Receptionist Jobs in Chicago, IL
Receptionists in the Chicago metro earn a median of $18.30 an hour, and inside city limits most employers cannot pay below the $17.05 Chicago minimum wage. The busiest front desks are at hospitals, clinics, law firms and dealerships. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and what it pays.
Current receptionist Openings in Chicago, IL
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Receptionist Work in Chicago
Most receptionist hiring in Chicago falls into three pools. The largest is healthcare: the hospital systems in Streeterville and the Illinois Medical District, and the outpatient clinics spread from the West Loop to the neighborhoods, all need front desk staff to check patients in, verify insurance and schedule visits, usually under the title patient service representative. The second is the corporate and legal lobby, where Loop and River North firms want a polished first point of contact for clients. The third is retail service desks, car dealerships and salons, where the receptionist also books appointments and keeps the showroom or shop moving.
The Chicago minimum wage, $17.05 an hour since July 1, 2026 for employers with four or more workers, keeps entry pay inside the city higher than in much of Illinois, while Cook County's $15.40 minimum applies in suburban towns that have not opted out. Many front desk jobs are reachable by the L or CTA bus, which matters for early clinic shifts.
Top Chicago Employers Hiring Receptionists
These employers have posted receptionist and front desk roles in Chicago on their own careers sites:
- Northwestern Medicine - hires patient service representatives for front desks at its Chicago clinics, including its West Loop immediate care center.
- Lurie Children's Hospital - the Streeterville pediatric hospital hires patient service representatives and patient access specialists to register families.
- Volkswagen of Downtown Chicago - the Murgado Automotive Group dealership hires part-time receptionists to greet customers and route calls.
- Together Women's Health - the women's health practice group hires medical receptionists for its Chicago offices.
Receptionist Salaries in Chicago
- Entry level: about $17.05 to $18.50 an hour inside Chicago, where the city minimum wage sets the floor.
- Experienced: about $18.50 to $21.50 an hour, or roughly $38,000 to $45,000 a year full time.
- Senior: about $22 to $24 an hour or more for corporate, legal and specialty medical front desks.
These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro (May 2025), where the middle half of receptionists earn $16.81 to $21.70 an hour, adjusted for the city minimum and checked against current Chicago postings. Pay moves with the setting (law firms and corporate lobbies pay most), with medical scheduling and insurance experience, with a second language, and with full-time hours. Hospital systems add benefits that many small offices do not.
How to Become a Receptionist in Chicago
Most receptionist jobs need a high school diploma or GED, a friendly phone manner and basic computer skills, and many employers train on the job. Illinois does not license receptionists, and no state certificate is required, including for medical front desks, where employers provide their own privacy and scheduling system training. If you want a credential, Harper College in Palatine offers an Office Assistant Certificate, and Oakton College's Administrative Assistant Certificate at its Des Plaines and Skokie campuses builds the Microsoft Office skills that lead to higher-paying roles. The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership's American Job Centers can help with free job search and training support.
What the Job Involves
Receptionists are the first person visitors and callers reach. The job means greeting guests, answering and routing a multi-line phone, scheduling and confirming appointments, signing in visitors and issuing badges, handling mail and deliveries, and keeping the reception area in order. At medical front desks the work adds checking in patients, verifying insurance, collecting copays and entering information into electronic health records.
Skills Employers Look For
- A warm, professional manner in person and on the phone
- Multi-line phone and scheduling software
- Basic Microsoft Office and data entry
- Calm under a busy lobby and ringing phones
- Accuracy with names, appointments and insurance details
- Discretion with private information
Career Path and Advancement
Reception is a common first job in Chicago offices and clinics. From the front desk, people move up to administrative assistant or office coordinator in corporate and legal settings, or to patient access lead, scheduling coordinator, medical office manager or medical assistant training in healthcare. At large employers like the hospital systems, internal postings make it easier to move from the front desk into better-paid roles.
Related Careers in Chicago
If front desk work interests you, these related Chicago roles are close matches:
- Administrative Assistant Jobs
- Executive Assistant Jobs
- Customer Service Representative Jobs
- Healthcare Jobs
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do receptionists make in Chicago?
The metro median is $18.30 an hour, or about $38,060 a year, based on May 2025 federal data. Inside city limits, employers with four or more workers must pay at least $17.05 an hour, and experienced corporate or legal receptionists can earn $22 to $24 an hour or more.
Do you need a license or certificate to be a receptionist in Illinois?
No. Illinois does not license receptionists, including medical receptionists. Employers train new hires on their phone, scheduling and records systems, though an office skills certificate can help you stand out.
What is the minimum wage for receptionists in Chicago?
Since July 1, 2026, the Chicago minimum wage is $17.05 an hour for employers with four or more workers. In suburban Cook County towns that follow the county ordinance it is $15.40, and the Illinois minimum is $15.00.
Are there part-time receptionist jobs in Chicago?
Yes. Clinics, dealerships and salons often hire part-time receptionists for evening and weekend coverage, and hospital systems post part-time front desk roles. Part-time work is a common way to get experience while in school.
What is the difference between a receptionist and a patient service representative?
A patient service representative is a receptionist in a healthcare setting. On top of greeting visitors and answering phones, the role checks patients in, verifies insurance, collects copays and schedules follow-up visits, and it often pays a little more.
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