Introduce visitors to the appropriate personnel that will assist with their concerns
  • Conduct confirmation calls for appointments
  • Pull next day s patient charts and organize per scheduled appointment time
  • Prepare new patient charts
  • Maintain inventory of all front office supplies
  • Check email and forward to the appropriate staff member
  • Organize and maintain file system
  • Keep Font Desk and Lobby area clean
  • Billing
  • Process payments
  • Print daily close out reports on scheduling system and review for accuracy.
  • Fill deposit slips for all received cash and checks

Physical Demands:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • Use of the telephone, computer and other related instruments or devices
  • Vision and hearing acuity
  • Standing and walking for periods of time
  • Ability to lift up to 25 pounds

Key Skills/Qualifications:

  • Must be familiar with MS Office, including Excel
  • Ability to write routine reports and correspondence
  • Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization
  • Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide
  • Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form
  • Ability to problem solve

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $19.00 per hour

Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Dental insurance
  • Employee assistance program
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Vision insurance
Schedule:
  • 8 hour shift
  • Monday to Friday
  • Weekend availability



Ability to commute/relocate:
  • Harrison, NY 10528: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Application Question(s):
  • How many years of Microsoft Office experience do you have
  • What is your salary expectation

Experience:
  • Customer service: 1 year Location: In person

Example 5

Medical Receptionist / Patient Care Coordinator - Remote
Job Summary

Village Eyecare is seeking a part-time Patient Care Coordinator for our Chicago, Illinois locations. To apply for this position, please submit your application via this link: [website] and select the Medical Receptionist (Chicago, Illinois) position from the Job Opening drop-down menu.

Responsibilities include answering the phones, scheduling and confirming appointments as well as locating and authorizing insurance benefits. We are seeking an energetic candidate capable of multi-tasking and providing excellent customer service to all of our patients. Experience is preferred but willing to train for the right candidate.

We are a multi-location private practice specializing in superior patient care, high end and independent eye wear lines and specialty contact lenses. We offer an positive and team-motivated environment, as well as a competitive compensation package, with benefits including: medical, dental, vision, life, long term disability, paid training, paid holidays, paid time off, and 401(k).

Must be able to work Saturday and Sunday, 10AM-4PM.

To apply for this position, please submit your application via this link: [website] and select the Medical Receptionist (Chicago, Illinois) position from the Job Opening drop-down menu.

For more information about our company, please visit our web site at [website] We are an equal opportunity employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $18.00 per hour

Benefits:
  • Dental insurance
  • Employee discount
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Vision insurance
Schedule:
  • Weekends only

Ability to commute/relocate:
  • Chicago, IL 60612: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Education:
  • High school or equivalent Location: One location

Example 6

JOB Description JOB TITLE: Bilingual Medical Receptionist Full-time, Non-Exempt DATE: Open Immediately Position Summary: The Medical Receptionist is responsible for: . Checking patients in/out Collecting copayments and outstanding balances Confirming proper documentation is in patient charts Duties AND Responsibilities Greets and directs all patients within the practice Verify and update patient demographic and insurance information at each visit. Scanning pertinent patient information into EMR including insurance cards, picture ids and medical records. Obtaining patient authorization for medical records release (HIPAA compliance). Schedules any necessary appointments after completion of patient visit. Complete appointment confirmation calls for unconfirmed patients at 24 hours prior. Collect copays and past due balances on patient accounts. Assist with maintaining office cleanliness. . Call and reschedule cancellations and no-shows (after collection no-show fee) . Completing end of day task and email to biller Other duties as assigned. Education & Experience Minimum of a High School diploma. At least one-year relevant experience and/or training. EMR experience required, Practice Fusion preferred. Qualifications & Requirements: Strong organizational skills. Strong multi-tasking skills. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to work independently on assigned tasks as well as accept direction on given assignments. Able to work collectively with administration and staff. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer Job Type: Full-time Pay: $14.50 - $15.50 per hour Benefits:
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off Schedule:
  • 8 hour shift
  • Day shift
  • Monday to Friday
  • No weekends Application Question(s):
  • Are you able to travel to Orlando every other Wednesday, as required by the position? Education:
  • High school or equivalent (Preferred) Experience:
  • Customer service: 1 year (Preferred)
  • Medical office: 1 year (Preferred)
  • Computer skills: 1 year Location: One location

