Receptionist Jobs in Philadelphia, PA
Most receptionist openings in Philadelphia are front desks at hospitals, clinics and Center City offices, and posted pay in the city commonly runs $16 to $22 an hour. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what the job pays, and how to get your first front desk job.
Current receptionist Openings in Philadelphia, PA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Receptionist Work in Philadelphia
In Philadelphia, a large share of front desk work is in healthcare. Penn Medicine calls its receptionists patient services associates, and in September 2026 it listed more than 80 patient services and related front desk openings in the city, at practices such as the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine in University City and its orthopaedic and ENT clinics. Community health centers such as Delaware Valley Community Health hire registration clerks for their neighborhood sites, and Jefferson hires patient access and registration staff for its Philadelphia hospitals.
The rest of the market is office reception: law firms, nonprofits and corporate offices in Center City, many filled first through staffing firms as temp or temp-to-hire jobs. Those desks sit close to the SEPTA L, the B and Regional Rail, which matters for a job that has to open on time every morning.
Top Philadelphia Employers Hiring Receptionists
These employers post receptionist and front desk roles in Philadelphia on their own career sites:
- Penn Medicine - hires patient services associates to check in, schedule and register patients at HUP, the Perelman Center and its specialty practices.
- Jefferson Health - the health system hires patient access and registration representatives for its Philadelphia hospitals and practices.
- Delaware Valley Community Health - the community health center hires registration clerks for its Fairmount Primary Care Center at $18 to $19 an hour, Monday to Friday.
- Robert Half - the staffing firm places receptionists with Philadelphia legal, medical and event clients, often as temp-to-hire.
Receptionist Salaries in Philadelphia
- Entry level: about $15 to $18 an hour for first front desk jobs.
- Experienced: roughly $18 to $21 an hour, the range most hospital and office postings fall in.
- Senior and specialized: $21 to $23 an hour for front desk coordinators and legal or event reception.
These are estimates based on Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry data for the Philadelphia Metropolitan Division, where receptionists average about $18.57 an hour, and on pay posted by local employers and staffing firms. Healthcare desks that handle insurance and collections, bilingual Spanish skills and evening or weekend shifts tend to pay more, and hospital jobs add full benefits.
How to Become a Receptionist in Philadelphia
Pennsylvania has no license for receptionists. Most employers want a high school diploma or GED and some customer service experience, and hospital front desks often ask for one to two years in a medical office or several years in customer service. Community College of Philadelphia's Patient Service Representative Proficiency Certificate, 21 credits over two semesters at the Spring Garden Street main campus, trains you for healthcare front desks and rolls into an associate degree in Health Care Studies. Hospital and clinic jobs also require background clearances.
What the Job Involves
Receptionists are the first person a visitor or patient meets. Daily tasks include greeting and checking in visitors, answering and routing calls, scheduling appointments, verifying insurance and collecting copays at medical desks, handling mail and deliveries, and keeping the waiting area and front desk organized.
Skills Employers Look For
- Friendly, professional manner in person and on the phone
- Multi-line phone and scheduling software
- Epic or another electronic health record for medical desks
- Basic Microsoft Office and data entry accuracy
- Spanish or another second language
- Calm handling of busy or upset visitors
Career Path and Advancement
A front desk job is one of the most common ways into Philadelphia's hospitals and offices. At Penn Medicine and Jefferson, patient services and patient access staff can move up to coordinator and supervisor roles or into scheduling and billing. In offices, receptionists often step up to administrative assistant and then executive assistant within a few years.
Related Careers in Philadelphia
If front desk work interests you, these related Philadelphia roles are close matches:
- Administrative Assistant Jobs
- Customer Service Representative Jobs
- Medical Assistant Jobs
- Executive Assistant Jobs
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a receptionist in Philadelphia?
No. Pennsylvania does not license receptionists. Employers set their own requirements, and hospital and clinic desks add background checks and clearances.
How much do receptionists make in Philadelphia?
State data puts the metro average near $18.57 an hour. Posted pay in the city commonly runs $16 to $22 an hour, with coordinator and specialized desks at the top of that range.
What is a patient services associate?
It is Penn Medicine's title for a medical front desk receptionist. The job covers check-in and check-out, scheduling, insurance verification and copay collection in Epic, and Penn usually asks for medical office or customer service experience.
Is there receptionist training in Philadelphia?
Yes. Community College of Philadelphia offers a Patient Service Representative Proficiency Certificate for healthcare front desks. The City College for Municipal Employment also offers free training for City of Philadelphia clerk and medical clerk jobs to residents 18 and older with a high school diploma.
Can I find part-time receptionist work in Philadelphia?
Yes. Penn Medicine posts some part-time patient services roles, and staffing firms fill short-term and event reception assignments around the city.
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