AI receptionist or a person at the desk? Often both.
A receptionist does far more than the phone: visitors, judgement, the rest of the office. An AI covers the phone at hours no one is there. Here's the honest comparison, with the math shown.
Free for 3 days with up to 10 answered calls. No card.
A full-time receptionist works about 40 of the week's 168 hours and, at the national median wage plus typical benefits, costs roughly $4,610 a month. An AI receptionist answers at any hour for a monthly plan (Nerro's Business plan is $79 for 750 minutes), but it can't greet visitors or use judgement on unusual calls. You don't have to choose one: you can let the AI take overflow, after-hours and routine calls, and keep people for the rest.
Side by side.
A typical full-time in-house receptionist compared with Nerro's AI voice employee.
| Question | Full-time receptionist | Nerro AI |
|---|---|---|
| Hours covered | About 40 of 168 a week, less breaks, sick days and vacation | Any hour the call reaches it |
| Calls at the same time | One | Up to 6 at once per business, including lead calls |
| Example cost | About $4,610 a month (wage and benefits, see below) | $49–$149 a month by plan, plus $0.10–$0.15 a minute past the plan's minutes |
| Visitors and the front office | Yes | No, phone only |
| Upset callers and unusual requests | Judgement and empathy | Hands them to a person, or takes a message |
| Books appointments | Yes | Yes, into its schedule or Google Calendar |
| Record of every call | Notes, when there's time | Transcript and summary of each call |
How the cost example is worked out.
Every input, so you can swap in your own numbers.
- Wage
- $18.27 an hour: the national median for receptionists, May 2025 (BLS).
- Benefits
- Benefits are 31.3% of total pay for office and administrative jobs (BLS, June 2026), so the hourly cost is about $26.59, assuming receptionists' benefits are the same share of pay as office and administrative jobs overall.
- Hours
- 40 hours a week, 52 weeks: 2,080 hours, about $55,315 a year. Hiring, training and cover for time off aren't included.
- Nerro
- Business: $79 a month for 750 call minutes, then $0.12 a minute. Your bill depends on how many minutes your calls use.
When a person is the better choice.
Where the other option is the better choice.
- You have walk-in visitors, deliveries or a front desk to run.
- Many of your calls are upset, sensitive or high-stakes, where reading the caller matters most.
- Callers are regulars who expect to speak to someone they know.
- The role is half phone, half office work that an AI can't do.
What the research says.
Only figures we could trace to the original source.
Median pay for receptionists: $18.27 an hour, $38,010 a year (May 2025). Most work full time.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
Office and administrative support, private industry, June 2026: wages $25.22 and benefits $11.51 of $36.73 an hour total compensation (31.3% benefits).
Source: BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, Table 4 (released 2026-09-09)
Questions, answered.
Something else? Ask us.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than a human receptionist?
For phone coverage alone, usually. A full-time receptionist at the median wage plus benefits is about $4,610 a month; Nerro's plans are $49 to $149 a month plus any extra minutes. A receptionist also does work an AI can't, so compare the whole job, not just the phone.
Can an AI receptionist replace my front desk?
Not the whole job. It answers calls, answers questions from your business details, books, takes messages and hands calls to a person. It can't greet visitors, handle paperwork or use judgement the way a person does.
What's a sensible way to start?
Keep your people and point the AI at the calls no one can take: overflow while the desk is busy, lunch, evenings and weekends. Forward only missed calls to start, then decide.
How many calls can the AI take at once?
Up to 6 at the same time for one business, counting any calls it places to leads. A person can take one.
Will callers know it's an AI?
Yes. Nerro's greeting says it's an AI assistant and that the call is transcribed, on every call.
What happens when a caller needs a real person?
It transfers the call to the number you choose, or takes a message and says plainly that someone will call back.
Can I use your cost numbers for my own decision?
Use them as a starting point. Wages vary a lot by city: BLS's lowest and highest 10% earn about $13.83 and $24.01 an hour, roughly $28,800 to $49,900 a year full time. Put in your own wage, hours and benefits.
Does Nerro record the calls?
Nerro doesn't record call audio. It keeps a text transcript, and every greeting tells the caller it's an AI and that the call is transcribed. Some states require every party's consent to record or transcribe calls; check your own obligations.
Comparisons describe typical options, not any specific provider. Cost figures use the public sources shown and the assumptions stated; your costs will differ. Nerro prices as of the date above.
Put an AI employee on your line for 3 days.
Tell Nerro about your business. It builds and tests your AI employee, and you decide when it goes live.
Free for 3 days with up to 10 answered calls. No card. Then from $49 a month.