Example 7

JOB Description JOB TITLE: Bilingual Medical Receptionist Full-time, Non-Exempt DATE: Open Immediately Position Summary: The Medical Receptionist is responsible for: . Checking patients in/out Collecting copayments and outstanding balances Confirming proper documentation is in patient charts Duties AND Responsibilities Greets and directs all patients within the practice Verify and update patient demographic and insurance information at each visit. Scanning pertinent patient information into EMR including insurance cards, picture ids and medical records. Obtaining patient authorization for medical records release (HIPAA compliance). Schedules any necessary appointments after completion of patient visit. Complete appointment confirmation calls for unconfirmed patients at 24 hours prior. Collect copays and past due balances on patient accounts. Assist with maintaining office cleanliness. . Call and reschedule cancellations and no-shows (after collection no-show fee) . Completing end of day task and email to biller Other duties as assigned. Education & Experience Minimum of a High School diploma. At least one-year relevant experience and/or training. EMR experience required, Practice Fusion preferred. Qualifications & Requirements: Strong organizational skills. Strong multi-tasking skills. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to work independently on assigned tasks as well as accept direction on given assignments. Able to work collectively with administration and staff. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer Job Type: Full-time Pay: $14.50 - $15.50 per hour Benefits:
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off Schedule:
  • 8 hour shift
  • Day shift
  • Monday to Friday
  • No weekends Application Question(s):
  • Are you able to travel to Orlando every other Wednesday, as required by the position? Education:
  • High school or equivalent (Preferred) Experience:
  • Customer service: 1 year (Preferred)
  • Medical office: 1 year (Preferred)
  • Computer skills: 1 year Location: One location

Example 8

Who are we? At Avance Care, we are in the business of improving the standard of healthcare. For us, that means doing everything we can to keep our patients at the center. As an innovative primary care provider, we offer convenient, accessible, cost-effective health care services, generating industry-leading patient satisfaction ratings, quality of care, and efficiency. Welcome to a new kind of care! Role Description Our Medical Receptionists act as a liaison between the physicians and patients by working directly with the provider to deliver high-quality, compassionate customer service and clinical care. Core Responsibilities
  • Meet, greet, and assist patients promptly, efficiently, and in a professional manner
  • Set up new patients and update current patients' information in the EMR system
  • Schedule and reschedule appointments, as well as coordinate walk-in patients
  • Answer phone calls and LiveChats promptly and relay messages when necessary
  • Maintain the front desk and reception area in an organized, orderly fashion
  • Collect co-payments, deductibles, and co-insurances
  • Process referrals and provide complete and accurate referral information to our patients
  • Balance cash register and ensure all credit payments are accurate
  • Explain fees, services, and policies
  • Other duties as necessary Qualifications
  • 1-2 years of Medical Administration experience, preferred
  • High school diploma or equivalent, required
  • Associates degree, preferred
  • Medical and/or administration certifications, preferred What are we looking for?
  • Excellent verbal and written communication
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality
  • Strong computer skills
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Team player
  • Efficient time management and workload prioritization
  • Strong multitasking skills
  • Basic understanding of common medical terminology Schedule
  • 12 hour rotating shifts with alternating weekend work
  • Monday-Friday: 7:30am-7:00pm, Saturday-Sunday: 9:00am-3:00pm Job Type: Full-time Pay: From $16.00 per hour Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • Dental insurance
  • Disability insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Vision insurance Schedule:
  • 12 hour shift
  • Rotating Location: One location

