What does a receptionist cost in Hawaii?
About $52,500 a year.
That is for one full-time receptionist at $20 an hour, once you add what Hawaii employers are required to pay on top of wages. Here is the full breakdown.
Last updated September 2026
What you pay for one receptionist
Cost
Full-time, 40 hrs
Part-time, 20 hrs
Part-time, 19 hrs
Wages at $20/hr
$41,600
$20,800
$19,760
Social Security and Medicare (7.65%)
$3,182
$1,591
$1,512
Federal unemployment
$42
$42
$42
Hawaii unemployment insurance (2.41%)
$1,003
$501
$476
Temporary Disability Insurance (est.)
$450
$250
$0
Prepaid Health Care (est.)
$5,976
$6,288
$0
Workers’ comp (est.)
$180
$90
$85
Total per year
$52,433
$29,562
$21,875
Per month
$4,369
$2,464
$1,823
Hours the phone is covered each week
40
20
19
These totals leave out paid time off, recruiting, training, and turnover, so the real cost usually runs higher.
The 20 hour line
Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care Act requires employers to provide health coverage once an employee works 20 or more hours a week for four weeks in a row. The employee pays no more than 1.5% of their wages. The employer pays the rest.
The premium is about the same for a 20 hour employee as a 40 hour one. That is why a 20 hour receptionist costs more per hour than a full-time one, and why so many local businesses keep part-time staff at 19 hours.
A receptionist vs. an AI receptionist
Full-time receptionist
AI receptionist from AI Works
First year cost
$52,433
$5,600
After the first year
$52,433
$3,600
Hours covered each week
40
168, every hour of every day
Cost per covered hour
about $25
about $0.64
Answers after 5pm and weekends
No
Yes
Books appointments
Yes
Yes
Greets walk-ins, takes payments, files paperwork
Yes
No
AI Works pricing shown as $2,000 setup plus $300 a month. Many businesses with a front counter keep their receptionist and use the AI for nights, weekends, and overflow calls.
Common questions
How much does a receptionist cost in Hawaii?
Does Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care Act apply to part-time employees?
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than hiring?
How many missed calls does it take to pay for an AI receptionist?
How we calculated this
Wage: $20 an hour, close to the statewide average of $19.79 for receptionists (Hawaii DLIR, May 2024).
Hawaii unemployment insurance: 2.40% new employer rate plus 0.01% Employment and Training, on a 2026 wage base of $64,500 (Hawaii 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.
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