AI Receptionist vs. Human: 2026 Cost Breakdown

Let us do the math that nobody wants to do.

A full-time receptionist in the United States costs between $28,000 and $42,000 per year in salary alone. Add benefits, payroll taxes, training, sick days, and vacation time, and you are looking at $35,000 to $55,000 annually. That is $2,900 to $4,600 per month.

And they work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. When they go home at 5 PM, your phone goes to voicemail.

An AI receptionist costs $39 to $79 per month. It works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It never calls in sick. It never puts a customer on hold. It never has a bad day.

The Numbers Side By Side

Human receptionist: $3,500 per month average (salary plus benefits). Available 40 hours per week. Handles one call at a time. Takes breaks. Needs training on every new service or promotion. Calls in sick an average of 5 days per year.

AI receptionist: $39 to $79 per month. Available 168 hours per week. Handles unlimited simultaneous calls. Never takes a break. Updates instantly when you change your services. Never calls in sick.

That is a 98 percent cost reduction with a 320 percent increase in availability.

But What About the Personal Touch?

This is the objection every business owner raises. And it is valid — for certain interactions. A complex complaint from a long-time customer? You want a human handling that. A new patient calling a medical office with sensitive questions? Human.

But here is what most businesses miss: 70 to 80 percent of incoming calls are routine. They are asking your hours. They are requesting a quote. They are trying to book an appointment. They are asking if you serve their area. These calls do not need a personal touch. They need a fast, accurate answer.

AI handles the routine. Humans handle the exceptions. That is not replacing people — that is letting your people do the work that actually requires them.

The Real Cost of No Receptionist at All

Most small businesses do not have a receptionist. They have the owner answering calls between jobs, a technician picking up while driving, or — worst case — voicemail.

The real comparison is not AI vs. human. It is AI vs. nothing.

And "nothing" is expensive. Industry studies consistently show that 62 percent of calls to small businesses go unanswered. Each missed call from a potential customer represents $200 to $2,000 in lost revenue depending on your industry. For an HVAC company averaging $1,200 per job, missing just 5 calls a month means $6,000 in lost revenue — $72,000 per year.

A $39 per month AI receptionist that captures even 3 of those 5 missed calls pays for itself 100 times over.

The Bottom Line

You would not leave your front door locked during business hours. So why are you sending customers to voicemail?

Try FrontlineHQ's AI voice agent right now. Call (470) 412-8678 and hear it answer in real time. Setup takes 5 minutes. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.