Virtual receptionist in Hattiesburg, MS: cost vs in-house
Hiring a virtual receptionist costs less in Hattiesburg than in Mississippi or the country as a whole. The median is $29,850 a year1: 4.2% below the Mississippi statewide median of $31,160 and 21.5% below the US median of $38,010. Nationally that is #506 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. BLS counts about 480 people in this job here, 7% of the Mississippi total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Hattiesburg, MS. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Hattiesburg against Mississippi and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hattiesburg, MS | $21,960 | $29,850 | $38,480 | |
| Mississippi | $22,310 | $31,160 | $42,990 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Hattiesburg earns $26,550–$34,810. The top tenth earns $38,480 or more, 1.8 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 $8,260 wide, against $9,640 across Mississippi and $11,170 nationally: employers in Hattiesburg 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 | $21,960 | $1,830 | $10.56 | $28,335 |
| 25th percentile | $26,550 | $2,212 | $12.76 | $34,258 |
| Median | $29,850 | $2,488 | $14.35 | $38,516 |
| 75th percentile | $34,810 | $2,901 | $16.74 | $44,916 |
| 90th percentile | $38,480 | $3,207 | $18.50 | $49,652 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $4,960 over the median, the 25th only $3,300 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $6,400 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 between the 75th and 90th percentiles in Hattiesburg, and the Mississippi statewide median of $31,160 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 Hattiesburg
At the $29,850 median, a local hire costs about $38,516 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $8,666 here. 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 Hattiesburg
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 15 roles we track in Hattiesburg; project coordinators have the highest, at $81,710.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Specialist | +22.9% | 1,280 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +19.3% | 790 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +16.2% | n/a | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +12.6% | 50 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 480 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #8 of the 15 roles we track in Hattiesburg (-21.5%), between bookkeepers (-20.6%) and accountants (-21.9%). The typical role here is at -21.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 9.2% of the jobs in the 14 of these roles with a job count in Hattiesburg, 7.2% across Mississippi and 6.2% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Mississippi
Across the 7 areas of Mississippi with data for this job, the median runs from $28,760 in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area to $34,350 in Jackson, a gap of $5,590 a year. Of the 5 areas in Mississippi with more virtual receptionists than Hattiesburg, 1 pays less: the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area ($29,450).
| Area | Median | vs Hattiesburg | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, MS | +15.1% | 1,770 | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | +7.9% | 950 | |
| Upper East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | +2.5% | 1,270 | |
| West Delta Mississippi (Nonmetro) | +1.5% | 520 | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | this area | 480 | |
| Lower East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | -1.3% | 680 | |
| Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro) | -3.7% | 400 |
Hattiesburg against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Hattiesburg is #320 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 Mississippi, Dothan and Lafayette pay just above Hattiesburg and El Paso and Gadsden just below. All four are within $400 a year of the median in Hattiesburg. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Hattiesburg | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fond du Lac, WI | +35.3% | 470 | jobs | |
| Topeka, KS | +19.9% | 480 | jobs | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | +17.6% | 490 | jobs | |
| Lafayette, LA | +1.1% | 1,180 | pay | |
| Dothan, AL | +0.7% | 400 | pay | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | this area | 480 | ||
| El Paso, TX | -1.3% | 1,950 | pay | |
| Gadsden, AL | -1.3% | 180 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Hattiesburg, MS?
About $38,516 a year at the median, or $3,210 a month: $29,850 in pay plus about $8,666 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Hattiesburg?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $29,850 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $21,960, the 90th $38,480, and the middle half earned $26,550 to $34,810.
Is Hattiesburg cheaper than the rest of Mississippi for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $29,850 against $31,160 statewide. The next area up in Mississippi is the West Delta Mississippi nonmetro area at $30,310, the next down the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area at $29,450.
How many virtual receptionists work in Hattiesburg?
BLS counts about 480 in the May 2025 survey. That is 7% of the Mississippi total of 6,920. 5 areas in Mississippi have more; the closest in size is the West Delta Mississippi nonmetro area, with about 520.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Hattiesburg?
No: $3,760 a year less at the median. The medians are $29,850 and $33,610.
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.