Virtual receptionist in Albany-Schenectady, NY: cost vs in-house
Albany-Schenectady pays virtual receptionists less than New York as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $39,790 a year1: 7.6% below the New York statewide median of $43,080 and 4.7% above the US median of $38,010. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#85 of 521). About 2,650 virtual receptionists work here, 4% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Albany-Schenectady against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | $33,300 | $39,790 | $49,550 | |
| New York | $34,740 | $43,080 | $59,140 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Albany-Schenectady earns $36,440–$45,650. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $49,550, only 1.5 times the bottom tenth, against 1.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $9,210 wide, against $11,610 across New York and $11,170 nationally: employers in Albany-Schenectady pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a virtual receptionist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,300 | $2,775 | $16.01 | $42,968 |
| 25th percentile | $36,440 | $3,037 | $17.52 | $47,019 |
| Median | $39,790 | $3,316 | $19.13 | $51,342 |
| 75th percentile | $45,650 | $3,804 | $21.95 | $58,903 |
| 90th percentile | $49,550 | $4,129 | $23.82 | $63,935 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $5,860 over the median, the 25th only $3,350 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $7,561 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $38,010 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Albany-Schenectady, and the New York statewide median of $43,080 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Albany-Schenectady
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $11,552 to the $39,790 median and brings it to $51,342 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for virtual receptionists we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Albany-Schenectady
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Albany-Schenectady; project coordinators have the highest, at $109,850.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +19.8% | 190 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +14.0% | 8,290 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +13.4% | 2,240 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +0.1% | 450 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 2,650 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Albany-Schenectady (+4.7%), between office managers (+5.6%) and HR assistants (+4.1%). The typical role here is at +1.3%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost more in Albany-Schenectady than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 5.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Albany-Schenectady, 5.9% across New York and 5.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $36,160 in Watertown-Fort Drum to $44,690 in New York-Newark, a gap of $8,530 a year. Of the 3 areas in New York with more virtual receptionists than Albany-Schenectady, 2 pay less: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY ($38,960) and Rochester, NY ($38,550).
| Area | Median | vs Albany-Schenectady | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | +12.3% | 74,190 | |
| Syracuse, NY | +0.3% | 2,340 | |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | this area | 2,650 | |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | -0.6% | 760 | |
| Kingston, NY | -0.6% | 440 | |
| Glens Falls, NY | -0.9% | 350 | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | -1.0% | 1,770 |
Albany-Schenectady against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Albany-Schenectady is #59 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside New York, Flagstaff and Honolulu pay just above Albany-Schenectady and Bakersfield-Delano and Wausau just below. All four are within $170 a year of the median in Albany-Schenectady. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Albany-Schenectady | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | +7.8% | 2,680 | jobs | |
| Honolulu, HI | +0.4% | 2,410 | pay | |
| Flagstaff, AZ | +0.1% | 670 | pay | |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | this area | 2,650 | ||
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | -0.3% | 1,180 | pay | |
| Wausau, WI | -0.3% | 790 | pay | |
| Allentown-Bethlehem, PA-NJ | -5.7% | 2,610 | jobs | |
| Provo-Orem, UT | -7.6% | 2,650 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Albany-Schenectady, NY?
About $51,342 a year at the median, or $4,278 a month: $39,790 in pay plus about $11,552 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Albany-Schenectady?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $39,790 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $33,300, the 90th $49,550, and the middle half earned $36,440 to $45,650.
Is Albany-Schenectady cheaper than the rest of New York for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $39,790 against $43,080 statewide. The next area up in New York is Syracuse at $39,900, the next down the Capital/Northern New York nonmetro area at $39,550.
How many virtual receptionists work in Albany-Schenectady?
BLS counts about 2,650 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the New York total of 65,010. 3 areas in New York have more; the closest in size is Rochester, with about 2,840.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Albany-Schenectady?
No: $50 a year less at the median. The medians are $39,790 and $39,840.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4171: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.