How much does a receptionist cost vs AI in Australia?

A full-time receptionist in Australia typically costs $55,000 to $70,000 in base salary, plus super, leave, and recruitment costs. An AI receptionist like Ellie starts from $199 AUD per month. Even a part-time human receptionist will cost significantly more annually, and provides limited hours of coverage compared to 24/7 AI availability.

Can AI handle all types of business calls?

AI handles routine calls very well: bookings, enquiries, opening hours, and standard questions. It struggles with emotionally complex situations, multi-step negotiations, or calls requiring significant human judgement. For most small to medium Australian businesses, the majority of incoming calls fall comfortably within what a well-configured AI can manage.

What happens if a caller has a complicated question the AI can't answer?

Good AI receptionist systems are configured to escalate appropriately. They can take a message, offer a callback, or transfer the call depending on your preferences. The goal isn't to replace every human interaction, it's to handle the high volume of routine calls so you and your team can focus on the calls that genuinely need you.

Is AI suitable for businesses in regulated industries like healthcare or legal?

Yes, with the right configuration. AI receptionists used by clinics and professional services focus on booking appointments, answering general questions, and directing callers appropriately rather than providing regulated advice. Many Australian healthcare and legal businesses already use AI receptionists successfully for front-of-house call handling.

Should I Hire a Receptionist or Use AI? A Practical Guide for Australian Businesses

If your phone is ringing more than you can handle, you've probably asked yourself this question. Do you bring on a receptionist, or is an AI solution good enough? The honest answer depends on your business, your budget, and what you actually need from the person (or system) answering your calls.

This guide breaks down both options clearly so you can make a decision you won't regret.

What a Human Receptionist Actually Costs

Let's start with the numbers. In Australia, a full-time receptionist typically earns between $55,000 and $70,000 per year in base salary, depending on your city and industry. Add superannuation, leave entitlements, payroll tax (if applicable), and the cost of recruiting and onboarding, and you're looking at a total employment cost well above the base wage.

Part-time receptionists reduce the salary burden, but they also reduce coverage. If your receptionist works 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, every call outside those hours goes unanswered. For many Australian businesses, that's exactly when motivated customers are calling.

There are also softer costs: time spent managing another employee, covering sick days, and retraining after turnover. Receptionist roles have relatively high turnover in Australia, so this isn't a theoretical problem.

A businesswoman reviewing financial spreadsheets with charts and graphs in an office setting. — Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels

What AI Handles Well

AI phone systems have improved dramatically. A well-configured AI receptionist can greet callers professionally, answer common questions about your business, book appointments directly into your calendar, and send SMS confirmations automatically. It does all of this around the clock, every day of the year, without sick days or annual leave.

For businesses where most incoming calls follow predictable patterns, like booking requests, quotes, opening hours, or service enquiries, an AI receptionist handles the bulk of call volume competently. Tools like Ellie, which is used by more than 200 Australian businesses, can be set up within 24 hours and start from $199 AUD per month. That's a fraction of the employment cost of even a casual receptionist.

If you're in a trade, a clinic, or a service business where missed calls mean missed revenue, the maths shift quickly. The real cost of a missed lead is often far higher than business owners realise, especially when competitors answer immediately.

Where Human Receptionists Still Shine

There are genuine situations where a human receptionist adds value that AI can't replicate. Complex, emotionally sensitive calls benefit from human empathy and judgement. If your business regularly handles distressed patients, complex legal enquiries, or multi-step negotiations, a human is better equipped to read the room and respond with nuance.

Human receptionists also manage in-office visitors, handle physical tasks like mail and filing, and can support other administrative functions. If you need a multi-role support person rather than purely a phone answerer, that changes the calculation.

The question worth asking is: how much of what I need is actually phone answering, versus other tasks? If calls are the core problem, AI is worth a serious look.

The After-Hours Problem

This is where AI wins decisively for most Australian businesses. A human receptionist works set hours. An AI system answers at 7pm on a Wednesday, at 8am on a Saturday, and on public holidays without penalty rates.

Industry research consistently shows that most callers who reach voicemail do not leave a message, and a significant portion of those callers ring a competitor next. If your business relies on inbound leads, after-hours coverage isn't a luxury. It's a competitive necessity.

For healthcare businesses in particular, after-hours calls carry real weight. There are specific considerations around handling patient calls after hours that AI systems designed for your industry can accommodate without the cost of overnight staffing.

A woman working on a laptop with a glass of wine in a dimly lit room. — Photo by Czapp Árpád on Pexels

A Hybrid Approach Often Makes Sense

Many Australian businesses find the best outcome is combining both. A human receptionist handles complex in-person interactions and sensitive calls during business hours, while an AI system covers overflow, after-hours, and weekends. This approach avoids the gaps without the cost of extended human staffing.

Some businesses start with AI only, discover it handles more than expected, and never hire the human receptionist they thought they needed. Others use AI to fill gaps around an existing team member. There's no universal right answer, but there is usually a cost-effective one.

Signs AI Is the Right Starting Point

Your call volume is growing but doesn't yet justify a full-time hire
Most of your calls are bookings, quotes, or standard enquiries
You're missing calls outside business hours and losing leads as a result
You want consistent, professional call handling without managing another employee
You're a sole trader or small team wearing too many hats already

If several of these apply to you, it's worth exploring AI before committing to a hire. The signs your business needs a receptionist don't always point to a human one.

Try Ellie Before You Decide

If you're on the fence, the lowest-risk thing you can do is test an AI receptionist with your actual business. Ellie offers a free 7-day trial with no credit card required. You enter your website, Ellie learns your business, and you can generate and test her yourself before committing to anything. Setup takes less than 24 hours.

Visit callellie.com to run a live demo and see how she handles your calls. It takes a few minutes and gives you a concrete answer rather than a theoretical one.