Virtual receptionist in El Paso, TX: cost vs in-house
El Paso is a lower-cost market for virtual receptionists: the median of $29,460 a year1 is 16.3% below the Texas statewide median of $35,210, and 22.5% below the US median of $38,010. Only 7 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 1,950 people in this job here, 2% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area El Paso, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in El Paso against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso, TX | $21,450 | $29,460 | $40,690 | |
| Texas | $24,700 | $35,210 | $47,380 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
Virtual receptionists at the 90th percentile earn $40,690, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.7. The middle half of virtual receptionists in El Paso earns $25,310–$35,450. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $10,140 wide, against $11,050 across Texas and $11,170 nationally: employers in El Paso 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 | $21,450 | $1,788 | $10.31 | $27,677 |
| 25th percentile | $25,310 | $2,109 | $12.17 | $32,658 |
| Median | $29,460 | $2,455 | $14.16 | $38,013 |
| 75th percentile | $35,450 | $2,954 | $17.04 | $45,742 |
| 90th percentile | $40,690 | $3,391 | $19.56 | $52,503 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,990 a year in pay and about $7,729 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,150 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 75th and 90th percentiles in El Paso, and the Texas statewide median of $35,210 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 El Paso
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 $8,553 to the $29,460 median and brings it to $38,013 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 El Paso
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in El Paso; project coordinators have the highest, at $79,920.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Specialist | +27.8% | 10,680 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +26.5% | 120 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +24.9% | 1,860 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +5.9% | 360 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 1,950 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in El Paso (-22.5%), between recruiters (-22.3%) and data entry specialists (-24.5%). The typical role here is at -19.3%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost less in El Paso than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 5.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in El Paso, 5.0% across Texas and 5.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
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. All 4 areas in Texas with more virtual receptionists than El Paso also pay more, among them Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ($37,060) and Houston-Pasadena, TX ($35,350).
| Area | Median | vs El Paso | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Border Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | +5.1% | 180 | |
| Abilene, TX | +4.2% | 450 | |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | +3.4% | 340 | |
| El Paso, TX | this area | 1,950 | |
| Eagle Pass, TX | -0.4% | 90 | |
| Laredo, TX | -1.1% | 630 | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -2.5% | 1,070 |
El Paso against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, El Paso is #82 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Texas, Hattiesburg and Dothan pay just above El Paso and Gadsden just below. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs El Paso | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester, MA | +41.6% | 1,940 | jobs | |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | +37.6% | 1,980 | jobs | |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | +25.3% | 1,970 | jobs | |
| Dothan, AL | +2.0% | 400 | pay | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | +1.3% | 480 | pay | |
| El Paso, TX | this area | 1,950 | ||
| Gadsden, AL | -0.0% | 180 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in El Paso, TX?
About $38,013 a year at the median, or $3,168 a month: $29,460 in pay plus about $8,553 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in El Paso?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $29,460 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $21,450, the 90th $40,690, and the middle half earned $25,310 to $35,450.
Is El Paso cheaper than the rest of Texas for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $29,460 against $35,210 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Texarkana at $30,470, the next down Eagle Pass at $29,340.
How many virtual receptionists work in El Paso?
BLS counts about 1,950 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Texas total of 78,330. 4 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is Austin-Round Rock, with about 7,480.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in El Paso?
No: $1,740 a year less at the median. The medians are $29,460 and $31,200.
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.