Receptionists and Information Clerks Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 43-4171 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$38,002
$18.27/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Receptionists and Information Clerks salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$29K
P25$34K
P50$38K
P75$45K
P90$50K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.4% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $38,002 to $45,136 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Receptionists and Information Clerks pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 2.1% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
the broader market is running a 4.4% job-openings rate with quits at 2.0% (BLS JOLTS).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 1.7 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: national wages rose 3.2% over the year while CPI reached 3.5%, the first negative real-wage reading since 2022. Benefit costs accelerated to 3.8%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
The national median salary for Receptionists and Information Clerks is $38,002 per year ($18.27/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $33,966 and $45,136 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $49,941 per year. There are approximately 910,180 receptionists and information clerks employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Answer inquiries and provide information to the general public, customers, visitors, and other interested parties regarding activities conducted at establishment and location of departments, offices, and employees within the organization.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+0.0%
Little or no change
Annual openings
129K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
1.0M
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
135K
$39,550
Offices of Dentists
NAICS 621200
70K
$46,500
Personal Care Services
NAICS 812100
70K
$34,470
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
NAICS 713900
64K
$31,600
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
60K
$38,060
Wage range across top 5 industries: $31,600 to $46,500 (47% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.83
$28,766
P25
$16.33
$33,966
P50MEDIAN
$18.27
$38,002
P75
$21.70
$45,136
P90
$24.01
$49,941
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market stayed steady in June: job openings were little changed at 7.4M (rate 4.4%), hires held at 5.3M, and total separations changed little at 5.4M. Quits were 3.2M (rate 2.0%). Openings rose in transportation, warehousing & utilities (+97K) and fell in wholesale trade (-74K).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average receptionists and information clerks salary?
The national median salary for Receptionists and Information Clerks is $38,002 per year ($18.27/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $33,966 and $45,136 annually.
How much do top-earning receptionists and information clerks make?
The 90th percentile salary for Receptionists and Information Clerks is $49,941 per year ($24.01/hr). The 75th percentile is $45,136 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for receptionists and information clerks?
Entry-level Receptionists and Information Clerks (10th percentile) earn approximately $28,766 per year ($13.83/hr). The 25th percentile is $33,966 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
