Virtual receptionist in Salem, OR: cost vs in-house
Salem pays virtual receptionists less than Oregon as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $38,510 a year1: 5.8% below the Oregon statewide median of $40,900 and 1.3% above the US median of $38,010. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#127 of 521). BLS counts about 1,290 people in this job here, 9% of the Oregon total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Salem, OR. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Salem against Oregon and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | $31,410 | $38,510 | $48,310 | |
| Oregon | $33,970 | $40,900 | $49,660 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Salem earns $36,010–$44,820. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $48,310, 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 $8,810 wide, against $9,670 across Oregon and $11,170 nationally: employers in Salem 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 | $31,410 | $2,618 | $15.10 | $40,529 |
| 25th percentile | $36,010 | $3,001 | $17.31 | $46,465 |
| Median | $38,510 | $3,209 | $18.51 | $49,690 |
| 75th percentile | $44,820 | $3,735 | $21.55 | $57,832 |
| 90th percentile | $48,310 | $4,026 | $23.23 | $62,335 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $6,310 over the median, the 25th only $2,500 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $8,142 a year in employer cost. 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 25th percentile and the median in Salem, and the Oregon statewide median of $40,900 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Salem
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 $11,180 to the $38,510 median and brings it to $49,690 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 Salem
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Salem; project coordinators have the highest, at $102,730.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +27.0% | 1,440 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +24.1% | 2,140 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +23.9% | 70 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +17.6% | 100 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 1,290 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Salem (+1.3%), between e-commerce order specialists (+3.4%) and project coordinators (+0.4%). The typical role here is at +5.7%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost less in Salem than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 6.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Salem, 7.1% across Oregon and 5.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Oregon
Across the 11 areas of Oregon with data for this job, the median runs from $37,360 in Corvallis to $43,630 in Portland-Vancouver, a gap of $6,270 a year. The one area in Oregon with more virtual receptionists, Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA ($43,630), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grants Pass, OR | +2.5% | 200 | |
| Albany, OR | +2.1% | 280 | |
| Eastern Oregon (Nonmetro) | +0.1% | 380 | |
| Salem, OR | this area | 1,290 | |
| Coast Oregon (Nonmetro) | -1.7% | 750 | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | -2.6% | 1,250 | |
| Central Oregon (Nonmetro) | -2.8% | 380 |
Salem against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Salem is #115 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Oregon, Rochester and Sioux Falls pay just above Salem and Fargo and Vineland just below. All four are within $50 a year of the median in Salem. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | +0.1% | 2,430 | pay | |
| Rochester, NY | +0.1% | 2,840 | pay | |
| Salem, OR | this area | 1,290 | ||
| Fargo, ND-MN | -0.0% | 700 | pay | |
| Vineland, NJ | -0.1% | 570 | pay | |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | -8.0% | 1,300 | jobs | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | -8.5% | 1,310 | jobs | |
| Savannah, GA | -11.0% | 1,290 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Salem, OR?
About $49,690 a year at the median, or $4,141 a month: $38,510 in pay plus about $11,180 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Salem?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $38,510 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,410, the 90th $48,310, and the middle half earned $36,010 to $44,820.
Is Salem cheaper than the rest of Oregon for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $38,510 against $40,900 statewide. The next area up in Oregon is the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area at $38,560, the next down the Coast Oregon nonmetro area at $37,850.
How many virtual receptionists work in Salem?
BLS counts about 1,290 in the May 2025 survey. That is 9% of the Oregon total of 13,590. Only Portland-Vancouver has more in Oregon.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Salem?
No: $6,790 a year less at the median. The medians are $38,510 and $45,300.
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.