Virtual receptionist in Dothan, AL: cost vs in-house
Dothan is a lower-cost market for virtual receptionists: the median of $30,060 a year1 is 7.8% below the Alabama statewide median of $32,590, and 20.9% below the US median of $38,010. Only 16 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 400 people in this job here, 4% of the Alabama total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Dothan, AL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Dothan against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan, AL | $23,030 | $30,060 | $37,130 | |
| Alabama | $22,830 | $32,590 | $40,730 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Dothan earns $28,430–$34,460. The top tenth earns $37,130 or more, 1.6 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 $6,030 wide, against $8,540 across Alabama and $11,170 nationally: employers in Dothan 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 | $23,030 | $1,919 | $11.07 | $29,716 |
| 25th percentile | $28,430 | $2,369 | $13.67 | $36,684 |
| Median | $30,060 | $2,505 | $14.45 | $38,787 |
| 75th percentile | $34,460 | $2,872 | $16.57 | $44,465 |
| 90th percentile | $37,130 | $3,094 | $17.85 | $47,910 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $4,400 over the median, the 25th only $1,630 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $5,677 a year in employer cost. 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 Dothan, 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 nine in ten local virtual receptionists earn.
What a hire really costs in Dothan
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 $8,727 to the $30,060 median and brings it to $38,787 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 Dothan
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 14 roles we track in Dothan; project coordinators have the highest, at $135,260.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +31.4% | 1,190 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +28.2% | 40 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +20.4% | 840 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +18.3% | 690 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 400 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #7 of the 14 roles we track in Dothan (-20.9%), between accountants (-19.5%) and recruiters (-21.2%). The typical role here is at -21.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 6.9% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Dothan, 4.9% across Alabama and 5.8% nationally. The job is a bigger 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. All 7 areas in Alabama with more virtual receptionists than Dothan also pay more, among them Birmingham, AL ($35,610) and Huntsville, AL ($35,060).
| Area | Median | vs Dothan | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | +1.7% | 330 | |
| Northwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | +1.2% | 200 | |
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | +1.2% | 560 | |
| Dothan, AL | this area | 400 | |
| Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | -1.3% | 380 | |
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | -1.4% | 210 | |
| Gadsden, AL | -2.0% | 180 |
Dothan against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Dothan is #361 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, Lafayette and Beckley pay just above Dothan and Hattiesburg and El Paso just below. All four are within $600 a year of the median in Dothan. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Dothan | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chambersburg, PA | +21.7% | 400 | jobs | |
| Hot Springs, AR | +7.2% | 400 | jobs | |
| Alexandria, LA | +4.8% | 400 | jobs | |
| Beckley, WV | +0.4% | 350 | pay | |
| Lafayette, LA | +0.4% | 1,180 | pay | |
| Dothan, AL | this area | 400 | ||
| Hattiesburg, MS | -0.7% | 480 | pay | |
| El Paso, TX | -2.0% | 1,950 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Dothan, AL?
About $38,787 a year at the median, or $3,232 a month: $30,060 in pay plus about $8,727 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Dothan?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $30,060 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $23,030, the 90th $37,130, and the middle half earned $28,430 to $34,460.
Is Dothan cheaper than the rest of Alabama for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $30,060 against $32,590 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area at $30,420, the next down the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area at $29,670.
How many virtual receptionists work in Dothan?
BLS counts about 400 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Alabama total of 10,460. 7 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is Daphne-Fairhope, with about 460.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Dothan?
No: $5,500 a year less at the median. The medians are $30,060 and $35,560.
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.