Virtual receptionist in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI: cost vs in-house
Minneapolis-St. Paul pays virtual receptionists close to the national norm. The median is $38,000 a year1, 1.3% above the Minnesota statewide median of $37,510 and about level with the US median of $38,010. Nationally it ranks #141 of 521 areas. With about 8,780 virtual receptionists, no area in Minnesota employs more.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Minneapolis-St. Paul against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | $28,590 | $38,000 | $51,910 | |
| Minnesota | $28,320 | $37,510 | $50,540 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Minneapolis-St. Paul earns $32,020–$46,130. The top tenth earns $51,910 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.7 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $14,110 wide, wider than in Minnesota as a whole ($12,930) and the US ($11,170), so what a virtual receptionist earns in Minneapolis-St. Paul depends more on the employer.
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 | $28,590 | $2,382 | $13.75 | $36,890 |
| 25th percentile | $32,020 | $2,668 | $15.39 | $41,316 |
| Median | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18.27 | $49,032 |
| 75th percentile | $46,130 | $3,844 | $22.18 | $59,523 |
| 90th percentile | $51,910 | $4,326 | $24.96 | $66,981 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $5,980 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $8,130, or about $10,490 once benefits are added. 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the Minnesota statewide median of $37,510 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Minneapolis-St. Paul
At the $38,000 median, a local hire costs about $49,032 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,032 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Minneapolis-St. Paul; marketing specialists have the highest, at $97,910.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +36.5% | 8,920 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +30.3% | 620 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +30.2% | 38,630 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +21.9% | 920 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 8,780 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Minneapolis-St. Paul (-0.0%), between accountants (+3.4%) and project coordinators (-4.4%). The typical role here is at +10.5%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost less in Minneapolis-St. Paul than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 4.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Minneapolis-St. Paul, 4.0% across Minnesota and 5.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $35,350 in Duluth to $39,570 in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area, a gap of $4,220 a year. No other area in Minnesota has as many virtual receptionists, and 7 of the other 8 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Minneapolis-St. Paul | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +4.1% | 700 | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | this area | 8,780 | |
| Mankato, MN | -0.1% | 190 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -0.5% | 310 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | -2.1% | 380 | |
| Rochester, MN | -3.8% | 420 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -4.8% | 540 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Minneapolis-St. Paul is #15 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Minnesota, Philadelphia-Camden and Chicago-Naperville pay just above Minneapolis-St. Paul and Rapid City and Des Moines-West Des Moines just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Minneapolis-St. Paul | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +30.1% | 8,510 | jobs | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +0.2% | 30,540 | pay | |
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | +0.1% | 22,210 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | this area | 8,780 | ||
| Rapid City, SD | -0.0% | 1,240 | pay | |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | -0.2% | 1,260 | pay | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | -1.1% | 8,660 | jobs | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | -4.0% | 8,700 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI?
About $49,032 a year at the median, or $4,086 a month: $38,000 in pay plus about $11,032 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for virtual receptionists in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
The median was $38,000 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,590, the 90th $51,910, and the middle half earned $32,020 to $46,130.
Is Minneapolis-St. Paul cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for virtual receptionists?
No, it costs more: a median of $38,000 against $37,510 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area at $39,570, the next down Mankato at $37,950.
How many virtual receptionists work in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
BLS counts about 8,780 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Minnesota has as many.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
No: $8,320 a year less at the median. The medians are $38,000 and $46,320.
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.