Virtual receptionist in Daphne-Fairhope, AL: cost vs in-house
Daphne-Fairhope is a lower-cost market for virtual receptionists: the median of $31,750 a year1 is 2.6% below the Alabama statewide median of $32,590, and 16.5% below the US median of $38,010. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#460 of 521). BLS counts about 460 people in this job here, 4% of the Alabama total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Daphne-Fairhope against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | $23,090 | $31,750 | $39,380 | |
| Alabama | $22,830 | $32,590 | $40,730 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Daphne-Fairhope earns $28,480–$36,290. The top tenth earns $39,380 or more, 1.7 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 $7,810 wide, against $8,540 across Alabama and $11,170 nationally: employers in Daphne-Fairhope 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 | $23,090 | $1,924 | $11.10 | $29,794 |
| 25th percentile | $28,480 | $2,373 | $13.69 | $36,748 |
| Median | $31,750 | $2,646 | $15.26 | $40,968 |
| 75th percentile | $36,290 | $3,024 | $17.45 | $46,826 |
| 90th percentile | $39,380 | $3,282 | $18.93 | $50,813 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $3,270 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $4,540, or about $5,858 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 Daphne-Fairhope, 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 Daphne-Fairhope
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $9,218 to the $31,750 median and brings it to $40,968 a year. 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 Daphne-Fairhope
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 16 roles we track in Daphne-Fairhope; project coordinators have the highest, at $84,520.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Specialist | +19.1% | 1,110 | |
| HR Assistant | +17.7% | 30 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +14.9% | 820 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +9.8% | 30 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 460 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #5 of the 16 roles we track in Daphne-Fairhope (-16.5%), between data entry specialists (-15.7%) and administrative assistants (-16.8%). The typical role here is at -17.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 5.4% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in Daphne-Fairhope, 4.9% across Alabama and 6.2% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
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 6 areas in Alabama with more virtual receptionists than Daphne-Fairhope, 4 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 Daphne-Fairhope | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | +10.4% | 1,470 | |
| Decatur, AL | +4.8% | 250 | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +0.5% | 190 | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | this area | 460 | |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | -0.5% | 330 | |
| Montgomery, AL | -3.2% | 750 | |
| Mobile, AL | -3.3% | 880 |
Daphne-Fairhope against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Daphne-Fairhope is #328 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 Alabama, Bowling Green and Slidell-Mandeville pay just above Daphne-Fairhope and Wheeling and Lake Charles just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Daphne-Fairhope. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Daphne-Fairhope | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +37.7% | 470 | jobs | |
| Fond du Lac, WI | +27.2% | 470 | jobs | |
| Lexington Park, MD | +20.0% | 460 | jobs | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | +0.0% | 1,000 | pay | |
| Bowling Green, KY | +0.0% | 390 | pay | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | this area | 460 | ||
| Wheeling, WV-OH | +0.0% | 410 | pay | |
| Lake Charles, LA | -0.4% | 570 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Daphne-Fairhope, AL?
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 Daphne-Fairhope?
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 $23,090, the 90th $39,380, and the middle half earned $28,480 to $36,290.
Is Daphne-Fairhope cheaper than the rest of Alabama for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $31,750 against $32,590 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is Anniston-Oxford at $31,900, the next down Auburn-Opelika at $31,600.
How many virtual receptionists work in Daphne-Fairhope?
BLS counts about 460 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Alabama total of 10,460. 6 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is Tuscaloosa, with about 510.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Daphne-Fairhope?
No: $3,110 a year less at the median. The medians are $31,750 and $34,860.
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.