Medical Receptionist Jobs in Washington, DC
Medical receptionists in Washington run the front desk at hospitals and clinics, from the Irving Street medical campus to Unity Health Care sites east of the river. With the District's $18.40 minimum wage and pay ranges required in postings, hospital patient access ranges run from about $18 to above $30 an hour. Current openings are below.
Current medical receptionist Openings in Washington, DC
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Receptionist Work in Washington
The Irving Street medical campus holds MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Children's National Hospital and the DC VA Medical Center side by side, and patient access teams there register patients around the clock for emergency departments, radiology and labs. Outpatient practices add daytime work: Children's National runs pediatric practices on K Street NW and on Capitol Hill, Kaiser Permanente operates medical offices on Capitol Hill and in Northwest, and Unity Health Care staffs community health centers across the city, including east of the Anacostia.
What sets Washington apart is pay transparency and the wage floor. DC requires a pay range in job postings and its minimum wage rose to $18.40 an hour on July 1, 2026, so you can compare offers before you apply. Unity Health Care lists English and Spanish bilingual skills as preferred, and Sibley Memorial asks new admissions staff to hold CPR certification within their first 30 days.
Top Washington Employers for Medical Receptionists
These DC health systems and clinics hire front desk, registration and scheduling staff:
- Children's National Hospital - hires patient access representatives at its main campus on Michigan Ave NW and patient services reps for its pediatric practices.
- Sibley Memorial Hospital - the Johns Hopkins hospital in upper Northwest hires admissions representatives for patient registration, including evening shifts.
- Unity Health Care - DC's largest community health center network hires patient registration clerks and patient scheduling clerks for its clinics.
- Kaiser Permanente - hires member experience receptionists who greet, register and schedule members at its DC medical offices.
Medical Receptionist Salaries in Washington
- Entry level: about $18.40 to $21 per hour for front desk, registration and scheduling clerks.
- Experienced: roughly $21 to $26 per hour for hospital patient access and busy specialty clinics.
- Senior: $26 to $32 or more per hour for senior patient access representatives and leads at large hospitals.
These are estimates drawn from posted ranges. Sibley Memorial has posted its admissions representative role at $18.00 to $30.18 an hour, and Children's National has posted full-time patient access representatives at $39,062 to $76,502 a year. Hospital roles with evening, overnight or emergency department shifts tend to pay more than daytime clinic desks, and insurance verification, billing knowledge and Spanish fluency all help at the offer stage.
How to Become a Medical Receptionist in Washington
DC does not license medical receptionists, so there is no board exam or registration to look for. Most employers ask for a high school diploma or GED and about a year of office or customer service experience, and typing speed matters: Children's National asks for 35 words per minute and Unity Health Care prefers 40. Local training helps: the University of the District of Columbia's Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning division offers a Healthcare, Direct Care and Administration pathway at no cost to most DC residents, and Academy of Hope Adult Public Charter School runs a Medical Billing and Coding program, with campuses on Sycamore Drive SE, 18th Place NE in Ward 5 and Alabama Avenue SE in Ward 8. Optional national credentials such as the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant can help a first application stand out.
What the Job Involves
Medical receptionists greet patients, check them in, and collect demographic and insurance information to create or update the patient record. Daily tasks include verifying insurance eligibility, collecting co-payments, scheduling and rescheduling appointments, answering high call volumes, scanning documents into the electronic health record and processing referrals. In hospitals the role is usually called patient access or admissions and may float between the emergency department, radiology and the lab.
Skills Employers Look For
- Customer service with patients who may be sick, anxious or upset
- Insurance verification and basic billing knowledge
- Medical terminology
- Electronic health record and scheduling system experience
- Typing at 35 to 40 words per minute and accurate data entry
- English and Spanish bilingual skills, preferred at community clinics
- HIPAA awareness and discretion with patient information
Career Path and Advancement
Many Washington receptionists start at a clinic desk or in hospital registration and move up to senior patient access representative, then patient access lead or front office supervisor. Others use the front desk as a way into clinical work, training as a medical assistant or phlebotomist, or move into medical billing and coding.
Related Careers in Washington
If front desk work interests you, these related Washington roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a medical receptionist in DC?
No. DC Health does not license or register medical receptionists. Employers set their own requirements, usually a high school diploma or GED, office or customer service experience and, at some hospitals, CPR certification after hire.
How much do medical receptionists make in Washington?
Expect about $18.40 to $21 an hour to start, since the DC minimum wage is $18.40. Experienced hospital patient access staff earn roughly $21 to $26, and senior representatives at large hospitals can reach $30 or more. DC postings must show a pay range, so check it before you apply.
Do medical receptionist jobs in DC include evenings or weekends?
Hospital registration runs around the clock, so evening and overnight shifts are common at hospitals such as Sibley Memorial and Children's National. Clinic desks are mostly daytime, though Unity Health Care notes some evening and Saturday hours.
Do I need to speak Spanish to work the front desk in Washington?
It is not required for most roles, but it is a real advantage. Unity Health Care lists English and Spanish bilingual skills as preferred for its registration and scheduling clerks.
How can I get front desk experience if I have none?
Retail, call center and office jobs count as customer service experience for many employers. DC residents can also train through UDC Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning, mostly at no cost, or Academy of Hope, then apply for clinic desks or hospital registration roles.
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