What does a receptionist cost in Hawaiʻi?
About
$52,500
a year.
That is for one full-time receptionist at $20 an hour, once you add what Hawaiʻi employers are required to pay on top of wages. Here is the full breakdown.
Last updated September 2026
A receptionist vs. an AI receptionist
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Yearly cost for a receptionist at $20 an hour. Full-time, 40 hours: $41,600 in wages, $4,227 in payroll taxes (Social Security, Medicare, federal and Hawaiʻi unemployment), and $6,606 for Prepaid Health Care, disability insurance, and workers’ comp (est.). Part-time, 20 hours: $20,800, $2,134, and $6,628. Part-time, 19 hours: $19,760, $2,030, and $85.
These totals leave out paid time off, recruiting, training, and turnover, so the real cost usually runs higher.
AI Works pricing shown at the starting prices of $500 one-time setup and $200 monthly. Trainings are separate and billed one time. Your price depends on your lines and locations. It includes the software, phone number, and texting. Many businesses with a front counter keep their receptionist and use the AI for nights, weekends, and overflow calls.
Before you post the job
Wages are going up
The state minimum wage moved up to $16 an hour in January 2026, and it steps up again to $18 in January 2028. Pay at the low end of the scale is going up.
How many hours that buys
A week has 168 hours. A full time hire works 40 of them. That covers about 24% of the week, minus lunch breaks, sick days, and vacations.
Calls that come in at 6 a.m., on a Saturday, or during the lunch rush still go to voicemail.
What a person does well
A good front desk person is worth a lot. They greet people who walk in. They know your regulars by name. They calm down an upset customer face to face. If your business has steady foot traffic, a person at the desk makes sense.
Common setups
Full time hire. Best for steady walk in traffic. Highest cost.
Part time hire plus after hours help. A person covers the busy hours. A text back or AI receptionist covers the rest.
AI front desk. It answers every call, day and night, and sends you the details. AI Works Hawaiʻi plans start at $200 monthly, which is $2,400 a year, plus a one-time setup starting at $500.
One thing to try this week
Write down the hours your phone is busiest. Then write down the hours someone is free to answer it. The gap between those two lists is the hours you need covered.
Common questions
How much does a receptionist cost in Hawaiʻi?
About $52,500 a year for one full-time receptionist at $20 an hour. That includes wages, Social Security and Medicare, federal and Hawaiʻi unemployment insurance, Temporary Disability Insurance, Prepaid Health Care, and workers’ comp. It comes to about $4,370 a month.
Does Hawaiʻi’s Prepaid Health Care Act apply to part-time employees?
Yes. It applies once an employee works 20 or more hours a week for four consecutive weeks. The employer pays the premium and the employee pays no more than 1.5% of wages, so a 20 hour receptionist can cost more per hour than a full-time one.
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than hiring?
For answering the phone, yes. Starting at about $2,900 the first year compared to about $52,500 for a full-time hire, and it answers every hour of the day. It does not greet walk-ins, take payments, or file paperwork, so businesses with a front counter often use it for nights, weekends, and overflow.
How many missed calls does it take to pay for an AI receptionist?
The average missed sales call is worth about $1,200 to a home service business. Recovering about three jobs a year covers the first year cost.
How we calculated this
Wage: $20 an hour, close to the statewide average of $19.79 for receptionists (Hawaiʻi DLIR, May 2024).
Hawaiʻi unemployment insurance: 2.40% new employer rate plus 0.01% Employment and Training, on a 2026 wage base of $64,500 (Hawaiʻi DLIR).
Social Security and Medicare: 7.65%. Federal unemployment: 0.6% of the first $7,000.
Prepaid Health Care: estimated single premium of $550 a month, minus the employee share of 1.5% of wages. Your actual premium depends on your plan.
Temporary Disability Insurance and workers’ comp: estimates for office work. Your rates depend on your carrier.
Missed call value: Invoca 2024 call analysis.
Median pay: about $18.73 an hour, or about $38,950 a year, with about 3,250 people working as receptionists in Hawaiʻi (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Receptionists and Information Clerks, SOC 43 4171). This page uses $20 an hour, close to the statewide average.
Minimum wage: Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, minimum wage schedule.
Employer Social Security and Medicare rates: IRS Publication 15.
Want your own number?
We will run the math on your business and tell you what would help and what it costs.