Virtual receptionist in Lexington-Fayette, KY: cost vs in-house
Lexington-Fayette pays virtual receptionists more than Kentucky as a whole but less than the country. The median is $33,970 a year1: 3.1% above the Kentucky statewide median of $32,940 and 10.6% below the US median of $38,010. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#395 of 521). About 1,410 virtual receptionists work here, 15% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Lexington-Fayette, KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lexington-Fayette against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $23,920 | $33,970 | $44,600 | |
| Kentucky | $23,720 | $32,940 | $44,270 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Lexington-Fayette earns $28,050–$38,780. The top tenth earns $44,600 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.7 times. The mean ($33,940) 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 $10,730 wide, between the figure for Kentucky ($10,020) 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 | $23,920 | $1,993 | $11.50 | $30,865 |
| 25th percentile | $28,050 | $2,338 | $13.49 | $36,194 |
| Median | $33,970 | $2,831 | $16.33 | $43,832 |
| 75th percentile | $38,780 | $3,232 | $18.64 | $50,039 |
| 90th percentile | $44,600 | $3,717 | $21.44 | $57,548 |
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 $5,920 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 Lexington-Fayette, and the Kentucky statewide median of $32,940 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Lexington-Fayette
At the $33,970 median, a local hire costs about $43,832 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $9,862 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 Lexington-Fayette
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Lexington-Fayette; project coordinators have the highest, at $84,520.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +30.9% | 4,600 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +26.9% | 100 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +15.3% | 5,200 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +5.5% | 470 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 1,410 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Lexington-Fayette (-10.6%), between recruiters (-7.8%) and customer support specialists (-12.5%). The typical role here is at -7.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 4.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Lexington-Fayette, 4.7% across Kentucky and 5.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $29,640 in the East Kentucky nonmetro area to $34,520 in Louisville, a gap of $4,880 a year. The one area in Kentucky with more virtual receptionists, Louisville, KY-IN ($34,520), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Lexington-Fayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | +1.6% | 3,330 | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | this area | 1,410 | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | -2.8% | 250 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | -5.4% | 240 | |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -5.6% | 840 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | -6.5% | 390 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -7.7% | 520 |
Lexington-Fayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lexington-Fayette is #107 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Kentucky, Brunswick-St. Simons and Fort Smith pay just above Lexington-Fayette and Kingsport-Bristol and Lynchburg just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in Lexington-Fayette. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lexington-Fayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | +12.4% | 1,370 | jobs | |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL | +5.4% | 1,410 | jobs | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | +0.3% | 1,360 | jobs | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | +0.1% | 630 | pay | |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | +0.1% | 220 | pay | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | this area | 1,410 | ||
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | -0.1% | 470 | pay | |
| Lynchburg, VA | -0.1% | 560 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
About $43,832 a year at the median, or $3,653 a month: $33,970 in pay plus about $9,862 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for virtual receptionists in Lexington-Fayette?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $33,970 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $23,920, the 90th $44,600, and the middle half earned $28,050 to $38,780.
Is Lexington-Fayette cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for virtual receptionists?
No, it costs more: a median of $33,970 against $32,940 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Louisville at $34,520, the next down Elizabethtown at $33,020.
How many virtual receptionists work in Lexington-Fayette?
BLS counts about 1,410 in the May 2025 survey. That is 15% of the Kentucky total of 9,290. Only Louisville has more in Kentucky.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Lexington-Fayette?
No: $1,860 a year less at the median. The medians are $33,970 and $35,830.
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.