How much does an answering service cost? Real prices compared

Short answer: a full-time receptionist costs about $37,000 a year in median wages before taxes and benefits (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024). A live virtual receptionist service like Ruby lists $250 a month for 50 minutes up to $1,725 for 500 minutes. An AI receptionist costs far less per minute: QuickVOC is $149 a month with 300 AI minutes, and the CRM is included. The right choice depends on how many minutes you really use.

Step 1: count your minutes

Every price below is per minute or per call, so start with your own numbers:

1. Open your phone carrier's call log for last month.
2. Count the calls and note the average length.
3. Multiply: calls × average minutes = monthly minutes.

Example: 150 calls a month at about 3 minutes each is about 450 minutes. Note how many of them came after hours or while your team was busy, because those are the ones you're paying to catch.

Option 1: an in-house receptionist

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median pay for receptionists at $37,230 a year, or $17.90 an hour (May 2024). On top of that come payroll taxes, paid time off, training and benefits.

What you get: a person who knows your business, greets walk-ins and handles judgment calls. What you don't: coverage outside about 40 hours of a 168-hour week, or a second line when two calls come in at once.

Option 2: a live answering service or virtual receptionist

Live services answer with a script you give them, take messages and, on some plans, book appointments. Most sell monthly minute bundles. Ruby, one of the best-known, lists these plans on its pricing page:

Other services bill per call instead of per minute, often with extra fees for things like booking an appointment. Prices change, so check each provider's page and ask for the full price list.

Option 3: an AI receptionist

An AI receptionist answers every call in a natural voice, at any hour, and can answer several calls at once. A good one books into your calendar, recognizes emergencies and writes every call down. Most are priced by monthly minutes.

QuickVOC's plans, with the CRM included:

Calls to QuickVOC's AI average about 3 minutes, so Starter covers roughly 100 calls a month.

Side by side: 450 minutes a month

The same 150 calls a month, three ways:

Prices from the providers' public pages as of October 2026. Check them before you decide.

The fees that don't show on the pricing page

Ask every provider, in writing:

• Rounding: is each call rounded up to the next minute? Is there a minimum per call?
• Overage: what does a minute cost after the bundle runs out?
• Extra charges: booking fees, transfer fees, holiday or after-hours rates, setup fees.
• Spam and wrong numbers: do you pay for them?
• Contract: monthly, yearly, notice period?
• Two calls at once: what happens to the second caller?

Which one should you pick?

• Few calls, owner on the phone: keep answering yourself, and let an AI receptionist take the calls you miss and the ones after hours.
• Busy trade with emergencies: an AI receptionist on every call your team doesn't pick up, plus an on-call person for true emergencies. See after-hours answering.
• A front desk with walk-ins: a person during the day, and an AI receptionist for overflow and after hours.

What you get with QuickVOC for the price

QuickVOC isn't only an answering service. Every call becomes a lead in the CRM, with the recording, transcript and summary:

• the AI answers 24/7 and books into your open times only after the caller says yes,
• urgent calls alert you on Telegram right away,
• calls ring your team in the browser first, and the AI takes the rest,
• the AI also calls new Thumbtack and Google Local Services leads back,
• estimates, invoices and payments live on the same lead,
• it speaks 15 languages, including Spanish.

See AI receptionist, the voice agent and pricing.

Sources

• US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Receptionists, Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Ruby: Virtual receptionist pricing