How to Become a Receptionist in the UK
Receptionists are the first person visitors, clients and patients meet. You greet people and sign them in, answer and transfer calls, manage appointments and room bookings, handle post and deliveries, take payments in some settings and keep the front desk running smoothly. Receptionists work in offices, GP surgeries and dental practices, hotels, gyms, salons, schools, law firms and car dealerships, and each setting has its own systems and pace.
No degree or formal qualification is needed. Employers look for a friendly, professional manner, clear phone and email skills, confidence with computers and the ability to stay calm when the desk is busy. Customer service experience from retail, hospitality or call centres is the usual starting point.
Quick facts
- Starting salary
- £21,000 - £23,000
- Mid-career salary
- £24,000 - £28,000
- Senior salary
- £30,000 - £35,000+
- Work environment
- Based at a front desk or lobby in professional office, clinical, or hospitality settings.
- Time to entry
- 1 month - 6 months
- Degree required
- Not required
- Category
- Sales, Retail and Customer Service
Compare pay across careers in the UK salaries by career report.
What a Receptionist does
Receptionists manage the front desk of businesses, greeting visitors, handling enquiries, and providing essential administrative support to the wider team.
- Medical Receptionist - Working in GP surgeries or private clinics handling patient appointments and confidential records.
- Corporate Receptionist - Working for high-end professional firms such as banks or law practices with a focus on polished service.
- Legal Receptionist - Supporting solicitors and barristers with document handling and client greetings.
- Hospitality Receptionist - Managing check-ins, payments, and guest services within hotels and leisure centres.
How to become a receptionist in the UK
Most receptionists get their first role on the strength of customer service experience and good IT skills. Many employers ask for GCSE English and maths and test your typing, spelling or phone manner at interview. If you have little work experience, a Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner apprenticeship or a Level 3 Business Administrator apprenticeship gives you paid training and a qualification. Hotels often recruit front of house staff through the Level 2 Hospitality Team Member apprenticeship. For medical reception in GP surgeries and clinics, an AMSPAR qualification or a short medical terminology course helps, and dental receptionists sometimes train towards dental nursing. Temping agencies place many receptionists, which is a quick way to build experience and references. Use a receptionist CV example to show your customer service and IT skills clearly.
- List the customer service experience you already have, from shops, cafes, call centres or volunteering, and turn it into examples of handling queries, complaints and busy periods.
- Get confident with Outlook or Gmail, Word, Excel and online booking or calendar systems, as most receptionist jobs use at least one of these every day.
- Practise professional phone calls: greeting, taking accurate messages, transferring calls and handling an unhappy caller politely.
- Choose a setting that suits you, such as a corporate office, GP surgery, dental practice, hotel, salon or gym, and read several adverts to see the systems they ask for.
- Apply for receptionist, front of house and junior administrator roles, or a Customer Service Practitioner (Level 2) or Business Administrator (Level 3) apprenticeship.
- Register with temping agencies for short reception assignments, which build experience quickly and often turn into permanent jobs.
- Once in post, move towards senior receptionist, office manager, practice manager, PA or a specialist route such as medical or legal administration.
| Route | How long | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receptionist or front of house job | Start within weeks | Free | People with retail, hospitality or call centre experience |
| Customer Service Practitioner (Level 2) or Business Administrator (Level 3) apprenticeship | 12-18 months | Free; you are paid | School leavers and people without office experience |
| Temping through a recruitment agency | Weeks to months | Free | Building experience fast and trying different settings |
| Medical reception course, such as AMSPAR | A few weeks to a few months | Self-funded; varies by provider | Moving into GP surgery, hospital or clinic reception |
How long it takes
With customer service experience and good IT skills you can be working as a receptionist within one to six months, often sooner through a temping agency. An apprenticeship takes 12 to 18 months and leaves you with a recognised qualification.
Receptionist salary in the UK
In TonyKnows career data, receptionists start on around £21,000 to £23,000. Experienced receptionists earn around £24,000 to £28,000, and senior and head receptionists, or those in corporate settings such as banks and law firms, reach around £30,000 to £35,000 or more. Corporate and London roles tend to pay most, while hotel and hospitality reception often starts at the lower end. Many receptionist jobs are part-time, so check whether an advert quotes the full-time or the actual salary.
Key skills
- Verbal communication
- Customer service
- Time management
- Business writing
- Data entry
- Microsoft Office
Receptionist FAQs
How do I become a receptionist with no experience?
Use customer service experience from any job or volunteering, build your IT and phone skills, and apply for junior receptionist, front of house or administrator roles. A Customer Service Practitioner or Business Administrator apprenticeship, or temp work through an agency, are reliable ways in.
What qualifications do you need to be a receptionist?
None are required. Many employers ask for GCSE English and maths and good computer skills. A customer service or business administration apprenticeship helps, and medical receptionists often take an AMSPAR qualification or a medical terminology course.
How much does a receptionist earn in the UK?
Receptionists usually start on around £21,000 to £23,000, rising to around £24,000 to £28,000 with experience. Senior and corporate receptionists reach around £30,000 to £35,000 or more, with the highest pay in London and professional services firms.
What does a receptionist do day to day?
Greet and sign in visitors, answer and transfer calls, manage appointments and bookings, handle post and deliveries, and deal with queries by phone and email. In GP surgeries, hotels and salons you may also take payments, check people in and handle confidential records.
Related careers
Is Receptionist right for you?
Career Compass ranks careers from your interests and priorities and explains every suggestion, with UK routes and trade-offs. See how well Receptionist actually fits you. £19.99 once, full report included.
Still deciding whether receptionist is the career for you? Here is which career test is actually worth taking, and what a free quiz will not tell you.