Colorado Has the Fifth-Lowest Receptionist Availability in the U.S., at Just 64 per 1,000 Businesses

Key Takeaways

• Colorado ranks 5th among all U.S. states for the thinnest front-desk coverage, with just 64.19 receptionists per 1,000 business establishments.
• Six of Colorado’s seven border states, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona, post a higher per-1,000 rate, with Arizona sitting 93 points above Colorado.
• To match the U.S. national rate, Colorado would need roughly 9,500 additional receptionists on top of its current workforce of 11,680.

In clinics, law offices, dental practices, and storefronts from Denver to Colorado Springs, the person greeting visitors at the front desk is carrying more of the load than at almost any other place in the country. On a per-1,000-establishment basis, Colorado posts a rate roughly 45 percent below the U.S. figure, leaving front-desk staff and the small businesses that rely on them stretched thin with every new storefront or clinic that opens its doors.

This analysis was conducted by Optisigns, which examined receptionist and information clerk employment from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics against business establishment counts from the U.S. Census Bureau to calculate the number of receptionists per 1,000 establishments in each of the 50 states. States were ranked from lowest availability (Rank 1) to highest (Rank 50), with Colorado finishing fifth.

Colorado Profile: The Nation’s Fifth-Thinnest Front-Desk Coverage

Where Colorado Sits Among the Top 10 States With the Lowest Receptionist Availability

Colorado sits at the upper edge of the tight bottom-five cluster, with 64.19 receptionists per 1,000 establishments. Along with Montana at 35.46, Iowa at 59.60, Wyoming at 62.51, and Vermont at 63.25, Colorado is one of only five states in the country to post a rate under 65.

Colorado vs. Its Border States: Six of Seven Neighbors Have a Higher Per-1,000 Rate

Oklahoma, the closest among states ranked above Colorado, sits roughly 31 points higher per 1,000 establishments, while Kansas and Nebraska clear Colorado by 39 to 48 points. New Mexico and Utah top Colorado by 56 and 65 points, respectively, and Arizona sits 93 points higher, posting a rate more than twice Colorado’s coverage.

Colorado vs. the Top 10 States With the Highest Receptionists per 1,000 Establishments

Every state in the top 10 sits at least 75 points above Colorado on the per-1,000 scale, and the leader, New Jersey, clears Colorado by more than 140 points at 205.10 receptionists per 1,000 establishments.

Methodology

This study combines two federal datasets to measure receptionist staffing relative to business density in each U.S. state. Employment figures for receptionists and information clerks (Standard Occupational Classification code 43-4171) were drawn from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, using May 2024 state-level estimates, and total business establishment counts were taken from the U.S. Census Bureau 2022 Statistics of U.S. Businesses Annual Data Tables covering all employer establishments. To normalize for differences in state size, receptionist employment in each state was divided by total business establishments and multiplied by 1,000, producing a per-1,000 ratio, and all 50 states were ranked from lowest (Rank 1) to highest (Rank 50). Colorado placed fifth. Gap points shown in the border-state and top-10 comparison tables represent the simple arithmetic difference between the comparison state’s per-1,000 rate and Colorado’s 64.19.

Data Sources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024): https://www.bls.gov/oes/2024/may/oessrcst.htm
• U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Statistics of U.S. Businesses Annual Data Tables: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/susb/2022-susb-annual.html
• Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hZFxIar9A6Gbgh2tPjX3_iXv4J_z_AxRMigVJpBE2LU/edit?gid=0#gid=0
• Study by: https://www.optisigns.com/

About Optisigns

Optisigns is a cloud-based digital signage platform used by businesses in retail, healthcare, corporate, education, and hospitality to manage screens and deliver content remotely. The platform supports visitor check-in, wayfinding, and operational communications, helping organizations extend front-desk capacity across multiple locations with simple, centralized screen management.