Receptionist salary in 2026
The median receptionist in the United States earns $38,010 a year, or $18.27 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey, published this year. The middle half of receptionists earn between $33,960 and $45,130.
Where you work matters more than anything else: District of Columbia pays a median of $49,060, Alaska $44,720, and the highest paying metro area, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, $49,450. There are 910,180 receptionists in the country.
Liaison does the routine half of a receptionist’s job for 15% of what one costs. See how.
Receptionist salary by state
Median annual and hourly wage, the range the middle half earn, and how many receptionists work in each state. Click a state for its cities.
| State | Median annual | Median hourly | Middle half earns | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $49,060 | $23.59 | $39,850 to $57,760 | 2,000 |
| Alaska | $44,720 | $21.50 | $38,370 to $50,070 | 1,530 |
| Washington | $44,710 | $21.49 | $38,980 to $49,110 | 26,500 |
| California | $44,100 | $21.20 | $39,050 to $48,690 | 82,470 |
| Massachusetts | $43,870 | $21.09 | $38,190 to $47,840 | 18,970 |
| New York | $43,080 | $20.71 | $37,470 to $49,080 | 65,010 |
| Rhode Island | $42,620 | $20.49 | $36,110 to $46,920 | 4,270 |
| Maine | $42,440 | $20.41 | $38,470 to $46,780 | 3,440 |
| Colorado | $42,010 | $20.20 | $36,510 to $46,860 | 11,020 |
| New Jersey | $41,650 | $20.02 | $36,600 to $46,980 | 42,060 |
| Hawaii | $41,600 | $20.00 | $37,770 to $47,840 | 3,510 |
| Wisconsin | $41,150 | $19.78 | $36,000 to $46,570 | 25,580 |
| Oregon | $40,900 | $19.66 | $36,840 to $46,510 | 13,590 |
| Connecticut | $40,630 | $19.53 | $36,250 to $47,160 | 14,980 |
| North Dakota | $39,530 | $19.00 | $35,250 to $46,170 | 1,930 |
| Arizona | $38,730 | $18.62 | $35,530 to $44,670 | 23,220 |
| Vermont | $38,370 | $18.45 | $35,090 to $42,320 | 1,160 |
| South Dakota | $38,280 | $18.40 | $31,930 to $44,030 | 5,760 |
| New Hampshire | $38,160 | $18.34 | $31,010 to $46,270 | 5,320 |
| Maryland | $38,100 | $18.32 | $34,900 to $44,790 | 18,390 |
| Nebraska | $37,860 | $18.20 | $33,860 to $42,640 | 6,750 |
| Minnesota | $37,510 | $18.04 | $31,600 to $44,530 | 11,800 |
| Wyoming | $37,480 | $18.02 | $33,860 to $43,680 | 1,540 |
| Michigan | $37,470 | $18.02 | $34,140 to $42,450 | 25,230 |
| Illinois | $37,400 | $17.98 | $34,510 to $44,260 | 40,370 |
| Montana | $37,360 | $17.96 | $33,080 to $42,840 | 1,280 |
| Iowa | $37,330 | $17.95 | $32,080 to $42,560 | 4,660 |
| Virginia | $37,060 | $17.82 | $31,660 to $43,870 | 23,360 |
| Nevada | $37,050 | $17.81 | $33,280 to $43,710 | 10,650 |
| Utah | $36,960 | $17.77 | $31,750 to $42,630 | 12,020 |
| Florida | $36,810 | $17.70 | $32,730 to $41,590 | 63,280 |
| Idaho | $36,810 | $17.70 | $32,210 to $42,520 | 5,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,810 | $17.70 | $30,700 to $42,930 | 37,830 |
| Delaware | $36,310 | $17.46 | $32,790 to $42,560 | 2,880 |
| Indiana | $36,160 | $17.39 | $29,790 to $41,750 | 17,360 |
| Georgia | $36,100 | $17.36 | $29,540 to $41,670 | 26,080 |
| Kansas | $36,050 | $17.33 | $31,210 to $39,520 | 7,290 |
| Ohio | $35,920 | $17.27 | $29,910 to $39,520 | 30,850 |
| Missouri | $35,740 | $17.18 | $31,600 to $39,590 | 18,890 |
| South Carolina | $35,510 | $17.07 | $29,370 to $40,580 | 11,280 |
| North Carolina | $35,440 | $17.04 | $29,120 to $40,050 | 20,080 |
| Texas | $35,210 | $16.93 | $29,160 to $40,210 | 78,330 |
| New Mexico | $35,140 | $16.89 | $29,910 to $38,240 | 5,650 |
| Tennessee | $34,910 | $16.79 | $29,380 to $39,840 | 11,460 |
| Arkansas | $34,840 | $16.75 | $30,290 to $37,320 | 10,870 |
| Virgin Islands | $34,630 | $16.65 | $29,430 to $38,550 | 120 |
| Oklahoma | $34,560 | $16.61 | $28,180 to $37,500 | 9,380 |
| Kentucky | $32,940 | $15.84 | $28,420 to $38,440 | 9,290 |
| Louisiana | $32,750 | $15.75 | $27,930 to $37,090 | 12,820 |
| Alabama | $32,590 | $15.67 | $28,120 to $36,660 | 10,460 |
| West Virginia | $31,920 | $15.34 | $28,230 to $36,880 | 5,470 |
| Mississippi | $31,160 | $14.98 | $26,780 to $36,420 | 6,920 |
| Guam | $23,290 | $11.20 | $21,720 to $26,840 | 210 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,890 | $11.01 | $21,840 to $25,400 | 4,030 |
Highest paying cities for receptionists
The ten metro areas with the highest median, out of the 393 where BLS publishes one.
