How much does an AI phone receptionist cost?
An AI phone receptionist typically costs about $620. Half of the 222 priced job posts we tracked fall between $210 and $2,000, and one in ten reaches $7,200 or more.
Band: 25th to 75th percentile of fixed budgets and hourly estimates. Line: median.
Key facts
- Typical cost: $620, with the middle half of posts between $210 and $2,000.
- That is 75% below the $2,500 median across all AI builds we track.
- Work expected to take under a month has a median of $400, against $1,100 for over six months.
- Fixed-price median $320; hourly estimate median $3,400.
- Hourly rates mostly run from $10 to $30 an hour.
- Most requested skills: Artificial Intelligence, AI Agent Development and Chatbot Development.
What the build includes
An AI phone receptionist answers inbound calls for a business, handles common questions, books appointments and takes messages, so calls are not missed outside staffed hours.
A typical scope
- A phone number or forwarding from your current line
- A voice agent trained on your services and hours
- Calendar and booking connections
- Message capture and staff notifications
- Transfer to a person for urgent calls
What drives the cost
Work expected to take under a month has a median of $400, against $1,100 for over six months. Part of that gap is built in, because hourly estimates are calculated from expected length. Fixed-price posts state a median of $320, while hourly posts work out at $3,400 on our estimate: 11 times as much. One likely reason is that fixed budgets tend to cover a small first step, while hourly posts describe sustained work.
| Expected length | Median cost | Priced posts |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 month | $400 | 67 |
| 1 to 3 months | $930 | 106 |
| 3 to 6 months | $1,850 | 12 |
| Over 6 months | $1,100 | 37 |
Posts asking for expert-level talent have a median of $900, 1.8 times the $500 for intermediate talent. 33% of posts ask for experts.
| Seniority requested | Median cost | Priced posts |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $320 | 5 |
| Intermediate | $500 | 130 |
| Expert | $900 | 87 |
What moves the price most
- Whether it books directly or only takes messages
- How many services, locations or staff calendars it handles
- Call volume and the per-minute platform cost
Skills and hourly rates
The skills named most often in these posts are Artificial Intelligence (27%), AI Agent Development (24%), Chatbot Development (21%) and API Integration (19%). Read this as the working stack for this kind of build, and as a checklist when assessing who should do it.
Hourly posts for this work typically offer $10 to $30 an hour, the middle half of posted rates. The median top of the range is $28 an hour across 76 hourly posts. These are rates in the open freelance market: agencies and in-house teams usually cost more.
Who is buying
33% of posts ask for expert-level talent. Buyers are most often based in the United States and Canada, with 47% in the United States. Among posts that state a company size, 96% come from companies of up to 10 people. A typical post draws about 13 applicants.
What to check before you commit
- Decide which calls must always reach a person
- Check the booking system has an API it can use
- Review early calls closely and adjust the script
Where the demand is
The countries with the most buyers for this build. Each page shows how that market compares.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI phone receptionist cost?
An AI phone receptionist typically costs about $620. Half of the 222 priced job posts we tracked fall between $210 and $2,000, and one in ten reaches $7,200 or more. That is 75% below the $2,500 median across all AI builds we track.
How long does an AI phone receptionist take?
35% of posts expect the work done in under a month, 43% in one to three months and 22% over a longer stretch. Work expected to take under a month has a median of $400, against $1,100 for over six months.
Why do estimates vary so much?
Fixed-price posts state a median of $320, while hourly posts work out at $3,400 on our estimate: 11 times as much. One likely reason is that fixed budgets tend to cover a small first step, while hourly posts describe sustained work. Scope matters most: whether it books directly or only takes messages and how many services, locations or staff calendars it handles move the price the most.
What hourly rate should I expect?
Most hourly posts offer $10 to $30 an hour, with a median top rate of $28. Agencies and in-house specialists usually charge more than the open freelance market.
What skills does this work need?
Posts most often ask for Artificial Intelligence, AI Agent Development, Chatbot Development and API Integration.
Do I need an expert?
Posts asking for expert-level talent have a median of $900, 1.8 times the $500 for intermediate talent. 33% of posts ask for experts.
Where do these numbers come from?
From 222 public job posts published between December 2025 and November 2026: 146 fixed budgets as stated and 76 hourly posts we costed from their rate, expected length and assumed hours. They are what buyers offered, not signed contract prices.
About this data
These figures come from 222 public job posts published between December 2025 and November 2026: 146 fixed budgets as stated, and 76 hourly posts costed from their rate, expected length and assumed hours. They show what buyers offered, not signed contract prices, and hourly figures assume the work runs its full length. Read the method
Cite this page. The AI Build Index. "AI phone receptionist: what it costs." Published by VIZIO AI. Updated 2026-11-04. https://aibuildindex.com/cost/ai-receptionist
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