Virtual receptionist in Florence, SC: cost vs in-house
Hiring a virtual receptionist costs less in Florence than in South Carolina or the country as a whole. The median is $33,130 a year1: 6.7% below the South Carolina statewide median of $35,510 and 12.8% below the US median of $38,010. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#417 of 521). BLS counts about 380 people in this job here, 3% of the South Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Florence, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Florence against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence, SC | $22,050 | $33,130 | $43,780 | |
| South Carolina | $22,710 | $35,510 | $46,750 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $43,780 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, against 1.7 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of virtual receptionists in Florence earns $28,950–$38,170. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $9,220 wide, against $11,210 across South Carolina and $11,170 nationally: employers in Florence 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 | $22,050 | $1,838 | $10.60 | $28,452 |
| 25th percentile | $28,950 | $2,412 | $13.92 | $37,355 |
| Median | $33,130 | $2,761 | $15.93 | $42,748 |
| 75th percentile | $38,170 | $3,181 | $18.35 | $49,252 |
| 90th percentile | $43,780 | $3,648 | $21.05 | $56,490 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,040 a year in pay and about $6,503 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,180 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 Florence, and the South Carolina statewide median of $35,510 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Florence
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 $9,618 to the $33,130 median and brings it to $42,748 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 Florence
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 14 roles we track in Florence; project coordinators have the highest, at $87,400.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +36.7% | 730 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +27.2% | 1,050 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +12.5% | 1,680 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +11.8% | 790 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 380 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #5 of the 14 roles we track in Florence (-12.8%), between administrative assistants (-11.3%) and accountants (-13.9%). The typical role here is at -15.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 4.7% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Florence, 4.6% across South Carolina and 5.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in South Carolina
Across the 11 areas of South Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $31,060 in Sumter to $37,220 in Charleston-North Charleston, a gap of $6,160 a year. All 7 areas in South Carolina with more virtual receptionists than Florence also pay more, among them Charleston-North Charleston, SC ($37,220) and Greenville-Anderson, SC ($35,490).
| Area | Median | vs Florence | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, SC | +5.4% | 690 | |
| Northeastern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | +4.0% | 300 | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | +3.0% | 890 | |
| Northwestern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | +1.0% | 440 | |
| Florence, SC | this area | 380 | |
| Southern South Carolina (Nonmetro) | -0.3% | 170 | |
| Sumter, SC | -6.2% | 180 |
Florence against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Florence is #370 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 South Carolina, Morgantown and Mansfield pay just above Florence and Elizabethtown and Wichita Falls just below. All four are within $190 a year of the median in Florence. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Florence | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MN | +12.3% | 380 | jobs | |
| Odessa, TX | +9.3% | 380 | jobs | |
| Winchester, VA-WV | +8.9% | 380 | jobs | |
| Mansfield, OH | +0.1% | 290 | pay | |
| Morgantown, WV | +0.1% | 600 | pay | |
| Florence, SC | this area | 380 | ||
| Elizabethtown, KY | -0.3% | 250 | pay | |
| Wichita Falls, TX | -0.6% | 420 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Florence, SC?
About $42,748 a year at the median, or $3,562 a month: $33,130 in pay plus about $9,618 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Florence?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $33,130 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $22,050, the 90th $43,780, and the middle half earned $28,950 to $38,170.
Is Florence cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $33,130 against $35,510 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is the Northwestern South Carolina nonmetro area at $33,470, the next down the Southern South Carolina nonmetro area at $33,020.
How many virtual receptionists work in Florence?
BLS counts about 380 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the South Carolina total of 11,280. 7 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is the Northwestern South Carolina nonmetro area, with about 440.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Florence?
No: $3,900 a year less at the median. The medians are $33,130 and $37,030.
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.