When you hire a receptionist, you can go in-house or virtual. In-house suits a physical front desk with walk-ins. A virtual receptionist suits phone and message-based businesses at a lower cost. Compare full monthly cost, not just the hourly rate, before you choose.
When you hire a receptionist, the first choice is where they sit: at your front desk, or online. Both can work well. The right one depends on whether your business needs someone greeting people in person, or mainly needs calls and messages handled without a missed lead.
When an in-house receptionist makes sense
Front desk staff suit businesses with regular walk-in visitors: clinics, salons and offices with foot traffic. They also bring salary, benefits and desk space costs on top of the hourly rate.
When a virtual receptionist makes sense
A virtual receptionist vs in-house comparison usually favours virtual when most contact is by phone or message. Callers reach a real person, get answers and can book a time, without you paying for desk space or downtime between calls. See our virtual receptionist service guide for how it works.
What to check before you hire a receptionist
- Hours. Which hours are covered, and what happens after?
- Call handling. Who writes the greeting and the answers?
- Review. Who checks quality and call notes?
- Cost. Compare the full monthly cost, not just the hourly rate.
What it costs
An in-house hire adds salary, benefits and overhead to the hourly rate. A virtual receptionist is billed for the hours worked. At MyRemoteVA, pay-as-you-go is $12 an hour and dedicated plans start from $5.62 an hour. See the virtual receptionist service for details.
How to start
Write your greeting and top ten answers. Start with your busiest hours for two weeks, then review every call summary before adding more.
Ready to hire a receptionist? See pricing or start for $1.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hire a receptionist in-house or virtual?
In-house suits a business with walk-in visitors and a physical front desk. A virtual receptionist suits businesses that mainly need calls and messages handled.
How much does it cost to hire a receptionist?
An in-house hire adds salary, benefits and desk space. A virtual receptionist is billed by the hour, often for a fraction of that cost.
What should I check before I hire a receptionist?
Check the hours covered, how calls are handled, who reviews quality, and whether you can start with a small test.
What is doing this yourself costing you?
Doing it yourself: $2,165 a month of your time.
The same hours at our $12/hr pay-as-you-go rate: $520. Dedicated plans start at $5.62/hr.
Simple maths from the numbers you enter. It assumes a VA can take on those hours.
Start for $1Written by the MyRemoteVA team. Search-trend figures come from Google Trends. Prices shown are our current plans. Last updated September 30, 2026. Questions or corrections? Contact us.
Reception & Appointment Setting
A virtual receptionist and appointment setter to answer calls, book meetings, qualify leads and follow up, in your business hours.
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