Virtual receptionist in Parkersburg-Vienna, WV: cost vs in-house
Parkersburg-Vienna pays virtual receptionists close to the West Virginia norm. The median is $31,880 a year1, about level with the West Virginia statewide median of $31,920 and 16.1% below the US median of $38,010. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#456 of 521). About 330 virtual receptionists work here, 6% of the West Virginia total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Parkersburg-Vienna, WV. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Parkersburg-Vienna against West Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $25,700 | $31,880 | $39,680 | |
| West Virginia | $23,690 | $31,920 | $42,740 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Parkersburg-Vienna earns $28,840–$35,840. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $39,680, 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 $7,000 wide, against $8,650 across West Virginia and $11,170 nationally: employers in Parkersburg-Vienna 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 | $25,700 | $2,142 | $12.36 | $33,161 |
| 25th percentile | $28,840 | $2,403 | $13.87 | $37,213 |
| Median | $31,880 | $2,657 | $15.33 | $41,135 |
| 75th percentile | $35,840 | $2,987 | $17.23 | $46,245 |
| 90th percentile | $39,680 | $3,307 | $19.08 | $51,200 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $3,960 a year in pay and about $5,110 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $3,040 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 Parkersburg-Vienna, and the West Virginia statewide median of $31,920 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 Parkersburg-Vienna
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 $9,255 to the $31,880 median and brings it to $41,135 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 Parkersburg-Vienna
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 13 roles we track in Parkersburg-Vienna; accountants have the highest, at $100,420.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +41.1% | 400 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +22.6% | 410 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +19.4% | 60 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +16.7% | 330 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 330 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #7 of the 13 roles we track in Parkersburg-Vienna (-16.1%), between bookkeepers (-11.2%) and customer support specialists (-16.9%). The typical role here is at -16.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 9.7% of the jobs in these 13 roles in Parkersburg-Vienna, 9.6% across West Virginia and 6.0% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in West Virginia
Across the 9 areas of West Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $30,180 in Beckley to $34,690 in Weirton-Steubenville, a gap of $4,510 a year. Of the 7 areas in West Virginia with more virtual receptionists than Parkersburg-Vienna, 4 pay less, the largest of them the Northern West Virginia nonmetro area ($30,790), the Southern West Virginia nonmetro area ($30,370) and Wheeling, WV-OH ($31,750).
| Area | Median | vs Parkersburg-Vienna | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgantown, WV | +4.0% | 600 | |
| Charleston, WV | +2.9% | 800 | |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY | +0.0% | 1,050 | |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | this area | 330 | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | -0.4% | 410 | |
| Northern West Virginia (Nonmetro) | -3.4% | 970 | |
| Southern West Virginia (Nonmetro) | -4.7% | 620 |
Parkersburg-Vienna against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Parkersburg-Vienna is #406 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside West Virginia, Anniston-Oxford and Shreveport-Bossier City pay just above Parkersburg-Vienna and Corpus Christi and Slidell-Mandeville just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in Parkersburg-Vienna. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Parkersburg-Vienna | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | +9.0% | 330 | jobs | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +0.1% | 1,140 | pay | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +0.1% | 190 | pay | |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | this area | 330 | ||
| Corpus Christi, TX | -0.2% | 1,270 | pay | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -0.4% | 1,000 | pay | |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | -0.9% | 330 | jobs | |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | -4.1% | 330 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Parkersburg-Vienna, WV?
About $41,135 a year at the median, or $3,428 a month: $31,880 in pay plus about $9,255 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Parkersburg-Vienna?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $31,880 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $25,700, the 90th $39,680, and the middle half earned $28,840 to $35,840.
Is Parkersburg-Vienna cheaper than the rest of West Virginia for virtual receptionists?
About the same: a median of $31,880 against $31,920 statewide. The next area up in West Virginia is Huntington-Ashland at $31,890, the next down Wheeling at $31,750.
How many virtual receptionists work in Parkersburg-Vienna?
BLS counts about 330 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the West Virginia total of 5,470. 7 areas in West Virginia have more; the closest in size is Beckley, with about 350.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a customer support specialist in Parkersburg-Vienna?
No: $5,310 a year less at the median. The medians are $31,880 and $37,190.
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.