Virtual receptionist in Flint, MI: cost vs in-house
Hiring a virtual receptionist costs less in Flint than in Michigan or the country as a whole. The median is $36,230 a year1: 3.3% below the Michigan statewide median of $37,470 and 4.7% below the US median of $38,010. Nationally it ranks #259 of 521 areas. BLS counts about 870 people in this job here, 3% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Flint, MI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Flint against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flint, MI | $29,210 | $36,230 | $46,400 | |
| Michigan | $29,480 | $37,470 | $48,280 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
Virtual receptionists at the 90th percentile earn $46,400, 1.6 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.7. The middle half of virtual receptionists in Flint earns $31,750–$40,270. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $8,520 wide, between the figure for Michigan ($8,310) and the US figure ($11,170).
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 | $29,210 | $2,434 | $14.04 | $37,690 |
| 25th percentile | $31,750 | $2,646 | $15.26 | $40,968 |
| Median | $36,230 | $3,019 | $17.42 | $46,748 |
| 75th percentile | $40,270 | $3,356 | $19.36 | $51,961 |
| 90th percentile | $46,400 | $3,867 | $22.31 | $59,871 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $4,040 a year in pay and about $5,213 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,480 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 median and the 75th percentile in Flint, and the Michigan statewide median of $37,470 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Flint
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 $10,518 to the $36,230 median and brings it to $46,748 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 Flint
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Flint; project coordinators have the highest, at $91,730.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +14.4% | 1,230 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +14.3% | 90 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +8.6% | 70 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +7.1% | 1,970 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 870 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 17 roles we track in Flint (-4.7%); marketing specialists come last (-23.8%). The typical role here is at -10.3%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost more in Flint than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 7.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Flint, 6.2% across Michigan and 5.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Michigan
Across the 19 areas of Michigan with data for this job, the median runs from $33,860 in Bay City to $39,190 in Ann Arbor, a gap of $5,330 a year. All 4 areas in Michigan with more virtual receptionists than Flint also pay more, among them Detroit-Warren, MI ($38,220) and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI ($37,170).
| Area | Median | vs Flint | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | +1.6% | 700 | |
| Mid Michigan (Nonmetro) | +1.4% | 840 | |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | +0.6% | 320 | |
| Flint, MI | this area | 870 | |
| Jackson, MI | -0.3% | 280 | |
| Southern Michigan (Nonmetro) | -0.3% | 640 | |
| Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro) | -1.2% | 560 |
Flint against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Flint is #200 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Michigan, Burlington and Twin Falls pay just above Flint and Salisbury and Odessa just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in Flint. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Flint | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | +0.2% | 880 | jobs | |
| Twin Falls, ID | +0.1% | 360 | pay | |
| Burlington, NC | +0.0% | 300 | pay | |
| Flint, MI | this area | 870 | ||
| Salisbury, MD | -0.1% | 330 | pay | |
| Odessa, TX | -0.1% | 380 | pay | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -0.7% | 880 | jobs | |
| Mobile, AL | -15.2% | 880 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Flint, MI?
About $46,748 a year at the median, or $3,896 a month: $36,230 in pay plus about $10,518 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Flint?
The median was $36,230 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,210, the 90th $46,400, and the middle half earned $31,750 to $40,270.
Is Flint cheaper than the rest of Michigan for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $36,230 against $37,470 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Muskegon-Norton Shores at $36,460, the next down Jackson at $36,130.
How many virtual receptionists work in Flint?
BLS counts about 870 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Michigan total of 25,230. 4 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is Lansing-East Lansing, with about 1,070.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a customer support specialist in Flint?
No: $2,570 a year less at the median. The medians are $36,230 and $38,800.
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.