Virtual receptionist in Lake Charles, LA: cost vs in-house
Hiring a virtual receptionist costs less in Lake Charles than in Louisiana or the country as a whole. The median is $31,620 a year1: 3.5% below the Louisiana statewide median of $32,750 and 16.8% below the US median of $38,010. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#463 of 521). About 570 virtual receptionists work here, 4% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Lake Charles, LA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lake Charles against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LA | $19,280 | $31,620 | $42,990 | |
| 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 $42,990 or more, 2.2 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 Lake Charles earns $26,510–$36,080. The mean ($31,420) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $9,570 wide, between the figure for Louisiana ($9,160) and the US figure ($11,170).
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 | $19,280 | $1,607 | $9.27 | $24,877 |
| 25th percentile | $26,510 | $2,209 | $12.75 | $34,206 |
| Median | $31,620 | $2,635 | $15.20 | $40,800 |
| 75th percentile | $36,080 | $3,007 | $17.35 | $46,555 |
| 90th percentile | $42,990 | $3,582 | $20.67 | $55,471 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $4,460 a year in pay and about $5,755 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,110 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 Lake Charles, 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 Lake Charles
At the $31,620 median, a local hire costs about $40,800 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $9,180 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 Lake Charles
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 14 roles we track in Lake Charles; project coordinators have the highest, at $92,770.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +27.3% | 1,390 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +15.1% | 170 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +10.9% | 1,090 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +5.3% | 40 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 570 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #7 of the 14 roles we track in Lake Charles (-16.8%), between accountants (-16.3%) and data entry specialists (-19.4%). The typical role here is at -18.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 8.1% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Lake Charles, 8.0% across Louisiana and 6.0% 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 7 areas in Louisiana with more virtual receptionists than Lake Charles, 3 pay less: Lafayette, LA ($30,170), Monroe, LA ($31,250) and Houma-Bayou Cane, LA ($31,060).
| Area | Median | vs Lake Charles | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammond, LA | +1.6% | 280 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +0.9% | 1,140 | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | +0.4% | 1,000 | |
| Lake Charles, LA | this area | 570 | |
| Alexandria, LA | -0.4% | 400 | |
| Monroe, LA | -1.2% | 600 | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -1.8% | 590 |
Lake Charles against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lake Charles is #284 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, Wheeling and Daphne-Fairhope pay just above Lake Charles and Auburn-Opelika and Lubbock just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Lake Charles. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lake Charles | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vineland, NJ | +21.7% | 570 | jobs | |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | +19.5% | 580 | jobs | |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | +15.5% | 570 | jobs | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | +0.4% | 460 | pay | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | +0.4% | 410 | pay | |
| Lake Charles, LA | this area | 570 | ||
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | -0.1% | 330 | pay | |
| Lubbock, TX | -0.2% | 1,130 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Lake Charles, LA?
About $40,800 a year at the median, or $3,400 a month: $31,620 in pay plus about $9,180 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Lake Charles?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $31,620 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $19,280, the 90th $42,990, and the middle half earned $26,510 to $36,080.
Is Lake Charles cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $31,620 against $32,750 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is Slidell-Mandeville at $31,760, the next down Alexandria at $31,500.
How many virtual receptionists work in Lake Charles?
BLS counts about 570 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Louisiana total of 12,820. 7 areas in Louisiana have more; the closest in size is Houma-Bayou Cane, with about 590.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Lake Charles?
No: $1,690 a year less at the median. The medians are $31,620 and $33,310.
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.