Staffing For Doctors · For your practice
A state-by-state staffing cost reference
2027 Front Office Cost Report
What a full-time medical front-desk hire costs in every state, compared with virtual medical staff.
Published Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025 wages
A full-time medical secretary costs a U.S. practice about $59,700 a year once payroll taxes and benefits are added, based on the 2025 national median wage of $22.08 an hour. Costs range from about $47,200 in Mississippi to about $75,500 in Washington. In California, the cost is about $70,800 a year. Full-time virtual medical staff from Staffing For Doctors start at $14 an hour, or $29,120 a year.
Explore the cost landscape
What does the same role cost in your state?
Select a state to compare its estimated annual in-office cost with virtual staff. Every region uses the report's 2025 wage data and 30% benefits assumption.
Estimated yearly cost with benefitsChoose a map region
Lower estimateHigher estimate
$47,177$54,265$61,354$68,442$75,530
Map geometry: us-atlas, states-albers-10m. Alaska and Hawaii shown in inset positions.
01What is changing
Why Front Office Costs Keep Rising in 2027
State and local wage rules can change the cost of the same front-desk job from one year to the next. ADP reports minimum-wage increases in sixteen states effective January 1, 2027. These statutory minimums are separate from the 2025 median wage comparison in the table below.
California state minimum
$17.40 an hour
Effective January 1, 2027, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations.
Washington state minimum
$17.73 an hour
Effective January 1, 2027, as reported by ADP.
Some California healthcare clinics
$25 an hour
A July 1, 2027 increase may apply to covered healthcare employers and workers. Applicability depends on the law and employer category; see Fisher Phillips.
ADP: 2027 minimum-wage changesCalifornia DIR announcementFisher Phillips: healthcare wage coverage
02Compare all 51 jurisdictions
Cost of a Medical Front-Desk Hire by State
Estimated yearly employer cost applies a 30% payroll and benefits assumption to each jurisdiction's 2025 median annual wage. The national row appears separately and is not ranked.
Showing 51 of 51 jurisdictions. Select a column heading to sort.
| 1 | Washington | $27.93 | $58,100 | $75,530 | $29,120 | $46,410 | 61% |
| 2 | California | $26.20 | $54,490 | $70,837 | $29,120 | $41,717 | 59% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $24.18 | $50,290 | $65,377 | $29,120 | $36,257 | 55% |
| 4 | Oregon | $24.10 | $50,130 | $65,169 | $29,120 | $36,049 | 55% |
| 5 | Minnesota | $24.06 | $50,030 | $65,039 | $29,120 | $35,919 | 55% |
| 6 | Hawaii | $24.00 | $49,920 | $64,896 | $29,120 | $35,776 | 55% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $23.64 | $49,180 | $63,934 | $29,120 | $34,814 | 54% |
| 8 | New Jersey | $23.39 | $48,660 | $63,258 | $29,120 | $34,138 | 54% |
| 9 | Connecticut | $23.32 | $48,500 | $63,050 | $29,120 | $33,930 | 54% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $23.27 | $48,410 | $62,933 | $29,120 | $33,813 | 54% |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $23.26 | $48,380 | $62,894 | $29,120 | $33,774 | 54% |
| 12 | Vermont | $23.17 | $48,200 | $62,660 | $29,120 | $33,540 | 54% |
| 13 | Alaska | $23.02 | $47,870 | $62,231 | $29,120 | $33,111 | 53% |
| 14 | Maryland | $23.00 | $47,850 | $62,205 | $29,120 | $33,085 | 53% |
| 15 | New York | $22.94 | $47,710 | $62,023 | $29,120 | $32,903 | 53% |
| 16 | Maine | $22.59 | $46,990 | $61,087 | $29,120 | $31,967 | 52% |
| 17 | Nevada | $22.59 | $46,990 | $61,087 | $29,120 | $31,967 | 52% |
| 18 | Colorado | $22.56 | $46,920 | $60,996 | $29,120 | $31,876 | 52% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $22.53 | $46,860 | $60,918 | $29,120 | $31,798 | 52% |
| 20 | Illinois | $22.44 | $46,670 | $60,671 | $29,120 | $31,551 | 52% |
| 21 | Virginia | $22.20 | $46,180 | $60,034 | $29,120 | $30,914 | 51% |
| 22 | Nebraska | $22.17 | $46,100 | $59,930 | $29,120 | $30,810 | 51% |
| 23 | Arizona | $22.03 | $45,820 | $59,566 | $29,120 | $30,446 | 51% |
| 24 | South Dakota | $22.03 | $45,810 | $59,553 | $29,120 | $30,433 | 51% |
| 25 | North Dakota | $21.82 | $45,390 | $59,007 | $29,120 | $29,887 | 51% |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $21.60 | $44,930 | $58,409 | $29,120 | $29,289 | 50% |
| 27 | Idaho | $21.60 | $44,920 | $58,396 | $29,120 | $29,276 | 50% |
| 28 | Delaware | $21.39 | $44,500 | $57,850 | $29,120 | $28,730 | 50% |
