Virtual receptionist in Raleigh-Cary, NC: cost vs in-house
No other area in North Carolina pays virtual receptionists more than Raleigh-Cary: the median is $36,550 a year1. That is 3.1% above the North Carolina statewide median of $35,440, and 3.8% below the US median of $38,010. Nationally it ranks #234 of 521 areas. About 3,690 virtual receptionists work here, 18% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Raleigh-Cary, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Raleigh-Cary against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $25,670 | $36,550 | $50,260 | |
| North Carolina | $23,270 | $35,440 | $46,210 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $50,260 or more, 2.0 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 Raleigh-Cary earns $29,690–$41,940. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $12,250 wide, wider than in North Carolina as a whole ($10,930) and the US ($11,170), so what a virtual receptionist earns in Raleigh-Cary 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 | $25,670 | $2,139 | $12.34 | $33,123 |
| 25th percentile | $29,690 | $2,474 | $14.27 | $38,310 |
| Median | $36,550 | $3,046 | $17.57 | $47,161 |
| 75th percentile | $41,940 | $3,495 | $20.16 | $54,116 |
| 90th percentile | $50,260 | $4,188 | $24.16 | $64,852 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,390 a year in pay and about $6,955 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,860 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 Raleigh-Cary, and the North Carolina statewide median of $35,440 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Raleigh-Cary
At the $36,550 median, a local hire costs about $47,161 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $10,611 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 Raleigh-Cary
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Raleigh-Cary; project coordinators have the highest, at $102,280.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +29.7% | 380 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +27.5% | 7,600 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +24.8% | 520 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +14.6% | 13,620 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 3,690 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Raleigh-Cary (-3.8%), between recruiters (-2.3%) and HR assistants (-3.9%). The typical role here is at -2.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 4.2% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in Raleigh-Cary, 3.9% across North Carolina and 5.9% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $30,600 in Jacksonville to $36,550 in Raleigh-Cary, a gap of $5,950 a year. The one area in North Carolina with more virtual receptionists, Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC ($36,300), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs Raleigh-Cary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | this area | 3,690 | |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | -0.7% | 5,880 | |
| Burlington, NC | -0.9% | 300 | |
| Asheville, NC | -1.5% | 750 | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -1.5% | 880 | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | -3.3% | 1,210 | |
| Western North Carolina (Nonmetro) | -4.7% | 1,120 |
Raleigh-Cary against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Raleigh-Cary is #46 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 North Carolina, Rochester and Dover pay just above Raleigh-Cary and San Antonio-New Braunfels and Las Vegas-Henderson just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in Raleigh-Cary. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Raleigh-Cary | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA | +28.9% | 3,990 | jobs | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | +6.6% | 3,930 | jobs | |
| Dover, DE | +0.1% | 450 | pay | |
| Rochester, MN | +0.1% | 420 | pay | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | this area | 3,690 | ||
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | +0.0% | 7,950 | pay | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV | -0.1% | 8,030 | pay | |
| Richmond, VA | -0.4% | 3,550 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
About $47,161 a year at the median, or $3,930 a month: $36,550 in pay plus about $10,611 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Raleigh-Cary?
The median was $36,550 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $25,670, the 90th $50,260, and the middle half earned $29,690 to $41,940.
Is Raleigh-Cary the most expensive area in North Carolina for virtual receptionists?
Yes. Its median of $36,550 is the highest of 18 areas in North Carolina. Charlotte-Concord comes next at $36,300.
How many virtual receptionists work in Raleigh-Cary?
BLS counts about 3,690 in the May 2025 survey. That is 18% of the North Carolina total of 20,080. Only Charlotte-Concord has more in North Carolina.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a customer support specialist in Raleigh-Cary?
No: $5,350 a year less at the median. The medians are $36,550 and $41,900.
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.