| Metro area | Median annual | Median hourly | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $49,450 | $23.77 | 8,510 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $47,260 | $22.72 | 160 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $47,130 | $22.66 | 3,990 |
| Napa, CA | $46,850 | $22.53 | 280 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $45,820 | $22.03 | 670 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,820 | $22.03 | 14,260 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $45,650 | $21.95 | 180 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $45,550 | $21.90 | 1,160 |
| Vallejo, CA | $45,500 | $21.88 | 720 |
| Sheboygan, WI | $45,430 | $21.84 | 610 |
The lowest medians in the 50 states and DC: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX ($28,530), Brownsville-Harlingen, TX ($28,720), Laredo, TX ($29,140), Eagle Pass, TX ($29,340) and Gadsden, AL ($29,450).
What it pays where you are
Pick your state or metro area. The wage is the median there; the cost line is what an employer pays once benefits are added.
Receptionist, the United States, 40 hours a week
$51,305 a year
$4,275 a month. Wages $38,002 at the median of $18.27 an hour, plus $13,303 in benefits. The middle half of receptionists here earn $33,960 to $45,130 in wages.
The routine half of a receptionist’s job, for 15% of what one costs.
- Answers the routine email and text enquiries in your voice, at any hour.
- Books, confirms and reschedules from your own calendar.
- Takes the message, logs it against the customer, and hands the ones that need a person to a person.
Professional is $629 a month, $7,548 a year, against about $51,300 a year for a receptionist at the median once benefits are added. On Professional we connect your tools, bring your data in and set up the first rules with you. Anything that moves money waits for your yes.
“Cut our month-end close from 4 days to 4 hours.” Marcus C., owner
$629 a month, or $500 a month on a 12-month term. Prefer to start on your own? Starter is $149 a month, self-serve, with a free trial first: 7 days, no card. More: AI office manager.
What receptionists do
Receptionists greet visitors and answer the phone, route calls and messages, schedule appointments and keep the front desk running. BLS counts them under occupation 43-4171, which is the definition every figure on this page uses.
For an employer, the wage is the start: benefits at a small employer add 35%, so a receptionist at the median costs about $51,300 a year. The employer’s numbers, by state and metro, are on what a receptionist costs. The routine part of the job, the follow-ups, the reconciling, the scheduling, is the part Liaison does inside the tools a business already runs.
Questions
What is the average receptionist salary?
The median receptionist in the United States earned $38,010 a year, or $18.27 an hour, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. The middle half earned between $33,960 and $45,130. The median is the wage half of receptionists earn more than and half earn less than, which is a steadier guide than an average.
How much does a receptionist make an hour?
The median receptionist earns $18.27 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. At 2,080 hours a year that is $38,010. The middle half earn between $16.33 and $21.70 an hour.
Which states pay receptionists the most?
District of Columbia ($49,060), Alaska ($44,720), Washington ($44,710), California ($44,100) and Massachusetts ($43,870).
Which cities pay receptionists the most?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($49,450), Fairbanks-College, AK ($47,260), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($47,130), Napa, CA ($46,850) and Barnstable Town, MA ($45,820), out of the 393 metro areas where BLS publishes a median for receptionists.
How many receptionists are there?
BLS counted 910,180 receptionists employed in the United States in May 2025.
What does a receptionist cost an employer?
Wages are only part of it. At employers with fewer than 50 workers, benefits add 35% on top of wages (BLS, June 2026), so a receptionist at the median costs about $51,300 a year. The employer’s view, by state and metro, is at useliaison.com/back-office-costs/receptionist.
Other roles
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Annual figures assume 2,080 hours a year. Updated 2026-10-02.
See it on your own business.
Thirty minutes with us, on your own tools. Bring the thing that eats your evenings and watch it get handled from your own inbox, calendar and books.
Professional is $629 a month and we set it up with you. Starter is $149 a month, self-serve, with the free trial first: 7 days, no card. Every plan is on the pricing page.