Title: Front-Desk Staffing Cost Estimator | Keres AI
URL: https://www.keresai.com/tools/staffing-savings-estimator
Updated: 2026-10-12
Description: Free staffing cost estimator. See the fully-loaded annual cost of front-desk phone coverage — and how many hours of the week your team still can’t answer.
Source: https://www.keresai.com/tools/staffing-savings-estimator (HTML). This is a Markdown copy of the page's main content for AI agents and LLM tools.

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# What does your front desk cost?

Salary is only part of it. See the fully-loaded annual cost of phone coverage — and how much of the week still goes unanswered.

A front-desk hire costs far more than salary once you add benefits and overhead — and one full-time seat still covers only about **40 of the 168 hours** in a week. This estimator shows your current loaded cost and the coverage gap an AI receptionist closes 24/7.

## Staffing cost FAQ

### How much does a front-desk receptionist cost?

Beyond salary, a front-desk hire carries payroll taxes, benefits and overhead, and still only covers about 40 of the 168 hours in a week. This estimator shows your fully-loaded annual cost and how much of the week stays uncovered.

### Can an AI receptionist replace front-desk staff?

Not necessarily. You can use an AI receptionist for after-hours and overflow while keeping daytime staff, or run it as the full front desk. It answers in two rings, 24/7, on a monthly plan, so you get coverage without staffing nights and weekends.

### How much can I save with an AI receptionist?

Savings depend on your call volume and current coverage. Keres is one monthly rate — typically well below a full-time hire plus a per-minute answering service. Book a demo for an exact quote against these numbers.

Last updated October 12, 2026 · [Reviewed by the Keres AI team](https://www.keresai.com/editorial-policy)