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Virtual receptionist in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC: cost vs in-house

For this job Hilton Head Island-Bluffton sits right at the South Carolina figure, with a median of $35,510 a year1. That is about level with the South Carolina statewide median of $35,510, and 6.6% below the US median of $38,010. Among US areas it comes in at #307 of 521. About 650 virtual receptionists work here, 6% of the South Carolina total.

$2,959median pay per month in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
$3,818employer cost per month with benefits
$17.07median pay per hour
650people in this job in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton

BLS occupation 43-4171, area Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against South Carolina and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC$23,460$35,510$47,900
South Carolina$22,710$35,510$46,750
United States$28,760$38,010$49,950
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $47,900 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton earns $30,080–$43,100. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $13,020 wide, wider than in South Carolina as a whole ($11,210) and the US ($11,170), so what a virtual receptionist earns in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton depends more on the employer.

What to budget for a virtual receptionist here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$23,460$1,955$11.28$30,271
25th percentile$30,080$2,507$14.46$38,813
Median$35,510$2,959$17.07$45,819
75th percentile$43,100$3,592$20.72$55,613
90th percentile$47,900$3,992$23.03$61,806

An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,590 a year in pay and about $9,794 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,430 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, and the South Carolina statewide median of $35,510 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton

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 $10,309 to the $35,510 median and brings it to $45,819 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.

$45,819local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$31,931difference in year one
70%of the local cost saved

Other roles in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton

Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton; project coordinators have the highest, at $79,990.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 16 roles in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
RoleMedianvs virtual receptionistJobs
Administrative Assistant
$46,790
+31.8%1,060
HR Assistant
$44,950
+26.6%n/a
Medical Administrative Assistant
$41,600
+17.2%740
Customer Support Specialist
$37,590
+5.9%1,640
Virtual Receptionist
$35,510
this role650

Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #4 of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton (-6.6%), between administrative assistants (-1.6%) and accountants (-7.3%). The typical role here is at -10.3%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost more in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 7.3% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 4.5% across South Carolina and 5.8% nationally. The job is a bigger 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. Of the 5 areas in South Carolina with more virtual receptionists than Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 3 pay less: Greenville-Anderson, SC ($35,490), Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC ($34,130) and Spartanburg, SC ($34,920).

AreaMedianvs Hilton Head Island-BlufftonJobs
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
$37,220
+4.8%2,160
Columbia, SC
$35,530
+0.1%1,880
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
$35,510
this area650
Greenville-Anderson, SC
$35,490
-0.1%2,030
Spartanburg, SC
$34,920
-1.7%690
Northeastern South Carolina (Nonmetro)
$34,460
-3.0%300
Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC
$34,130
-3.9%890

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton is #256 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside South Carolina, Wichita and Columbus pay just above Hilton Head Island-Bluffton and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake and Farmington just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs Hilton Head Island-BlufftonJobsClose in
Barnstable Town, MA
$45,820
+29.0%670jobs
Flagstaff, AZ
$39,830
+12.2%670jobs
Janesville-Beloit, WI
$38,630
+8.8%640jobs
Columbus, IN
$35,560
+0.1%240pay
Wichita, KS
$35,540
+0.1%1,900pay
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
$35,510
this area650
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC
$35,470
-0.1%4,370pay
Farmington, NM
$35,440
-0.2%250pay

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC?

About $45,819 a year at the median, or $3,818 a month: $35,510 in pay plus about $10,309 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do virtual receptionists earn in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?

The median was $35,510 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $23,460, the 90th $47,900, and the middle half earned $30,080 to $43,100.

Is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for virtual receptionists?

About the same: a median of $35,510 against $35,510 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is Columbia at $35,530, the next down Greenville-Anderson at $35,490.

How many virtual receptionists work in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?

BLS counts about 650 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the South Carolina total of 11,280. 5 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is Spartanburg, with about 690.

Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a customer support specialist in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?

No: $2,080 a year less at the median. The medians are $35,510 and $37,590.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4171: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.