{"id":353,"date":"2026-09-18T22:19:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T22:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncallasolutions.com\/blog\/in-house-phone-coverage-cost-by-state\/"},"modified":"2026-09-20T12:54:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T12:54:34","slug":"in-house-phone-coverage-cost-by-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncallasolutions.com\/blog\/in-house-phone-coverage-cost-by-state\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does 24\/7 Phone Coverage Cost In-House? A State-by-State Ranking (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Covering the phones around the clock with in-house receptionists costs between about $135,059<\/strong> and $193,590<\/strong> a year in wages alone, depending on the state — and $211,935<\/strong> in Washington, D.C. The U.S. average works out to roughly $165,722<\/strong>. That is before payroll taxes, benefits, training, or shift differentials. This ranking uses official Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data to show what round-the-clock coverage costs in every state.<\/p>\n

How We Calculated 24\/7 Coverage Cost by State<\/h2>\n

A week has 168 hours. One full-time receptionist works about 40 of them, so round-the-clock coverage needs roughly 4.2 full-time employees<\/strong>. We multiplied each state’s average hourly wage for receptionists and information clerks by the 8,736 hours in a year of continuous coverage (168 hours × 52 weeks). The wage data is from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates for Receptionists and Information Clerks (SOC 43-4171), the most recent release available.<\/p>\n