Virtual receptionist in Johnson City, TN: cost vs in-house
Hiring a virtual receptionist costs less in Johnson City than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $31,180 a year1: 10.7% below the Tennessee statewide median of $34,910 and 18.0% below the US median of $38,010. Nationally that is #478 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 300 virtual receptionists work here, 3% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Johnson City, TN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Johnson City against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson City, TN | $24,700 | $31,180 | $42,190 | |
| Tennessee | $25,400 | $34,910 | $45,980 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Johnson City earns $27,580–$35,990. The top tenth earns $42,190 or more, 1.7 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 $8,410 wide, against $10,460 across Tennessee and $11,170 nationally: employers in Johnson City 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 | $24,700 | $2,058 | $11.88 | $31,871 |
| 25th percentile | $27,580 | $2,298 | $13.26 | $35,587 |
| Median | $31,180 | $2,598 | $14.99 | $40,232 |
| 75th percentile | $35,990 | $2,999 | $17.30 | $46,439 |
| 90th percentile | $42,190 | $3,516 | $20.28 | $54,439 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $4,810 a year in pay and about $6,206 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $3,600 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 Johnson City, and the Tennessee statewide median of $34,910 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 Johnson City
At the $31,180 median, a local hire costs about $40,232 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $9,052 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 Johnson City
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City; project coordinators have the highest, at $78,100.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Specialist | +17.3% | 1,940 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +17.3% | 1,580 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +15.8% | 30 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +14.7% | 40 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 300 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #5 of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City (-18.0%), between administrative assistants (-15.7%) and customer support specialists (-18.3%). The typical role here is at -19.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 3.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Johnson City, 3.2% across Tennessee and 5.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $29,760 in the North Central Tennessee nonmetro area to $36,810 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $7,050 a year. Of the 9 areas in Tennessee with more virtual receptionists than Johnson City, 2 pay less: Clarksville, TN-KY ($30,960) and the North Central Tennessee nonmetro area ($29,760).
| Area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, TN | +5.1% | 160 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +5.1% | 520 | |
| Morristown, TN | +0.1% | 150 | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 300 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | -0.7% | 450 | |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -1.5% | 290 | |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -4.6% | 380 |
Johnson City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Johnson City is #423 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Tennessee, Valdosta and San Angelo pay just above Johnson City and College Station-Bryan and Houma-Bayou Cane just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in Johnson City. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | +26.4% | 300 | jobs | |
| Iowa City, IA | +24.2% | 300 | jobs | |
| Burlington, NC | +16.2% | 300 | jobs | |
| San Angelo, TX | +0.1% | 300 | pay | |
| Valdosta, GA | +0.0% | 340 | pay | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 300 | ||
| College Station-Bryan, TX | -0.3% | 790 | pay | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -0.4% | 590 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Johnson City, TN?
About $40,232 a year at the median, or $3,353 a month: $31,180 in pay plus about $9,052 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Johnson City?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $31,180 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $24,700, the 90th $42,190, and the middle half earned $27,580 to $35,990.
Is Johnson City cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $31,180 against $34,910 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Morristown at $31,200, the next down Clarksville at $30,960.
How many virtual receptionists work in Johnson City?
BLS counts about 300 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Tennessee total of 11,460. 9 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is the West Tennessee nonmetro area, with about 340.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Johnson City?
No: $4,590 a year less at the median. The medians are $31,180 and $35,770.
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.