Receptionists
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Receptionists in the United States earn a median salary of $38,010 per year — about $18 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 1.0M people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of 0%.
AI & Automation Risk
Many core tasks such as scheduling, answering phones, and data entry are highly susceptible to automation via AI voice agents and chatbots. While the role retains a physical component for greeting and security, the BLS already projects zero growth due to automation, and the digital nature of the administrative workload makes it highly exposed to further restructuring.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheboygan, WIBEST VALUE | $45,430 | Below avg (94.0) | $48,323 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $45,820 | Average (98.4) | $46,588 |
| Minot, ND | $40,060 | Below avg (87.0) | $46,031 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $47,260 | Above avg (103.2) | $45,791 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $43,410 | Below avg (96.0) | $45,237 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | $39,020 | Below avg (86.7) | $45,025 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $45,650 | Average (101.6) | $44,926 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $41,700 | Below avg (92.9) | $44,873 |
| Madison, WI | $43,600 | Average (97.3) | $44,816 |
| Eau Claire, WI | $41,310 | Below avg (92.8) | $44,517 |
| Dubuque, IA | $38,830 | Below avg (87.3) | $44,465 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $38,380 | Below avg (86.5) | $44,394 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $40,640 | Below avg (91.8) | $44,285 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $42,920 | Below avg (96.9) | $44,276 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $40,390 | Below avg (91.6) | $44,073 |