Virtual receptionist in Springfield, MO: cost vs in-house
Hiring a virtual receptionist costs less in Springfield than in Missouri or the country as a whole. The median is $34,590 a year1: 3.2% below the Missouri statewide median of $35,740 and 9.0% below the US median of $38,010. Nationally it ranks #362 of 521 areas. BLS counts about 1,470 people in this job here, 8% of the Missouri total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Springfield, MO. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Springfield against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MO | $28,750 | $34,590 | $44,050 | |
| Missouri | $29,230 | $35,740 | $46,660 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Springfield earns $31,060–$38,200. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $44,050, 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 $7,140 wide, against $7,990 across Missouri and $11,170 nationally: employers in Springfield 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 | $28,750 | $2,396 | $13.82 | $37,097 |
| 25th percentile | $31,060 | $2,588 | $14.93 | $40,077 |
| Median | $34,590 | $2,882 | $16.63 | $44,632 |
| 75th percentile | $38,200 | $3,183 | $18.37 | $49,290 |
| 90th percentile | $44,050 | $3,671 | $21.18 | $56,839 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $3,530 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $3,610, or about $4,658 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 Springfield, and the Missouri statewide median of $35,740 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Springfield
At the $34,590 median, a local hire costs about $44,632 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $10,042 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 Springfield
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 16 roles we track in Springfield; project coordinators have the highest, at $78,060.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +15.9% | 100 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +12.7% | 4,120 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +8.9% | 150 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +7.4% | 1,030 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 1,470 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #2 of the 16 roles we track in Springfield (-9.0%), between data entry specialists (-8.9%) and bookkeepers (-10.5%). The typical role here is at -17.3%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost more in Springfield than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 7.2% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Springfield, 6.8% across Missouri and 5.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $33,280 in the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area to $37,210 in Kansas City, a gap of $3,930 a year. All 2 areas in Missouri with more virtual receptionists than Springfield also pay more, among them St. Louis, MO-IL ($36,470) and Kansas City, MO-KS ($37,210).
| Area | Median | vs Springfield | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | +5.4% | 8,700 | |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | +1.7% | 320 | |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | +0.5% | 330 | |
| Springfield, MO | this area | 1,470 | |
| Jefferson City, MO | -0.2% | 410 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | -0.7% | 510 | |
| Columbia, MO | -1.6% | 730 |
Springfield against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Springfield is #105 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 Missouri, Canton-Massillon and Weirton-Steubenville pay just above Springfield and Dalton and Memphis just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in Springfield. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Springfield | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor, MI | +13.3% | 1,500 | jobs | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | +5.1% | 1,470 | jobs | |
| Huntsville, AL | +1.4% | 1,470 | jobs | |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | +0.3% | 280 | pay | |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | +0.1% | 1,030 | pay | |
| Springfield, MO | this area | 1,470 | ||
| Dalton, GA | -0.1% | 340 | pay | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -0.2% | 2,100 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Springfield, MO?
About $44,632 a year at the median, or $3,719 a month: $34,590 in pay plus about $10,042 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Springfield?
The median was $34,590 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,750, the 90th $44,050, and the middle half earned $31,060 to $38,200.
Is Springfield cheaper than the rest of Missouri for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $34,590 against $35,740 statewide. The next area up in Missouri is Cape Girardeau at $34,750, the next down Jefferson City at $34,510.
How many virtual receptionists work in Springfield?
BLS counts about 1,470 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the Missouri total of 18,890. Only St. Louis and Kansas City have more in Missouri.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Springfield?
No: $2,560 a year less at the median. The medians are $34,590 and $37,150.
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.