Virtual receptionist in Bowling Green, KY: cost vs in-house
Hiring a virtual receptionist costs less in Bowling Green than in Kentucky or the country as a whole. The median is $31,750 a year1: 3.6% below the Kentucky statewide median of $32,940 and 16.5% below the US median of $38,010. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#459 of 521). About 390 virtual receptionists work here, 4% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Bowling Green, KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Bowling Green against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green, KY | $23,080 | $31,750 | $42,660 | |
| Kentucky | $23,720 | $32,940 | $44,270 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Bowling Green earns $27,350–$36,420. The top tenth earns $42,660 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.7 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $9,070 wide, against $10,020 across Kentucky and $11,170 nationally: employers in Bowling Green 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 | $23,080 | $1,923 | $11.10 | $29,781 |
| 25th percentile | $27,350 | $2,279 | $13.15 | $35,290 |
| Median | $31,750 | $2,646 | $15.26 | $40,968 |
| 75th percentile | $36,420 | $3,035 | $17.51 | $46,994 |
| 90th percentile | $42,660 | $3,555 | $20.51 | $55,045 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $4,400 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $4,670, or about $6,026 once benefits are added. 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 Bowling Green, and the Kentucky statewide median of $32,940 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 Bowling Green
At the $31,750 median, a local hire costs about $40,968 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $9,218 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 Bowling Green
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 15 roles we track in Bowling Green; project coordinators have the highest, at $81,300.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +39.1% | 900 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +26.6% | 780 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +19.6% | 1,170 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +19.5% | 1,040 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 390 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #10 of the 15 roles we track in Bowling Green (-16.5%), between executive assistants (-16.1%) and medical administrative assistants (-17.4%). The typical role here is at -15.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 5.6% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Bowling Green, 4.7% across Kentucky and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $29,640 in the East Kentucky nonmetro area to $34,520 in Louisville, a gap of $4,880 a year. Of the 5 areas in Kentucky with more virtual receptionists than Bowling Green, 2 pay less: the Central Kentucky nonmetro area ($29,680) and the West Kentucky nonmetro area ($31,360).
| Area | Median | vs Bowling Green | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown, KY | +4.0% | 250 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | +1.2% | 240 | |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | +1.0% | 840 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | this area | 390 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -1.2% | 520 | |
| Owensboro, KY | -1.4% | 310 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -6.5% | 740 |
Bowling Green against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Bowling Green is #366 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Kentucky, Slidell-Mandeville and Corpus Christi pay just above Bowling Green and Daphne-Fairhope and Wheeling just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Bowling Green. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Bowling Green | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg, VA | +17.2% | 390 | jobs | |
| Manhattan, KS | +1.2% | 390 | jobs | |
| Corpus Christi, TX | +0.2% | 1,270 | pay | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | +0.0% | 1,000 | pay | |
| Bowling Green, KY | this area | 390 | ||
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | +0.0% | 460 | pay | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | +0.0% | 410 | pay | |
| Alexandria, LA | -0.8% | 400 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Bowling Green, KY?
About $40,968 a year at the median, or $3,414 a month: $31,750 in pay plus about $9,218 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Bowling Green?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $31,750 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $23,080, the 90th $42,660, and the middle half earned $27,350 to $36,420.
Is Bowling Green cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $31,750 against $32,940 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area at $32,070, the next down the West Kentucky nonmetro area at $31,360.
How many virtual receptionists work in Bowling Green?
BLS counts about 390 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Kentucky total of 9,290. 5 areas in Kentucky have more; the closest in size is the West Kentucky nonmetro area, with about 520.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Bowling Green?
No: $6,190 a year less at the median. The medians are $31,750 and $37,940.
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.