Virtual receptionist in Houma-Bayou Cane, LA: cost vs in-house
Hiring a virtual receptionist costs less in Houma-Bayou Cane than in Louisiana or the country as a whole. The median is $31,060 a year1: 5.2% below the Louisiana statewide median of $32,750 and 18.3% below the US median of $38,010. Nationally that is #480 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. BLS counts about 590 people in this job here, 5% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Houma-Bayou Cane against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | $21,420 | $31,060 | $42,700 | |
| Louisiana | $21,420 | $32,750 | $44,410 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $42,700 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 Houma-Bayou Cane earns $28,020–$35,550. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $7,530 wide, against $9,160 across Louisiana and $11,170 nationally: employers in Houma-Bayou Cane 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 | $21,420 | $1,785 | $10.30 | $27,639 |
| 25th percentile | $28,020 | $2,335 | $13.47 | $36,155 |
| Median | $31,060 | $2,588 | $14.93 | $40,077 |
| 75th percentile | $35,550 | $2,962 | $17.09 | $45,871 |
| 90th percentile | $42,700 | $3,558 | $20.53 | $55,097 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $4,490 a year in pay and about $5,794 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $3,040 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 Houma-Bayou Cane, and the Louisiana statewide median of $32,750 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 Houma-Bayou Cane
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 $9,017 to the $31,060 median and brings it to $40,077 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 Houma-Bayou Cane
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 15 roles we track in Houma-Bayou Cane; project coordinators have the highest, at $90,550.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +19.2% | 1,180 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +15.7% | 720 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +15.2% | 60 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +13.0% | 200 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 590 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #7 of the 15 roles we track in Houma-Bayou Cane (-18.3%), between office managers (-17.9%) and customer support specialists (-19.7%). The typical role here is at -19.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 9.2% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Houma-Bayou Cane, 7.5% across Louisiana and 5.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Louisiana
Across the 13 areas of Louisiana with data for this job, the median runs from $29,520 in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area to $35,750 in New Orleans-Metairie, a gap of $6,230 a year. Of the 6 areas in Louisiana with more virtual receptionists than Houma-Bayou Cane, 1 pays less: Lafayette, LA ($30,170).
| Area | Median | vs Houma-Bayou Cane | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LA | +1.8% | 570 | |
| Alexandria, LA | +1.4% | 400 | |
| Monroe, LA | +0.6% | 600 | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | this area | 590 | |
| Northeast Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -1.7% | 410 | |
| Lafayette, LA | -2.9% | 1,180 | |
| Southwest Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -4.4% | 550 |
Houma-Bayou Cane against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Houma-Bayou Cane is #278 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 Louisiana, College Station-Bryan and Johnson City pay just above Houma-Bayou Cane and Sumter and Clarksville just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in Houma-Bayou Cane. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Houma-Bayou Cane | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland, TX | +20.0% | 590 | jobs | |
| Binghamton, NY | +19.2% | 600 | jobs | |
| Gainesville, GA | +18.8% | 590 | jobs | |
| Johnson City, TN | +0.4% | 300 | pay | |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | +0.1% | 790 | pay | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | this area | 590 | ||
| Sumter, SC | +0.0% | 180 | pay | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | -0.3% | 450 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Houma-Bayou Cane, LA?
About $40,077 a year at the median, or $3,340 a month: $31,060 in pay plus about $9,017 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Houma-Bayou Cane?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $31,060 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $21,420, the 90th $42,700, and the middle half earned $28,020 to $35,550.
Is Houma-Bayou Cane cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $31,060 against $32,750 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is Monroe at $31,250, the next down the Northeast Louisiana nonmetro area at $30,540.
How many virtual receptionists work in Houma-Bayou Cane?
BLS counts about 590 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Louisiana total of 12,820. 6 areas in Louisiana have more; the closest in size is Monroe, with about 600.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Houma-Bayou Cane?
No: $4,030 a year less at the median. The medians are $31,060 and $35,090.
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.