AI receptionist vs. hiring a receptionist — cost breakdown

A U.S. full-time human receptionist typically costs a small business $45,000 to $65,000 per year all-in. An AI receptionist handling equivalent call volume typically costs $1,200 to $6,000 per year. That's a 7–40× cost difference — but the full comparison includes more than just base compensation.

The full cost of a human receptionist

•Base wages: $35,000–$55,000/year in the U.S. (higher in major metros)

•Payroll taxes and benefits: add 25–35% on top of base

•Workers' comp and liability insurance: $500–$2,000/year

•Training and onboarding: $2,000–$5,000 in lost productivity while the new hire ramps

•Turnover costs: front-desk turnover averages 30–50% annually; replacing a receptionist costs about 25% of annual salary

•Equipment: desk, computer, phone system, headset ($1,500–$3,000 one-time)

•PTO coverage: you need backup when the receptionist is sick or on vacation

All-in, most small businesses report $45,000 to $65,000 per receptionist per year.

The full cost of an AI receptionist

•Monthly subscription: $100–$500/month for most SMBs

•Setup and onboarding: typically included or one-time $0–$500

•Phone numbers: $0–$5/month per number

•Optional custom voice cloning: one-time $500–$1,500 if you want a branded voice

•Overage at very high volume: per-minute charges if your plan is undersized, typically a few cents per minute

All-in, most SMBs spend $1,200–$6,000/year for 24/7 AI receptionist coverage.

What a human does that an AI may not

This is where many comparisons oversimplify. A human receptionist can:

•Greet in-person visitors at the front desk

•Receive packages and deliveries

•Handle spontaneous miscellaneous tasks

•Escalate nuanced interpersonal situations with more social skill

•Notice when a regular customer's mood or health seems off

If any of these matter to your business, the AI can't replace the human. But the AI can handle the phone portion of the role — freeing the human for in-person work.

What an AI does that a human may not

•Answer every call within one ring, 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays

•Handle multiple simultaneous calls without queuing

•Follow your script identically every single time

•Never ask for a raise, never quit, never call in sick

•Produce perfect call logs, summaries, and CRM updates automatically

•Scale instantly from 10 calls a day to 500 without staffing changes

The hybrid approach most businesses land on

•Keep one human for in-person duties and complex calls — usually at part-time or existing staff levels, not full-time

•Deploy AI as the primary phone receptionist during business hours and the only receptionist after hours

•The combination usually costs less than the single full-time receptionist it replaces, while providing better coverage

Related concepts

•How much does an AI phone agent cost?

•Is an AI receptionist worth it?

•ROI of an AI answering service

See our pricing

365agents pricing shows what an AI receptionist would cost for your volume. Book a demo and we'll compare it line-by-line to your current front-desk spend.