Virtual receptionist in Auburn-Opelika, AL: cost vs in-house
Auburn-Opelika is a lower-cost market for virtual receptionists: the median of $31,600 a year1 is 3.0% below the Alabama statewide median of $32,590, and 16.9% below the US median of $38,010. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#464 of 521). BLS counts about 330 people in this job here, 3% of the Alabama total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Auburn-Opelika, AL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Auburn-Opelika against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | $22,570 | $31,600 | $38,530 | |
| Alabama | $22,830 | $32,590 | $40,730 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
Virtual receptionists at the 90th percentile earn $38,530, 1.7 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.7. The middle half of virtual receptionists in Auburn-Opelika earns $28,380–$35,160. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $6,780 wide, against $8,540 across Alabama and $11,170 nationally: employers in Auburn-Opelika 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 | $22,570 | $1,881 | $10.85 | $29,123 |
| 25th percentile | $28,380 | $2,365 | $13.64 | $36,619 |
| Median | $31,600 | $2,633 | $15.19 | $40,774 |
| 75th percentile | $35,160 | $2,930 | $16.90 | $45,368 |
| 90th percentile | $38,530 | $3,211 | $18.52 | $49,716 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $3,560 a year in pay and about $4,594 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $3,220 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 75th and 90th percentiles in Auburn-Opelika, and the Alabama statewide median of $32,590 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local virtual receptionists earn.
What a hire really costs in Auburn-Opelika
At the $31,600 median, a local hire costs about $40,774 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $9,174 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 Auburn-Opelika
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 15 roles we track in Auburn-Opelika; project coordinators have the highest, at $77,690.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +28.0% | 1,570 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +14.9% | 500 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +13.3% | 960 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +8.4% | 30 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 330 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #6 of the 15 roles we track in Auburn-Opelika (-16.9%), between administrative assistants (-14.9%) and recruiters (-17.0%). The typical role here is at -17.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 5.0% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Auburn-Opelika, 4.8% across Alabama and 5.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Alabama
Across the 16 areas of Alabama with data for this job, the median runs from $29,450 in Gadsden to $35,610 in Birmingham, a gap of $6,160 a year. Of the 9 areas in Alabama with more virtual receptionists than Auburn-Opelika, 6 pay less, the largest of them Mobile, AL ($30,710), Montgomery, AL ($30,740) and the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area ($30,420).
| Area | Median | vs Auburn-Opelika | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, AL | +5.3% | 250 | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +0.9% | 190 | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | +0.5% | 460 | |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | this area | 330 | |
| Montgomery, AL | -2.7% | 750 | |
| Mobile, AL | -2.8% | 880 | |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | -3.1% | 510 |
Auburn-Opelika against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Auburn-Opelika is #401 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Alabama, Lake Charles and Wheeling pay just above Auburn-Opelika and Lubbock and Alexandria just below. All four are within $150 a year of the median in Auburn-Opelika. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Auburn-Opelika | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muncie, IN | +10.9% | 330 | jobs | |
| Niles, MI | +10.3% | 330 | jobs | |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | +10.0% | 330 | jobs | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | +0.5% | 410 | pay | |
| Lake Charles, LA | +0.1% | 570 | pay | |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | this area | 330 | ||
| Lubbock, TX | -0.2% | 1,130 | pay | |
| Alexandria, LA | -0.3% | 400 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Auburn-Opelika, AL?
About $40,774 a year at the median, or $3,398 a month: $31,600 in pay plus about $9,174 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Auburn-Opelika?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $31,600 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $22,570, the 90th $38,530, and the middle half earned $28,380 to $35,160.
Is Auburn-Opelika cheaper than the rest of Alabama for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $31,600 against $32,590 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is Daphne-Fairhope at $31,750, the next down Montgomery at $30,740.
How many virtual receptionists work in Auburn-Opelika?
BLS counts about 330 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Alabama total of 10,460. 9 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area, with about 380.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Auburn-Opelika?
No: $2,640 a year less at the median. The medians are $31,600 and $34,240.
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.