Does a reception assistant pay off? The modern cost-benefit analysis.
What does a receptionist really cost? We break down the full personnel costs – from salary to social contributions to overhead costs – and compare them with modern alternatives like Safina AI.
The traditional solution to ensure telephone availability is clear: a permanently employed receptionist. However, what seems to be a simple staffing matter at first glance is, upon closer inspection, one of the largest and often underestimated cost positions in a small or medium-sized company.
Many entrepreneurs only compare the gross salary with the costs of an alternative solution. This is a mistake. Let's conduct a transparent and realistic cost-benefit analysis together.
The true personnel costs of a receptionist
The costs for an employee go far beyond what appears on the monthly payslip.
The gross salary
The basis is the average annual salary. In Germany, this amount for a receptionist is about €30,800 gross, which corresponds to a monthly salary of around €2,567.
The "second rent": employer contributions
On top of this gross salary are the statutory employer contributions to social security. These are additional, mandatory costs of around 19.7% (as of 2025).
The calculation: With a salary of €30,800, you, as the employer, pay an additional about €6,068 per year to the social security funds. Your actual costs for this one person are already over €36,800.
Further hidden costs
But that's not all. Additional, often not directly accounted costs come into play:
Office equipment: Costs for desk, computer, software licenses, etc.
Continued salary payments: Costs for sickness and vacation times when the work performance is absent.
Replacement costs: During these absence periods, the reception is either unoccupied (leading to missed calls) or must be covered at a high cost by a representative.
The alternatives in comparison
Two modern alternatives to permanent employment are external telephone services and AI-supported solutions.
External telephone service: Here, you usually pay a monthly base fee (e.g., €99) plus costs per accepted call (e.g., €1.50). With high call volumes, this model can quickly become unpredictable and expensive.
AI-supported solution (Safina AI): Offers 24/7 availability at a fixed monthly price, without the high personnel costs and without unpredictable variable costs.
The annual costs in direct comparison
The following table highlights the financial discrepancy:
Cost component | Internal receptionist (full-time) | External telephone service | Safina AI |
Base salary / base fee | about €30,800 | about €1,188 (at €99/month) | Fixed annual price |
Employer contributions (~19.7%) | about €6,068 | - | - |
Cost per call/minute | - | Variable (e.g., €1,800/year)* | Included in the package |
Additional costs (workplace, etc.) | about €2,000 (estimate) | - | - |
Downtime (vacation/sickness) | Variable costs/revenue loss | Included | Included |
Estimated total annual costs | ~€38,868 + | ~€2,988 + (highly variable) | Significantly lower fixed price |
Based on 100 calls/month at €1.50 |
More than just a cost question
The figures show: A permanent employee is financially a tremendous burden. The decision for intelligent automation is often not just a matter of efficiency, but an economic necessity.
But it's not just about money. An AI solution like Safina additionally offers scalability and seamless 24/7 availability, which a single person could never provide. It is the more modern, flexible, and economically superior alternative for forward-thinking companies.
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