Virtual receptionist in Kankakee, IL: cost vs in-house
Hiring a virtual receptionist costs less in Kankakee than in Illinois or the country as a whole. The median is $35,620 a year1: 4.8% below the Illinois statewide median of $37,400 and 6.3% below the US median of $38,010. Nationally it ranks #297 of 521 areas. BLS counts about 310 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Kankakee, IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Kankakee against Illinois and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee, IL | $31,200 | $35,620 | $44,720 | |
| Illinois | $31,200 | $37,400 | $48,350 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Kankakee earns $31,300–$39,800. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $44,720, only 1.4 times the bottom tenth, against 1.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $8,500 wide, against $9,750 across Illinois and $11,170 nationally: employers in Kankakee 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 | $31,200 | $2,600 | $15.00 | $40,258 |
| 25th percentile | $31,300 | $2,608 | $15.05 | $40,387 |
| Median | $35,620 | $2,968 | $17.12 | $45,961 |
| 75th percentile | $39,800 | $3,317 | $19.13 | $51,355 |
| 90th percentile | $44,720 | $3,727 | $21.50 | $57,703 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $4,180 a year in pay and about $5,394 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,320 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 Kankakee, and the Illinois statewide median of $37,400 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Kankakee
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 $10,341 to the $35,620 median and brings it to $45,961 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 Kankakee
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 13 roles we track in Kankakee; project coordinators have the highest, at $95,790.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +25.6% | 540 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +13.7% | 480 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +8.9% | 70 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +5.7% | 320 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 310 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #3 of the 13 roles we track in Kankakee (-6.3%), between data entry specialists (-6.2%) and project coordinators (-6.4%). The typical role here is at -11.9%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost more in Kankakee than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 9.8% of the jobs in these 13 roles in Kankakee, 6.9% across Illinois and 6.0% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Illinois
Across the 12 areas of Illinois with data for this job, the median runs from $33,920 in the West Central Illinois nonmetro area to $38,060 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $4,140 a year. Of the 10 areas in Illinois with more virtual receptionists than Kankakee, 3 pay less: the West Central Illinois nonmetro area ($33,920), the East Central Illinois nonmetro area ($34,770) and Bloomington, IL ($35,340).
| Area | Median | vs Kankakee | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | +2.2% | 930 | |
| Peoria, IL | +1.0% | 1,010 | |
| Decatur, IL | +0.2% | 260 | |
| Kankakee, IL | this area | 310 | |
| Bloomington, IL | -0.8% | 520 | |
| East Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | -2.4% | 970 | |
| West Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | -4.8% | 990 |
Kankakee against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Kankakee is #415 of 521 US areas for this job. The market is small, and its pay sits near the middle of the US range. Outside Illinois, Springfield and Hagerstown-Martinsburg pay just above Kankakee and Knoxville and Birmingham just below. All four are within $10 a year of the median in Kankakee. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Kankakee | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | +0.0% | 790 | pay | |
| Springfield, OH | +0.0% | 280 | pay | |
| Kankakee, IL | this area | 310 | ||
| Knoxville, TN | +0.0% | 1,620 | pay | |
| Birmingham, AL | -0.0% | 3,030 | pay | |
| Albany, GA | -3.6% | 310 | jobs | |
| Williamsport, PA | -5.1% | 310 | jobs | |
| Owensboro, KY | -12.1% | 310 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Kankakee, IL?
About $45,961 a year at the median, or $3,830 a month: $35,620 in pay plus about $10,341 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Kankakee?
The median was $35,620 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,200, the 90th $44,720, and the middle half earned $31,300 to $39,800.
Is Kankakee cheaper than the rest of Illinois for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $35,620 against $37,400 statewide. The next area up in Illinois is Decatur at $35,690, the next down Bloomington at $35,340.
How many virtual receptionists work in Kankakee?
BLS counts about 310 in the May 2025 survey. 10 areas in Illinois have more; the closest in size is Bloomington, with about 520.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Kankakee?
No: $2,040 a year less at the median. The medians are $35,620 and $37,660.
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.