AI Receptionist vs Hiring a Receptionist: Cost Calculator

Short answer: For small businesses, a full-time receptionist at the U.S. median wage ($18.27 an hour, BLS) costs about $3,167 a month in wages alone, before taxes and benefits. AI phone tools in our directory list plans from about $85 to $150 a month. Enter your own numbers to compare.

Receptionist pay per hour ($) From BLS: change it

U.S. median, May 2025: BLS. Pay where you live may be higher or lower.

Hours a week you need the phone covered Example: change it

40 is one full-time person. Nights and weekends would need more hours.

Taxes and benefits on top of pay (%) From BLS: change it

Average for full-time private-sector workers, June 2026: BLS. A small business may pay less (fewer benefits) or more.

Calls a month Example: change it

From your phone’s call log.

Average minutes per call Example: change it

Many AI plans charge by the minute or the call.

Pick a phone tool from our directory (optional)

AI tool price per month ($) Example: change it

Your number, from the maker’s pricing page. Example: $150 is Smith.ai Pro as shown in our listing.

Book Free Profit Leak Check

The Profit Leak Check is run by TimeGentic, the company behind BusyWorkBots. No email needed to use this tool.

How the math works

Hired receptionist, per month = pay per hour × hours a week × 52 weeks ÷ 12 months, then plus the taxes-and-benefits share.
AI tool, per month = the plan price you enter. Setup fees, extra minutes and phone numbers are not included.
Cost per call = monthly cost ÷ calls a month.

Where the starting numbers come from

$18.27 an hour: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Receptionists (median pay, May 2025).
46% for taxes and benefits: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026: for full-time private industry workers, benefits were $17.03 an hour on top of $36.97 in wages (about 46%). Small businesses often offer fewer benefits, so your number may be lower.
40 hours, 300 calls, 3 minutes, $150 plan: examples only. Please change them to your own numbers.
Tool prices in the picker: from each tool’s BusyWorkBots listing, which comes from the maker’s site. Prices change.

Questions people ask

How much does a receptionist cost a small business?

Start with pay: the U.S. median for receptionists was $18.27 an hour in May 2025 (BLS). Full time, that is about $3,167 a month in wages. Taxes and benefits add more; across full-time private-sector jobs they averaged about 46% on top of wages in June 2026 (BLS).

Is an AI receptionist always cheaper?

Usually on the monthly bill, but check what the plan includes. Many plans cap calls or minutes and charge for extra. Some charge setup fees. Use your own call count and the maker's pricing page.

Can an AI receptionist replace a person?

Not for everything. A person greets walk-ins, handles upset callers and does office work. Many small businesses use AI for the phone and keep people for the rest. This calculator only compares phone cost.

Is this calculator free?

Yes. It runs in your browser and asks for no email. The phone tools it mentions are paid products from each maker, though some have a free plan or trial.

AI receptionist vs hiring a receptionist: cost calculator