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Hiring vs. AI Cost Comparison
Most business owners underestimate what a receptionist actually costs. Enter your numbers and see the real comparison — salary, benefits, turnover, coverage hours, and 3-year total cost.
Hiring a Receptionist
$
US median for front desk / receptionist roles: $32,000–$45,000
%
Typical range: 18–30%. Includes FICA, health, PTO, workers’ comp.
$
Job ads, interviews, background checks, onboarding time.
$
Average time to full productivity: 4–8 weeks.
$
Receptionist annual turnover rate is ~30–40%. Factor in re-hiring and downtime.
hrs
A full-time employee covers ~40hrs. Overtime adds cost, not coverage flexibility.
AI Automation
$
CIVADOS plans start at $297/month. Adjust to your actual investment.
$
Paid once in Year 1 only. Zero in Year 2 and beyond.
hrs
AI runs 24/7 including weekends and holidays — no overtime, no sick days.
leads
Calls and inquiries that come in outside your staffed hours. AI captures these; a receptionist cannot.
$
Used to calculate the revenue value of after-hours lead capture.
What AI handles 24/7
Missed call text-back · Inbound call answering · Appointment booking · Lead qualification · FAQ responses · After-hours coverage · Review request sequences · CRM data entry
Calculating…
Receptionist — Year 1 Total
Base salary$0
Benefits & taxes$0
Recruiting & training$0
Turnover risk$0
Year 1 total$0
AI — Year 1 Total
Annual subscription$0
One-time setup$0
Ongoing maintenance$0
Turnover / rehiring$0
Year 1 total$0
3-Year Cost Comparison
Year 1
$0
$0
—
Year 2
$0
$0
—
Year 3
$0
$0
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Receptionist cost
AI cost
Savings with AI
Coverage hours / week
168 vs 40
AI vs human
Cost per covered hour
$0 vs $0
AI vs human
After-hours revenue
$0 / mo
captured by AI only
3-year total savings with AI
$0
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* Estimates based on your inputs. Hiring costs vary by location, role, and market. AI pricing reflects CIVADOS packages starting at $297/month. After-hours revenue assumes a 25% conversion rate on captured leads. Turnover costs are annualised at your input rate.