Virtual receptionist in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA: cost vs in-house
Amherst Town-Northampton pays virtual receptionists less than Massachusetts as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $41,770 a year1: 4.8% below the Massachusetts statewide median of $43,870 and 9.9% above the US median of $38,010. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#56 of 521). About 410 virtual receptionists work here, 2% of the Massachusetts total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Amherst Town-Northampton, MA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Amherst Town-Northampton against Massachusetts and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $35,460 | $41,770 | $51,860 | |
| Massachusetts | $35,790 | $43,870 | $54,270 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Amherst Town-Northampton earns $36,840–$46,870. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $51,860, 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 $10,030 wide, between the figure for Massachusetts ($9,650) and the US figure ($11,170).
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 | $35,460 | $2,955 | $17.05 | $45,755 |
| 25th percentile | $36,840 | $3,070 | $17.71 | $47,535 |
| Median | $41,770 | $3,481 | $20.08 | $53,897 |
| 75th percentile | $46,870 | $3,906 | $22.53 | $60,477 |
| 90th percentile | $51,860 | $4,322 | $24.93 | $66,916 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,100 a year in pay and about $6,581 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,930 in pay. 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 Amherst Town-Northampton, and the Massachusetts statewide median of $43,870 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Amherst Town-Northampton
At the $41,770 median, a local hire costs about $53,897 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,127 here. 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 Amherst Town-Northampton
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 14 roles we track in Amherst Town-Northampton; project coordinators have the highest, at $85,320.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +35.1% | 490 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +22.3% | 1,250 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +14.6% | 320 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +4.3% | 760 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 410 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #2 of the 14 roles we track in Amherst Town-Northampton (+9.9%), between bookkeepers (+11.4%) and administrative assistants (+7.5%). The typical role here is at +1.3%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost more in Amherst Town-Northampton than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 7.0% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Amherst Town-Northampton, 4.9% across Massachusetts and 5.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Massachusetts
Across the 7 areas of Massachusetts with data for this job, the median runs from $40,770 in Springfield to $45,820 in Barnstable Town, a gap of $5,050 a year. Of the 4 areas in Massachusetts with more virtual receptionists than Amherst Town-Northampton, 2 pay less: Worcester, MA ($41,720) and Springfield, MA ($40,770).
| Area | Median | vs Amherst Town-Northampton | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town, MA | +9.7% | 670 | |
| Massachusetts (Nonmetro) | +7.6% | 200 | |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | +5.2% | 14,320 | |
| Pittsfield, MA | +0.3% | 360 | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | this area | 410 | |
| Worcester, MA | -0.1% | 1,940 | |
| Springfield, MA | -2.4% | 1,240 |
Amherst Town-Northampton against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Amherst Town-Northampton is #354 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Massachusetts, Spokane-Spokane Valley and Riverside-San Bernardino pay just above Amherst Town-Northampton and Providence-Warwick and Oshkosh-Neenah just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Amherst Town-Northampton. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Amherst Town-Northampton | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | +0.1% | 6,880 | pay | |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | +0.1% | 2,370 | pay | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | this area | 410 | ||
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | -0.1% | 5,550 | pay | |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | -0.2% | 780 | pay | |
| Jefferson City, MO | -17.4% | 410 | jobs | |
| Bloomington, IN | -18.1% | 410 | jobs | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | -24.0% | 410 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?
About $53,897 a year at the median, or $4,491 a month: $41,770 in pay plus about $12,127 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for virtual receptionists in Amherst Town-Northampton?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $41,770 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,460, the 90th $51,860, and the middle half earned $36,840 to $46,870.
Is Amherst Town-Northampton cheaper than the rest of Massachusetts for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $41,770 against $43,870 statewide. The next area up in Massachusetts is Pittsfield at $41,890, the next down Worcester at $41,720.
How many virtual receptionists work in Amherst Town-Northampton?
BLS counts about 410 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Massachusetts total of 18,970. 4 areas in Massachusetts have more; the closest in size is Barnstable Town, with about 670.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a customer support specialist in Amherst Town-Northampton?
No: $1,790 a year less at the median. The medians are $41,770 and $43,560.
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.