Virtual receptionist in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX: cost vs in-house
Brownsville-Harlingen is a lower-cost market for virtual receptionists: the median of $28,720 a year1 is 18.4% below the Texas statewide median of $35,210, and 24.4% below the US median of $38,010. Nationally that is #520 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 1,070 virtual receptionists work here, 1% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Brownsville-Harlingen, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Brownsville-Harlingen against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $22,240 | $28,720 | $37,170 | |
| Texas | $24,700 | $35,210 | $47,380 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
Virtual receptionists at the 90th percentile earn $37,170, 1.7 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.7. The middle half of virtual receptionists in Brownsville-Harlingen earns $25,660–$32,620. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $6,960 wide, against $11,050 across Texas and $11,170 nationally: employers in Brownsville-Harlingen 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 | $22,240 | $1,853 | $10.69 | $28,697 |
| 25th percentile | $25,660 | $2,138 | $12.34 | $33,110 |
| Median | $28,720 | $2,393 | $13.81 | $37,058 |
| 75th percentile | $32,620 | $2,718 | $15.68 | $42,090 |
| 90th percentile | $37,170 | $3,098 | $17.87 | $47,961 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $3,060 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $3,900, or about $5,032 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 above the 90th percentile in Brownsville-Harlingen, and the Texas statewide median of $35,210 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles. An offer at the national rate would beat what nine in ten local virtual receptionists earn.
What a hire really costs in Brownsville-Harlingen
At the $28,720 median, a local hire costs about $37,058 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $8,338 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 Brownsville-Harlingen
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Brownsville-Harlingen; project coordinators have the highest, at $73,050.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Specialist | +33.5% | 4,880 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +28.9% | 1,050 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +27.7% | 30 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +0.9% | 160 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 1,070 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Brownsville-Harlingen (-24.4%), between HR assistants (-23.2%) and recruiters (-26.9%). The typical role here is at -24.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 6.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Brownsville-Harlingen, 5.0% across Texas and 5.7% nationally. The job is a bigger 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 10 areas in Texas with more virtual receptionists than Brownsville-Harlingen, 1 pays less: McAllen-Edinburg, TX ($28,530).
| Area | Median | vs Brownsville-Harlingen | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | +6.9% | 450 | |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | +6.1% | 340 | |
| El Paso, TX | +2.6% | 1,950 | |
| Eagle Pass, TX | +2.2% | 90 | |
| Laredo, TX | +1.5% | 630 | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | this area | 1,070 | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -0.7% | 1,780 |
Brownsville-Harlingen against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Brownsville-Harlingen is #144 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. No metro area outside Texas pays virtual receptionists less than Brownsville-Harlingen; the table shows the next lowest outside Texas. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Brownsville-Harlingen | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +51.6% | 1,080 | jobs | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | +49.4% | 1,070 | jobs | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | +30.0% | 1,070 | jobs | |
| Lafayette, LA | +5.0% | 1,180 | pay | |
| Dothan, AL | +4.7% | 400 | pay | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | +3.9% | 480 | pay | |
| Gadsden, AL | +2.5% | 180 | pay | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | this area | 1,070 |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
About $37,058 a year at the median, or $3,088 a month: $28,720 in pay plus about $8,338 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for virtual receptionists in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $28,720 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $22,240, the 90th $37,170, and the middle half earned $25,660 to $32,620.
Is Brownsville-Harlingen cheaper than the rest of Texas for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $28,720 against $35,210 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Laredo at $29,140, the next down McAllen-Edinburg at $28,530.
How many virtual receptionists work in Brownsville-Harlingen?
BLS counts about 1,070 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Texas total of 78,330. 10 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is Lubbock, with about 1,130.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Brownsville-Harlingen?
No: $260 a year less at the median. The medians are $28,720 and $28,980.
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.