Cost Comparison of Admin Roles in 2025

---

$17/hour = $2,944/month gross
Take-home after taxes: $2,250
Now subtract:

• rent, utilities, gas, time, childcare, daily commute…

And you’re asking a $17/hr employee to be the face of your company?

• Handle phones, texts, email 
• Book appointments, verify insurance
• Be HIPAA compliant
• Smile, stay calm, deal with Karen

For $2,200/month... take-home...for a millennial or Gen Z'er... to be the FACE OF YOUR COMPANY? Think about that.

 The Truth? It’s Not Your Staff. It’s the Math.

Here’s what it actually costs to live right now in Texas (Minimum):

• Rent: $1,300
• Utilities + Internet: $275
• Groceries: $365
• Car Insurance + Gas: $200
• Cell, Health, Life: $250+
  ➡Total = $2,500–$3,000/month

A $17/hour role brings home about $2,300/month after taxes.

👉 That’s a $200–$700/month shortfall
👉No savings. No margin. No breathing room.

  🔁 Avg. cost to replace an entry-level employee: $4,000–$5,000
– SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)

This includes:

• Recruiting time
• Interviewing & onboarding
• Productivity gap
• Mistakes during ramp-up
• Manager disruption

So when a $17/hour receptionist walks out… it doesn’t cost $17/hour.

It costs $4,000+ every time. 

Think you’re paying $17/hour?

Let’s do the math:

• Base wage: $17.00/hour
  • FICA (6.2%) = $1.05
  • Medicare (1.45%) = $0.25
  • FUTA/SUTA average = $0.09–$0.15
•  Real cost: ~$18.39/hour — before PTO or benefits

Now add:

• Paid time off
• Turnover training costs
• Insurance or perks

👉 You’re easily paying $20+/hour to keep repeating the same hiring loop.

And you’re still losing calls, burning out staff, and posting the same job every 3 months. 

Most owners treat payroll as a cost of doing business — but never think about return on that cost.

A $17/hour employee:

• Creates ongoing liability 
• Needs replacement every 6–12 months
• Adds tax burden (FICA, Medicare, etc.)
• Becomes a sunk cost if they churn

By contrast, when you invest in a system:

• You gain a fixed-capacity asset
• No turnover
• No re-training
• Potentially deductible as a capital expense under Section 179
• Becomes part of your business infrastructure, not your burn rate

Instead of a tax liability that walks out the door, turn your $17/hour into a tax asset that performs every day.  (Please consult with your CPA in reference to Section 179 of the Tax CODE as we are not experts in tax strategy)

• Missed calls = missed revenue
• Lost notes, no follow-up
• No-shows, double bookings
• You jump in to cover calls yourself

Instead of burning payroll on overwhelmed front desk roles..

• Use that same $17/hour budget to build a system that never burns out.
• Use that same $17/hour budget to build a system that strips repetitive tasks from people’s plates
• Use that same $17/hour budget to build a system to answer "We are located at..."
• Use that same $17/hour budget to build a system to answer "Our hours are..."
• Use that same $17/hour budget to build a system that backs up your current team
• Use that same $17/hour budget to build a system that protect your team and your brand.

Spend it once. Own it forever.