Virtual receptionist in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area: cost vs in-house
No other area in Mississippi pays virtual receptionists less than the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area. The median is $28,760 a year1, 7.7% below the Mississippi statewide median of $31,160 and 24.3% below the US median of $38,010. Nationally that is #519 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 400 virtual receptionists work here, 6% of the Mississippi total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Lower West Mississippi nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area against Mississippi and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro) | $21,230 | $28,760 | $37,570 | |
| Mississippi | $22,310 | $31,160 | $42,990 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
Virtual receptionists at the 90th percentile earn $37,570, 1.8 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.7. The middle half of virtual receptionists in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area earns $24,630–$34,160. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $9,530 wide, against $9,640 across Mississippi and $11,170 nationally: employers in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area 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 | $21,230 | $1,769 | $10.21 | $27,394 |
| 25th percentile | $24,630 | $2,052 | $11.84 | $31,781 |
| Median | $28,760 | $2,397 | $13.83 | $37,110 |
| 75th percentile | $34,160 | $2,847 | $16.42 | $44,077 |
| 90th percentile | $37,570 | $3,131 | $18.06 | $48,477 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,400 a year in pay and about $6,968 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,130 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 above the 90th percentile in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area, and the Mississippi statewide median of $31,160 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what nine in ten local virtual receptionists earn.
What a hire really costs in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area
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 $8,350 to the $28,760 median and brings it to $37,110 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 the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 15 roles we track in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area; project coordinators have the highest, at $99,510.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +27.4% | 100 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +22.9% | 300 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +20.8% | 1,110 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +20.7% | 950 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 400 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #10 of the 15 roles we track in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area (-24.3%), between recruiters (-23.3%) and administrative assistants (-27.0%). The typical role here is at -23.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 6.5% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area and 5.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Mississippi
Across the 7 areas of Mississippi with data for this job, the median runs from $28,760 in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area to $34,350 in Jackson, a gap of $5,590 a year. All 6 areas in Mississippi with more virtual receptionists than the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area also pay more, among them Jackson, MS ($34,350) and the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area ($30,610).
| Area | Median | vs the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, MS | +19.4% | 1,770 | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | +12.0% | 950 | |
| Upper East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | +6.4% | 1,270 | |
| West Delta Mississippi (Nonmetro) | +5.4% | 520 | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | +3.8% | 480 | |
| Lower East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | +2.4% | 680 | |
| Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro) | this area | 400 |
the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area is #364 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 Mississippi, Laredo and Eagle Pass pay just above the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area and Brownsville-Harlingen and McAllen-Edinburg just below. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chambersburg, PA | +27.2% | 400 | jobs | |
| Alexandria, LA | +9.5% | 400 | jobs | |
| Dothan, AL | +4.5% | 400 | jobs | |
| Eagle Pass, TX | +2.0% | 90 | pay | |
| Laredo, TX | +1.3% | 630 | pay | |
| Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro) | this area | 400 | ||
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -0.1% | 1,070 | pay | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -0.8% | 1,780 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro)?
About $37,110 a year at the median, or $3,092 a month: $28,760 in pay plus about $8,350 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for virtual receptionists in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $28,760 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $21,230, the 90th $37,570, and the middle half earned $24,630 to $34,160.
Is the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area the cheapest area in Mississippi for virtual receptionists?
Yes. Its median of $28,760 is the lowest of 7 areas in Mississippi. The Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area is next at $29,450.
How many virtual receptionists work in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 400 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the Mississippi total of 6,920. 6 areas in Mississippi have more; the closest in size is Hattiesburg, with about 480.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than an administrative assistant in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area?
No: $5,960 a year less at the median. The medians are $28,760 and $34,720.
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.