| 29 | Wyoming | $21.36 | $44,430 | $57,759 | $29,120 | $28,639 | 50% |
| 30 | Utah | $21.31 | $44,330 | $57,629 | $29,120 | $28,509 | 49% |
| 31 | Ohio | $21.29 | $44,280 | $57,564 | $29,120 | $28,444 | 49% |
| 32 | New Mexico | $21.27 | $44,230 | $57,499 | $29,120 | $28,379 | 49% |
| 33 | North Carolina | $21.24 | $44,190 | $57,447 | $29,120 | $28,327 | 49% |
| 34 | Indiana | $21.18 | $44,060 | $57,278 | $29,120 | $28,158 | 49% |
| 35 | Missouri | $21.14 | $43,980 | $57,174 | $29,120 | $28,054 | 49% |
| 36 | Montana | $21.03 | $43,740 | $56,862 | $29,120 | $27,742 | 49% |
| 37 | Georgia | $20.75 | $43,160 | $56,108 | $29,120 | $26,988 | 48% |
| 38 | Kansas | $20.68 | $43,020 | $55,926 | $29,120 | $26,806 | 48% |
| 39 | Texas | $20.63 | $42,910 | $55,783 | $29,120 | $26,663 | 48% |
| 40 | Florida | $20.06 | $41,730 | $54,249 | $29,120 | $25,129 | 46% |
| 41 | Michigan | $19.76 | $41,100 | $53,430 | $29,120 | $24,310 | 45% |
| 42 | Iowa | $19.70 | $40,980 | $53,274 | $29,120 | $24,154 | 45% |
| 43 | South Carolina | $19.31 | $40,170 | $52,221 | $29,120 | $23,101 | 44% |
| 44 | Tennessee | $19.20 | $39,940 | $51,922 | $29,120 | $22,802 | 44% |
| 45 | Kentucky | $18.63 | $38,750 | $50,375 | $29,120 | $21,255 | 42% |
| 46 | West Virginia | $18.48 | $38,430 | $49,959 | $29,120 | $20,839 | 42% |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $18.43 | $38,330 | $49,829 | $29,120 | $20,709 | 42% |
| 48 | Arkansas | $17.79 | $37,000 | $48,100 | $29,120 | $18,980 | 39% |
| 49 | Alabama | $17.76 | $36,930 | $48,009 | $29,120 | $18,889 | 39% |
| 50 | Louisiana | $17.75 | $36,930 | $48,009 | $29,120 | $18,889 | 39% |
| 51 | Mississippi | $17.45 | $36,290 | $47,177 | $29,120 | $18,057 | 38% |
| Not ranked | United States | $22.08 | $45,930 | $59,709 | $29,120 | $30,589 | 51% |
Virtual staff annual comparison: $29,120, starting at $14 an hour. Some roles cost more.
03How to read the estimate
How We Calculated This
State and national wage figures use 2025 median wages for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, occupation 43-6013, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via O*NET. Estimated in-office total cost is wage plus a 30% payroll taxes and benefits assumption, matching the calculator assumption.
The virtual comparison uses full-time hours, 40 hours per week for 52 weeks, or 2,080 hours annually, starting at $14 an hour. Some roles cost more. Figures do not include office space, equipment, recruiting or turnover, so the real in-office cost is often higher.
These figures are based on 2025 wage data and are not predictions of actual 2027 wages. The report uses an annual 2,080-hour comparison. The website's separate monthly billing examples use 176 hours; that monthly billing convention is not used here.
View O*NET state wage estimates for occupation 43-6013
“Every January, practices open payroll and find the same front-desk job costs more than it did in December. This report gives every practice the real number for its state, so it can plan 2027 with facts instead of guesses.”
04Frequently asked questions
Front-office staffing cost questions
How much does a medical front-desk employee cost in 2027?
A full-time medical front-desk employee costs about $59,700 a year nationally. This estimate uses the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics median annual wage of $45,930 for medical secretaries and administrative assistants, plus 30% for payroll taxes and benefits. The exact modeled total is $59,709.
Which state has the highest cost for medical front-desk staff?
Washington has the highest estimated yearly cost at about $75,500, based on a median annual wage of $58,100 plus 30% for payroll taxes and benefits. California is second at about $70,800.
Which state has the lowest cost?
Mississippi has the lowest estimated yearly cost at about $47,200, based on a median annual wage of $36,290 plus 30% for payroll taxes and benefits.
How much do virtual medical staff cost?
Staffing For Doctors virtual medical staff are available starting at $14 an hour, or $29,120 a year at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks. There are no setup, recruiting or platform fees. Some roles cost more.
See how much your practice could save
Compare your practice's staffing needs with the report, then talk with our team about the role and schedule that fit. Start a hiring request at app.staffingfordoctors.com. Our team guides every hire; it is not a self-service hiring process.