Medical Receptionist Jobs in Portland, OR
Medical receptionists in Portland usually work under the title patient access, and the big health systems post starting pay of about $23 to $27 an hour. OHSU, Kaiser Permanente and Legacy all hire front desk and registration staff. Here are the current openings, then who is hiring and what it takes to get in.
Current medical receptionist Openings in Portland, OR
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Receptionist Work in Portland
At Portland's health systems the front desk job is called patient access. OHSU hires Patient Access Services Specialists for clinics such as East Portland Family Medicine, Legacy Emanuel in North Portland hires Patient Access Representatives to register patients and collect co-pays, and Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center in Clackamas, off I-205, runs 12-hour registration shifts, including nights. Multnomah County's clinics fold reception into its Health Assistant role, which also preps exam rooms.
Demand holds up because health care is still adding jobs while the wider Portland economy shrinks: the sector was up 5,200 jobs over the year to August 2026 by state figures. Union representation is common, too. OHSU patient access staff are AFSCME members and Kaiser's registration staff are in SEIU Local 49, which is why posted ranges here run well above the $16.80 Portland metro minimum wage.
Top Portland Employers Hiring Medical Receptionists
These Portland employers post front desk and patient access roles on their own career sites:
- OHSU - hires Patient Access Services Specialists who check in patients, verify insurance and schedule in Epic at its Portland clinics.
- Kaiser Permanente - Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center in Clackamas posts full-time, 12-hour and on-call Patient Access Representative I jobs.
- Legacy Health - Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in North Portland hires Patient Access Representatives for registration and co-pay collection.
- Multnomah County - county Health Department clinics hire Health Assistants who handle reception, scheduling and patient intake.
Medical Receptionist Salaries in Portland
- Entry level: about $23 to $25 an hour at county and health-system clinics.
- Experienced: roughly $26 to $30 an hour, plus shift differentials where offered.
- Senior / top of scale: $31 to $34 an hour at the top of union pay scales.
These are estimates from employers' own posted ranges: OHSU posts $25.38 to $34.35 an hour for a Patient Access Services Specialist, a 2025 Kaiser Sunnyside posting listed $27.42 to $33.29, and Multnomah County's Health Assistant 1 pays $23.28 to $28.63. Shift, insurance and prior-authorization skills and union scale move pay the most.
How to Become a Medical Receptionist in Portland
Oregon has no license for medical receptionists or patient access staff, so hiring comes down to each employer's own requirements. OHSU asks for six months of high-volume medical office experience or a year of high-volume public contact, and its Administrative Internship Program can substitute for a year. Kaiser Sunnyside asks for a high school diploma or GED, a year of healthcare financial experience and a year of office customer service (or two years of post-high school education), BLS, typing of 35 words a minute and a medical terminology certificate at hire. Local training that helps includes medical billing and coding at Mt. Hood Community College and Clackamas Community College, and Portland Community College's online Health Information Management program.
What the Job Involves
Medical receptionists are the first person a patient talks to. They greet and check in patients, confirm demographics and insurance, collect co-pays and deposits, schedule, reschedule and cancel appointments, answer and route calls, and make sure consent and payer forms are signed. In hospital registration they also interview patients at the bedside and arrange interpreters or transport.
Skills Employers Look For
- Epic or another scheduling and registration system
- Insurance verification and co-pay collection
- Medical terminology
- Typing of 30 to 45 words a minute
- Calm, clear phone and face-to-face customer service
- HIPAA confidentiality and cash handling
Career Path and Advancement
Portland's patient access ladder runs from receptionist or Patient Access Representative I to senior and resource specialist roles, then into financial clearance, prior authorization, patient financial advising or clinic supervision. Kaiser posts patient financial advisor jobs at its Westside hospital in Hillsboro, and some front desk staff move into billing and coding or train as medical assistants through the same health systems.
Related Careers in Portland
If front desk work in health care interests you, these related Portland roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license or certification to be a medical receptionist in Oregon?
No state license exists for medical receptionists in Oregon. Some employers add their own requirements; Kaiser Sunnyside, for example, asks outside applicants for a medical terminology certificate and a BLS card.
What is a patient access representative?
It is the title Portland health systems use for front desk and registration staff. OHSU, Kaiser and Legacy all post the work as patient access, so search for that term along with medical receptionist.
How much do medical receptionists make in Portland?
Health-system and county postings run from about $23 to $34 an hour. OHSU posts $25.38 to $34.35 for its Patient Access Services Specialist, and Multnomah County's Health Assistant 1 starts at $23.28.
Can I get hired without medical office experience?
Sometimes. OHSU accepts a year of high-volume customer contact in place of medical office experience, and its Administrative Internship Program counts toward the requirement. Hospital registration roles at Kaiser expect some healthcare financial experience or college coursework.
Are there night shift medical receptionist jobs in Portland?
Yes, in hospital registration. Kaiser Sunnyside posts 12-hour patient access shifts, including nights from 6:00 PM to 6:30 AM, while clinic front desks usually keep weekday hours.
Ready to apply? Browse all Medical Receptionist jobs in Portland, OR on LocalJobPage and apply today.