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Virtual receptionist in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area: cost vs in-house

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for virtual receptionists: the median of $35,810 a year1 is 4.4% below the Michigan statewide median of $37,470, and 5.8% below the US median of $38,010. Among US areas it comes in at #283 of 521. About 560 virtual receptionists work here, 2% of the Michigan total.

$2,984median pay per month in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area
$3,851employer cost per month with benefits
$17.22median pay per hour
560people in this job in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area

BLS occupation 43-4171, area Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area against Michigan and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)$27,510$35,810$45,310
Michigan$29,480$37,470$48,280
United States$28,760$38,010$49,950
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of virtual receptionists in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area earns $31,750–$38,760. The top tenth earns $45,310 or more, 1.6 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.7 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $7,010 wide, against $8,310 across Michigan and $11,170 nationally: employers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for a virtual receptionist here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$27,510$2,292$13.23$35,497
25th percentile$31,750$2,646$15.26$40,968
Median$35,810$2,984$17.22$46,206
75th percentile$38,760$3,230$18.63$50,013
90th percentile$45,310$3,776$21.78$58,465

An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $2,950 a year in pay and about $3,806 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,060 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 the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area, and the Michigan statewide median of $37,470 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area

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 $10,396 to the $35,810 median and brings it to $46,206 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.

$46,206local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$32,318difference in year one
70%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area

Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area; project coordinators have the highest, at $88,520.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs virtual receptionistJobs
Administrative Assistant
$43,450
+21.3%1,230
Data Entry Specialist
$38,760
+8.2%70
Customer Support Specialist
$38,600
+7.8%970
Medical Administrative Assistant
$38,300
+7.0%760
Virtual Receptionist
$35,810
this role560

Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area (-5.8%), between e-commerce order specialists (-4.9%) and data entry specialists (-6.2%). The typical role here is at -13.5%, so, measured against the US, virtual receptionists cost more in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Virtual receptionists hold 6.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area, 6.2% across Michigan and 5.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in Michigan

Across the 19 areas of Michigan with data for this job, the median runs from $33,860 in Bay City to $39,190 in Ann Arbor, a gap of $5,330 a year. All 9 areas in Michigan with more virtual receptionists than the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area also pay more, among them Detroit-Warren, MI ($38,220) and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI ($37,170).

AreaMedianvs the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro areaJobs
Flint, MI
$36,230
+1.2%870
Jackson, MI
$36,130
+0.9%280
Southern Michigan (Nonmetro)
$36,130
+0.9%640
Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)
$35,810
this area560
Saginaw, MI
$35,730
-0.2%520
Monroe, MI
$35,580
-0.6%280
Niles, MI
$34,850
-2.7%330

the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area is #289 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Michigan, Peoria and Yuma pay just above the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area and Deltona-Daytona Beach and Little Rock-North Little Rock just below. All four are within $180 a year of the median in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, one pays more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Macon-Bibb County, GA
$36,510
+2.0%570jobs
Yuma, AZ
$35,990
+0.5%440pay
Peoria, IL
$35,970
+0.4%1,010pay
Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)
$35,810
this area560
Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL
$35,790
-0.1%1,410pay
Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR
$35,790
-0.1%3,390pay
Lynchburg, VA
$33,940
-5.2%560jobs
Lake Charles, LA
$31,620
-11.7%570jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)?

About $46,206 a year at the median, or $3,851 a month: $35,810 in pay plus about $10,396 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do virtual receptionists earn in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area?

The median was $35,810 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,510, the 90th $45,310, and the middle half earned $31,750 to $38,760.

Is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Michigan for virtual receptionists?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $35,810 against $37,470 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is the Southern Michigan nonmetro area at $36,130, the next down Saginaw at $35,730.

How many virtual receptionists work in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 560 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Michigan total of 25,230. 9 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is the Southern Michigan nonmetro area, with about 640.

Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area?

No: $2,490 a year less at the median. The medians are $35,810 and $38,300.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4171: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.