Virtual receptionist in Rockford, IL: cost vs in-house
Rockford pays virtual receptionists close to the Illinois norm. The median is $37,460 a year1, about level with the Illinois statewide median of $37,400 and 1.4% below the US median of $38,010. Nationally it ranks #165 of 521 areas. BLS counts about 1,000 people in this job here, 2% of the Illinois total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Rockford, IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rockford against Illinois and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford, IL | $31,200 | $37,460 | $46,630 | |
| Illinois | $31,200 | $37,400 | $48,350 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Rockford earns $33,340–$42,810. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $46,630, 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 $9,470 wide, against $9,750 across Illinois and $11,170 nationally: employers in Rockford 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 | $31,200 | $2,600 | $15.00 | $40,258 |
| 25th percentile | $33,340 | $2,778 | $16.03 | $43,019 |
| Median | $37,460 | $3,122 | $18.01 | $48,335 |
| 75th percentile | $42,810 | $3,568 | $20.58 | $55,239 |
| 90th percentile | $46,630 | $3,886 | $22.42 | $60,168 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,350 a year in pay and about $6,903 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,120 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 Rockford, and the Illinois statewide median of $37,400 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Rockford
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 $10,875 to the $37,460 median and brings it to $48,335 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 Rockford
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Rockford; project coordinators have the highest, at $94,690.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +20.3% | 60 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +17.9% | 50 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +15.5% | 2,070 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +7.8% | 160 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 1,000 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Rockford (-1.4%), between medical administrative assistants (+0.2%) and data entry specialists (-2.3%). The typical role here is at -5.4%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost more in Rockford than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 8.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rockford, 6.6% across Illinois and 5.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Illinois
Across the 12 areas of Illinois with data for this job, the median runs from $33,920 in the West Central Illinois nonmetro area to $38,060 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $4,140 a year. Of the 2 areas in Illinois with more virtual receptionists than Rockford, 1 pays less: Peoria, IL ($35,970).
| Area | Median | vs Rockford | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +1.6% | 30,540 | |
| Rockford, IL | this area | 1,000 | |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | -1.5% | 760 | |
| South Illinois (Nonmetro) | -1.8% | 930 | |
| Springfield, IL | -2.6% | 670 | |
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | -2.8% | 930 | |
| Peoria, IL | -4.0% | 1,010 |
Rockford against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rockford is #159 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Illinois, Battle Creek and Boise City pay just above Rockford and Cheyenne and North Port-Bradenton just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in Rockford. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rockford | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eau Claire, WI | +10.3% | 990 | jobs | |
| Norwich-New London, CT | +1.1% | 1,010 | jobs | |
| Boise City, ID | +0.1% | 2,280 | pay | |
| Battle Creek, MI | +0.1% | 280 | pay | |
| Rockford, IL | this area | 1,000 | ||
| Cheyenne, WY | -0.0% | 290 | pay | |
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | -0.1% | 2,370 | pay | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -15.2% | 1,000 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Rockford, IL?
About $48,335 a year at the median, or $4,028 a month: $37,460 in pay plus about $10,875 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Rockford?
The median was $37,460 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,200, the 90th $46,630, and the middle half earned $33,340 to $42,810.
Is Rockford cheaper than the rest of Illinois for virtual receptionists?
About the same: a median of $37,460 against $37,400 statewide. The next area up in Illinois is Chicago-Naperville at $38,060, the next down Champaign-Urbana at $36,880.
How many virtual receptionists work in Rockford?
BLS counts about 1,000 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Illinois total of 40,370. Only Chicago-Naperville and Peoria have more in Illinois.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Rockford?
No: $2,940 a year less at the median. The medians are $37,460 and $40,400.
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.