Example 9

YOON Dermatology Medical Receptionist Company Overview Yoon Dermatology is a privately owned Dermatology and Mohs Surgery practice. Mohs Surgeon, Dr. Jae Yoon, has been in practice over 15 years and performed over 30,000 surgical procedures related to skin cancer. Dr. Yoon is a Board Certified Dermatologist and a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and American College of Mohs Surgery. Yoon Dermatology currently services two locations, Wentzville, MO and Fenton, MO, with plans for continued growth. Job Overview We are seeking candidates with medical office experience who can provide friendly and professional check-in service for patients. Candidates should be compassionate, able to multi-task, and possess strong communication skills. Key Responsibilities Greet and check-in patients Accurately enter patient demographic and insurance information Collect copays and patient balances Answer phones, take messages, transfer calls Schedule appointments and call out to patients as needed Verify patient insurance authorizations / PCP referrals have been acquired Process incoming / outgoing faxes and medical record requests Reconcile daily payment transactions Safeguard patient privacy and confidentiality Coordinate with other departments to maximize workflow efficiencies Perform all duties within HIPPA regulations Other Responsibilities Maintain cleanliness of front office and other clinic areas Any additional tasks related to clinic productivity and wellness of operations Qualifications/Skills At least 1 year work experience in a medical office environment Strong customer service and communication skills Attention to detail and ability to work in a fast-paced environment Familiarity with multi-line phone systems Able to work productively within a team Proficient with Microsoft applications Previous experience with EMR systems a plus, but not required Must be able to commute to both Wentzville, MO and Fenton, MO clinic locations Schedule Monday Friday Benefits (Full Time Employees) Health Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance Life Insurance Paid Time Off 401k Job Type: Full-time Pay: From $16.00 per hour Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • Dental insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Vision insurance Schedule:
  • Monday to Friday Application Question(s):
  • Can you reliably commute to both Wentzville, MO and Fenton, MO clinic locations? Experience:
  • Medical office: 1 year Location: One location
Our mission

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Read our editorial guidelines
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What does a medical receptionist do?

Medical receptionists contribute to practice operations by managing administrative workflows. They often coordinate complex schedules for clinical teams, including physicians and nurse practitioners, to support provider availability and patient flow.

Customer service skills help receptionists create a welcoming experience and give patients clear instructions. They also support billing workflows by collecting copays, verifying information and submitting insurance claims promptly.

Medical receptionist skills and qualifications

Strong candidates often demonstrate interpersonal, communication and customer service skills, which can lead to success in this role. Time management and organization are also valuable competencies that set top candidates apart.

Other key skills required for the job may include:

  • Basic knowledge of medical terms relevant to patient scheduling and billing
  • Proficiency with multi-line Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems and professional digital communication platforms
  • Data entry skills and attention to detail to maintain the integrity of patient schedules, billing information and health records
  • Experience setting appointments with scheduling and practice management software
  • Ability to access and update patient records with electronic health record (EHR) software
  • Familiarity with insurance coding systems and medical billing software
  • Arithmetic and computer skills for processing payments with practice management or point-of-sale (POS) systems

Medical receptionist experience requirements

To take a skills-first hiring approach, consider what transferable skills candidates may bring to your open position based on their previous work history. For example, former unit clerks, medical office assistants and medical secretaries may already be familiar with many of the software systems your practice uses.

Experience in other healthcare clerical roles may also help prepare candidates to succeed in your open position. Examples of such jobs include medical records clerk, billing specialist, medical transcriptionist and medical coder.

Medical receptionist education and training requirements

There are generally no formal education requirements for medical receptionists. You may want to prioritize scheduling, customer service, records management and billing skills based on the needs of your practice. 

To support a safe environment and provide reassurance for staff and patients, employers may value the following training and credentials:

Voluntary credentials can indicate that a candidate completed related coursework or passed an exam. Relevant National Healthcareer Association certifications include:

Medical receptionist salary expectations

Compensation for a medical receptionist varies based on experience, company size, location and industry. Find current salary data for medical receptionist roles on Indeed Salaries to help benchmark competitive pay.

Medical receptionist salary expectations

2026-09-019.6018.9030.85HOURLY
  • Common salary: 18.90 HOURLY
  • Typical salaries range from 9.60 - 30.85 HOURLY
  • Find more information on Indeed Salaries

*Indeed data – 2026-09-01

Job description samples for similar positions

If this isn’t an exact match for your open position, determine if these related job descriptions are a better fit for your needs:

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Medical receptionist job description FAQs

Three individuals are sitting at a table with a laptop, a disposable coffee cup, notebooks, and a phone visible. Two are facing each other, while the third’s back is to the camera. The setting appears to be a bright room with large windows.

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