# How much does an AI phone receptionist cost?

_The AI Build Index, published by VIZIO AI. Updated 2026-11-04. USD._

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.

## 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 it 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 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 |

| Seniority requested | Median cost | Priced posts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Entry level | $320 | 5 |
| Intermediate | $500 | 130 |
| Expert | $900 | 87 |

- 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 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

## 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.

## Source

The AI Build Index. "AI phone receptionist: what it costs." Published by VIZIO AI. Updated 2026-11-04. https://aibuildindex.com/cost/ai-receptionist

Method: https://aibuildindex.com/methodology