Virtual receptionist in Austin-Round Rock, TX: cost vs in-house
Austin-Round Rock pays virtual receptionists more than Texas as a whole but less than the country. The median is $36,690 a year1: 4.2% above the Texas statewide median of $35,210 and 3.5% below the US median of $38,010. Among US areas it comes in at #223 of 521. About 7,480 virtual receptionists work here, 10% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Austin-Round Rock against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | $26,190 | $36,690 | $49,280 | |
| Texas | $24,700 | $35,210 | $47,380 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Austin-Round Rock earns $30,280–$44,040. The top tenth earns $49,280 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.7 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $13,760 wide, wider than in Texas as a whole ($11,050) and the US ($11,170), so what a virtual receptionist earns in Austin-Round Rock depends more on the employer.
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 | $26,190 | $2,182 | $12.59 | $33,794 |
| 25th percentile | $30,280 | $2,523 | $14.56 | $39,071 |
| Median | $36,690 | $3,058 | $17.64 | $47,342 |
| 75th percentile | $44,040 | $3,670 | $21.17 | $56,826 |
| 90th percentile | $49,280 | $4,107 | $23.69 | $63,587 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,350 a year in pay and about $9,484 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,410 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 median and the 75th percentile in Austin-Round Rock, and the Texas statewide median of $35,210 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Austin-Round Rock
At the $36,690 median, a local hire costs about $47,342 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $10,652 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 Austin-Round Rock
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Austin-Round Rock; project coordinators have the highest, at $102,390.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +26.8% | 6,000 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +21.2% | 450 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +19.2% | 32,690 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +14.0% | 1,290 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 7,480 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in Austin-Round Rock (-3.5%), between HR assistants (-3.4%) and e-commerce order specialists (-3.7%). The typical role here is at +0.1%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost less in Austin-Round Rock than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 4.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Austin-Round Rock, 5.0% across Texas and 5.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 32 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $28,530 in McAllen-Edinburg to $37,280 in Midland, a gap of $8,750 a year. Of the 3 areas in Texas with more virtual receptionists than Austin-Round Rock, 2 pay less: Houston-Pasadena, TX ($35,350) and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX ($36,550).
| Area | Median | vs Austin-Round Rock | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland, TX | +1.6% | 590 | |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | +1.0% | 21,380 | |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | this area | 7,480 | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -0.4% | 7,950 | |
| Odessa, TX | -1.3% | 380 | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | -3.7% | 17,140 | |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | -5.9% | 890 |
Austin-Round Rock against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Austin-Round Rock is #23 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Texas, Toledo and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach pay just above Austin-Round Rock and Port St. Lucie and Akron just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Austin-Round Rock. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Austin-Round Rock | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | +17.0% | 7,200 | jobs | |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach, FL | +0.2% | 850 | pay | |
| Toledo, OH | +0.1% | 1,900 | pay | |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | this area | 7,480 | ||
| Port St. Lucie, FL | -0.0% | 1,160 | pay | |
| Akron, OH | -0.1% | 2,120 | pay | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV | -0.5% | 8,030 | jobs | |
| Orlando-Kissimmee, FL | -1.1% | 7,550 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Austin-Round Rock, TX?
About $47,342 a year at the median, or $3,945 a month: $36,690 in pay plus about $10,652 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for virtual receptionists in Austin-Round Rock?
The median was $36,690 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $26,190, the 90th $49,280, and the middle half earned $30,280 to $44,040.
Is Austin-Round Rock cheaper than the rest of Texas for virtual receptionists?
No, it costs more: a median of $36,690 against $35,210 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Dallas-Fort Worth at $37,060, the next down San Antonio-New Braunfels at $36,550.
How many virtual receptionists work in Austin-Round Rock?
BLS counts about 7,480 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the Texas total of 78,330. 3 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is San Antonio-New Braunfels, with about 7,950.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Austin-Round Rock?
No: $5,130 a year less at the median. The medians are $36,690 and $41,820.
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.