Free tool
Answering service cost calculator
Compare what it really costs to answer your calls three ways: hiring in-house, outsourcing to a human answering service, or using an AI voice agent.
What answering services really cost in 2026
Human answering services typically bill $1.10 to $1.75 per minute, with setup fees, per-call minimums, and after-hours premiums on top. A full-time in-house receptionist runs $45,000 to $55,000 a year in salary, plus roughly 25% in taxes and benefits - and covers one desk, business hours only. True 24/7 human coverage needs more than four full-time hires. AI voice agents price per minute of conversation, typically $0.10 to $0.35, answer every call simultaneously, and do not sleep.
How we calculate each option
In-house: salary plus 25% employer overhead, scaled up to about 4.2 full-time staff if you need nights and weekends covered. Answering service: your monthly call minutes times the industry average per-minute rate, with a 15% premium for after-hours coverage. AI agent: the same minutes at a typical AI per-minute rate. Every rate is adjustable, so you can plug in real quotes you have received.
Cost is only half the story
A service that answers but cannot act just takes messages. Modern AI agents resolve tier-1 calls end to end: booking appointments, checking orders, qualifying leads, and escalating the calls that genuinely need a human - with every call transcribed and logged in your CRM.
Frequently asked questions
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