Virtual receptionist in Kingston, NY: cost vs in-house
Kingston pays virtual receptionists less than New York as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $39,540 a year1: 8.2% below the New York statewide median of $43,080 and 4.0% above the US median of $38,010. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#93 of 521). BLS counts about 440 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Kingston, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Kingston against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston, NY | $33,280 | $39,540 | $49,180 | |
| New York | $34,740 | $43,080 | $59,140 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Kingston earns $35,740–$45,760. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $49,180, only 1.5 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 $10,020 wide, against $11,610 across New York and $11,170 nationally: employers in Kingston 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 | $33,280 | $2,773 | $16.00 | $42,942 |
| 25th percentile | $35,740 | $2,978 | $17.18 | $46,116 |
| Median | $39,540 | $3,295 | $19.01 | $51,019 |
| 75th percentile | $45,760 | $3,813 | $22.00 | $59,045 |
| 90th percentile | $49,180 | $4,098 | $23.64 | $63,458 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $6,220 over the median, the 25th only $3,800 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $8,026 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 25th percentile and the median in Kingston, and the New York statewide median of $43,080 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Kingston
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 $11,479 to the $39,540 median and brings it to $51,019 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 Kingston
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 16 roles we track in Kingston; project coordinators have the highest, at $97,770.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +16.6% | 40 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +14.5% | 290 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +10.5% | 680 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +4.6% | 60 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 440 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #2 of the 16 roles we track in Kingston (+4.0%), between bookkeepers (+7.6%) and administrative assistants (+2.3%). The typical role here is at -2.4%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost more in Kingston than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 7.9% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Kingston, 5.9% across New York and 5.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $36,160 in Watertown-Fort Drum to $44,690 in New York-Newark, a gap of $8,530 a year. Of the 11 areas in New York with more virtual receptionists than Kingston, 7 pay less, the largest of them Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY ($38,960), Rochester, NY ($38,550) and Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY ($39,410).
| Area | Median | vs Kingston | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | +0.9% | 2,340 | |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | +0.6% | 2,650 | |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | +0.0% | 760 | |
| Kingston, NY | this area | 440 | |
| Glens Falls, NY | -0.3% | 350 | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | -0.3% | 1,770 | |
| Ithaca, NY | -0.4% | 300 |
Kingston against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Kingston is #339 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside New York, Walla Walla and Bangor pay just above Kingston and Fresno and Visalia just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in Kingston. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Kingston | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor, ME | +0.2% | 360 | pay | |
| Walla Walla, WA | +0.2% | 170 | pay | |
| Kingston, NY | this area | 440 | ||
| Fresno, CA | -0.1% | 2,250 | pay | |
| Visalia, CA | -0.1% | 530 | pay | |
| Bismarck, ND | -2.1% | 440 | jobs | |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | -5.4% | 440 | jobs | |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | -6.5% | 440 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Kingston, NY?
About $51,019 a year at the median, or $4,252 a month: $39,540 in pay plus about $11,479 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Kingston?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $39,540 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $33,280, the 90th $49,180, and the middle half earned $35,740 to $45,760.
Is Kingston cheaper than the rest of New York for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $39,540 against $43,080 statewide. The next area up in New York is the Capital/Northern New York nonmetro area at $39,550, the next down Glens Falls at $39,440.
How many virtual receptionists work in Kingston?
BLS counts about 440 in the May 2025 survey. 11 areas in New York have more; the closest in size is Binghamton, with about 600.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Kingston?
No: $1,830 a year less at the median. The medians are $39,540 and $41,370.
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.