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Medical Receptionist: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Designed to equip students with the foundational skills needed to thrive in fast-paced healthcare environments, this program focuses on the administrative and interpersonal aspects of patient support within medical offices and clinical settings. Graduates are prepared to serve as essential frontline staff, ensuring seamless operations through efficient communication, accurate documentation, and professional patient engagement.

  • Medical Terminology: Develops proficiency in the language of healthcare, enabling accurate understanding and communication of medical conditions, procedures, and treatments.
  • Patient Intake and Discharge Procedures: Covers protocols for collecting patient information, verifying insurance, and managing transitions in care with precision and empathy.
  • Healthcare Facility Operations: Explores the structure and daily workflows of medical offices, clinics, and outpatient centers to support effective administrative coordination.
  • Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Data Entry: Provides hands-on training in managing digital patient records, ensuring confidentiality, accuracy, and compliance with health information standards.
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Builds confidence in professional interactions with patients, providers, and staff through active listening, conflict resolution, and clear verbal and written communication.
  • Customer Service in Healthcare Settings: Emphasizes patient-centered service delivery, including managing expectations, handling sensitive situations, and maintaining a welcoming environment.
  • Telephone and Front Desk Etiquette: Teaches professional call handling, message relay, appointment scheduling, and the use of medical office software systems.
  • Compliance and Regulatory Standards: Introduces key laws and guidelines, such as HIPAA, that govern patient privacy, data security, and ethical conduct in healthcare administration.

Medical Receptionist Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

844
Total Graduates (2023-2024)
37
Universities & Colleges
2
Career Pathways

Medical Receptionist Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Medical Receptionist degrees, including First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers and Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 2,326,340 professionals.


National Average Salaries

Occupation Median Salary Salary Range Total Employment Hourly Rate
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 43-1011 $66,140 $43,920 - $102,980 1,495,580 $31.80
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants 43-6013 $44,640 $35,050 - $60,050 830,760 $21.46

Medical Receptionist Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $44,680 in West Virginia to $67,275 in Washington—a 51% difference. The highest-paying states include Washington, District of Columbia, and California. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 2,326,340 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Medical Receptionist by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 36 institutions offering Medical Receptionist programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Medical Receptionist is found at College of Lake County (CLC) (225 graduates), Arkansas State University Three Rivers (ASUTR) (143 graduates), Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) (106 graduates), Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) (39 graduates), and Highline College (25 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 844 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name Award Levels Graduates Location Control Website
College of Lake County (CLC)
Residency
225 Grayslake, Illinois Public clcillinois.edu
Arkansas State University Three Rivers (ASUTR)
Other Award
143 Malvern, Arkansas Public asutr.edu
Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC)
Residency
106 Milwaukee, Wisconsin Public matc.edu
Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC)
Other Award
39 Warner Robins, Georgia Public centralgatech.edu
Highline College
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
25 Des Moines, Washington Public highline.edu
Valley College
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
25 Martinsburg, West Virginia Private valley.edu
Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC)
Other Award
24 Griffin, Georgia Public sctech.edu
Northwest Career College (NCC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
23 Las Vegas, Nevada Private northwestcareercollege.edu
Sinclair Community College
Other Award
21 Dayton, Ohio Public sinclair.edu
Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC)
Residency
21 Appleton, Wisconsin Public fvtc.edu
Henry Ford College (HFC)
Other Award
18 Dearborn, Michigan Public hfcc.edu
Madison Area Technical College
Other Award
14 Madison, Wisconsin Public madisoncollege.edu
Bellevue College (BC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
13 Bellevue, Washington Public bellevuecollege.edu
South Georgia Technical College (SGTC)
Other Award
11 Americus, Georgia Public southgatech.edu
University of Arkansas (UAM)
Other Award
10 Monticello, Arkansas Public uamont.edu
Northwood Technical College (Northwood Tech)
Other Award
10 Rice Lake, Wisconsin Public northwoodtech.edu
Columbia College (CC)
Residency
9 Sonora, California Public gocolumbia.edu
Middlesex Community College (MCC)
Other Award
9 Bedford, Massachusetts Public middlesex.mass.edu
Tacoma Community College (TCC )
Residency
Other Award
9 Tacoma, Washington Public tacomacc.edu
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
Other Award
8 Valdosta, Georgia Public wiregrass.edu
Northcentral Technical College (NTC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Other Award
8 Wausau, Wisconsin Public ntc.edu
Anoka Technical College
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
7 Anoka, Minnesota Public anokatech.edu
The University of Montana (UM)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
7 Missoula, Montana Public umt.edu
Spokane Community College (SCC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
6 Spokane, Washington Public scc.spokane.edu
Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
4 Rapid City, South Dakota Public wdt.edu
Hennepin Technical College (HTC)
Other Award
3 Brooklyn Park, Minnesota Public hennepintech.edu
Saint Paul College
Other Award
3 Saint Paul, Minnesota Public saintpaul.edu
Pierce College District
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
3 Lakewood, Washington Public pierce.ctc.edu
College of Menominee Nation (CMN)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
3 Keshena, Wisconsin Private menominee.edu
Mt Hood Community College (MHCC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Other Award
2 Gresham, Oregon Public mhcc.edu
Edmonds College
Other Award
2 Lynnwood, Washington Public edmonds.edu
Olympic College (OC)
Other Award
2 Bremerton, Washington Public olympic.edu
Southwest Technical College
Other Award
2 Cedar City, Utah Public stech.edu
Lewis-Clark State College (LC State)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
1 Lewiston, Idaho Public lcsc.edu
Illinois Central College (ICC)
Other Award
1 East Peoria, Illinois Public icc.edu
Everett Community College (EvCC)
Other Award
1 Everett, Washington Public everettcc.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Medical Receptionist programs

How much can I earn with a Medical Receptionist degree?

Salaries for Medical Receptionist graduates vary by role and location. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers earn a median of $66,140 annually, while Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants earn around $44,640. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in Washington average $67,275 compared to $44,680 in West Virginia. Approximately 2,326,340 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Medical Receptionist programs?

Currently 37 accredited institutions offer Medical Receptionist degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include College of Lake County (CLC) (225 graduates), Arkansas State University Three Rivers (ASUTR) (143 graduates), and Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) (106 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Medical Receptionist growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 901 in 2010 to 844 in 2023-24. This represents a 6% decrease overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with consistent demand, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Medical Receptionist degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers, Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, . Related occupations employ approximately 2,326,340 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

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