Virtual receptionist in Stockton-Lodi, CA: cost vs in-house
The median virtual receptionist in Stockton-Lodi earned $42,710 a year in May 20251. That is 12.4% above the US median of $38,010, even though it is 3.2% below the California statewide median of $44,100. Only 46 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 920 people in this job here, 1% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Stockton-Lodi, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Stockton-Lodi against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $35,680 | $42,710 | $69,110 | |
| California | $36,410 | $44,100 | $58,800 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $69,110 or more, 1.9 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 Stockton-Lodi earns $37,570–$49,210. The mean ($46,310) is 8% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $11,640 wide, wider than in California as a whole ($9,640) and the US ($11,170), so what a virtual receptionist earns in Stockton-Lodi 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 | $35,680 | $2,973 | $17.15 | $46,039 |
| 25th percentile | $37,570 | $3,131 | $18.06 | $48,477 |
| Median | $42,710 | $3,559 | $20.53 | $55,110 |
| 75th percentile | $49,210 | $4,101 | $23.66 | $63,497 |
| 90th percentile | $69,110 | $5,759 | $33.23 | $89,174 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,500 a year in pay and about $8,387 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,140 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 25th percentile and the median in Stockton-Lodi, and the California statewide median of $44,100 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Stockton-Lodi
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 $12,400 to the $42,710 median and brings it to $55,110 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 Stockton-Lodi
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Stockton-Lodi; project coordinators have the highest, at $104,240.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Specialist | +17.0% | 2,650 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +12.3% | 1,360 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +8.3% | 110 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +3.3% | 180 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 920 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Stockton-Lodi (+12.4%), between administrative assistants (+13.1%) and paralegals (+12.1%). The typical role here is at +5.1%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost more in Stockton-Lodi than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 4.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Stockton-Lodi, 4.9% across California and 5.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $38,890 in Merced to $49,450 in San Francisco-Oakland, a gap of $10,560 a year. Of the 11 areas in California with more virtual receptionists than Stockton-Lodi, 3 pay less: Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($41,800), Fresno, CA ($39,520) and Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($39,690).
| Area | Median | vs Stockton-Lodi | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +2.1% | 1,510 | |
| Salinas, CA | +1.4% | 620 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +1.3% | 35,000 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | this area | 920 | |
| Yuba City, CA | -1.9% | 200 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | -2.1% | 6,880 | |
| El Centro, CA | -3.0% | 160 |
Stockton-Lodi against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Stockton-Lodi is #178 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Boulder and Bend pay just above Stockton-Lodi and Pittsfield and Spokane-Spokane Valley just below. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Stockton-Lodi | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | +3.3% | 920 | jobs | |
| Bend, OR | +0.3% | 890 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | +0.2% | 980 | pay | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | this area | 920 | ||
| Pittsfield, MA | -1.9% | 360 | pay | |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | -2.1% | 2,370 | pay | |
| Medford, OR | -4.9% | 910 | jobs | |
| Columbus, GA-AL | -26.9% | 910 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Stockton-Lodi, CA?
About $55,110 a year at the median, or $4,592 a month: $42,710 in pay plus about $12,400 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for virtual receptionists in Stockton-Lodi?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $42,710 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,680, the 90th $69,110, and the middle half earned $37,570 to $49,210.
Is Stockton-Lodi cheaper than the rest of California for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $42,710 against $44,100 statewide. The next area up in California is Los Angeles-Long Beach at $43,280, the next down Yuba City at $41,880.
How many virtual receptionists work in Stockton-Lodi?
BLS counts about 920 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the California total of 82,470. 11 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, with about 1,020.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Stockton-Lodi?
No: $1,420 a year less at the median. The medians are $42,710 and $44,130.
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.