What does a receptionist really cost, and what does an AI cover instead?
A full-time receptionist costs a small UK employer roughly £28,560 a year on a £25,000 salary once National Insurance and pension are added, for office hours only. An AI receptionist costs £49 to £149 a month and answers all day and night. This page works the sum through with 2026/27 gov.uk figures.
Line by line, for one full-time receptionist.
We use a £25,000 salary, which is the "experienced" figure on the National Careers Service receptionist profile and just above the legal floor for a 37.5-hour week.
| Line | A year | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Wages | £25,000 | National Careers Service: £21,000 starter to £25,000 experienced. The National Living Wage of £12.71 makes £24,785 the minimum for 37.5 hours a week. |
| Employer National Insurance | £3,000 | 15% on earnings above £5,000 (2026/27). Eligible small employers can offset up to £10,500 with the Employment Allowance. |
| Employer pension | £563 | 3% minimum of qualifying earnings between £6,240 and £50,270. |
| Paid holiday | 28 days off | 5.6 weeks' statutory leave. Paid within the salary above, but the phone needs cover on those days. |
| Total | £28,563 | About £2,380 a month, or £2,130 if the Employment Allowance covers the NI. Recruitment, a desk, equipment, training and sickness cover are extra. |
The number nobody puts in the job advert.
hours a year at the desk: 37.5 hours a week for 52 weeks, less 28 days' holiday. Sickness and training come out of that too.
gov.uk holiday entitlement; 37 to 40 hours a week typical.hours in a year during which your phone can ring. One person covers about a fifth of them, and none after 5:30pm or at weekends.
Arithmetic: 24 hours × 365 days.a month for Klyp, which answers every one of those 8,760 hours, including when the receptionist is on the other line.
Klyp Starter, Growth, Pro. No VAT added.Not the same job.
| Task | Employed receptionist | Klyp (Cora) |
|---|---|---|
| Answer the phone in your name | Yes, office hours | Yes, 24/7 |
| Three calls at once | Two wait | All answered |
| Take details, deal with urgent calls | Yes | Takes every caller's details; summary to your team in 60 seconds; urgent calls put through live on Growth and Pro |
| Arrange a call-back | Yes | Yes; booked into your diary on Growth and Pro |
| Put an urgent call through | Yes | Yes on Growth and Pro |
| Greet visitors, post, diary, admin | Yes | No |
| Judgement on a difficult call | Yes | Follows your rules; hands over to a person |
| Tells callers what it is | — | Says she is an AI if asked |
| Holiday, sickness, notice period | Needs cover | None |
| Monthly cost | About £2,130 to £2,380 | £49, £99 or £149; first month free; no contract |
Keep the person for the desk. Give the phone to Cora.
If you need someone to greet clients and run the office, hire them and let them do that well; an AI will not. If what you need is the phone answered, every time, at any hour, the sum is not close: a year of Klyp Pro costs £1,788, which is less than one month of an employed receptionist (about £2,130 to £2,380). Most firms land in the middle, with a person by day and Cora on overflow, lunchtimes, evenings and weekends.
Common questions.
How much does it cost to employ a receptionist in the UK in 2026?
At least £24,785 a year in wages for a 37.5-hour week on the National Living Wage of £12.71. On a £25,000 salary, add employer National Insurance of £3,000 (15% on earnings above £5,000) and a minimum pension contribution of about £563 (3% of earnings between £6,240 and £50,270). That is £25,000 + £3,000 + £563 = £28,563 a year, or about £2,380 a month, before holiday cover, recruitment, equipment and a desk.
Does the Employment Allowance change the sum?
It can. Eligible employers can take up to £10,500 off their employer National Insurance bill in 2026/27, which would remove the £3,000 above if you have not already used it on other staff. Even then, the cost is about £25,563 a year (£25,000 + £563), or £2,130 a month, for office hours only.
How many hours does one receptionist actually cover?
About 1,740 a year: 37.5 hours a week for 52 weeks, less 28 days' statutory holiday. A year has 8,760 hours, so one person covers about a fifth of the time your phone could ring, and none of the evenings and weekends.
Is an AI receptionist a replacement for a receptionist?
For the phone, often. For greeting visitors, opening the post, managing the diary and the hundred other things a good receptionist does, no. Many firms keep the person and give the phone to Cora outside office hours and when the desk is busy.