CallataGuides

Business phone system for barber shops in South Carolina

98 barber shops operated in South Carolina in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
98CBP 2023
Employees
362mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
1.8U.S. 2.3
State rank
23rd of 51by count

How many barber shops operate in South Carolina

County Business Patterns counts 98 establishments in South Carolina classified as Barber Shops (NAICS 812111) for 2023. They employed 362 people in mid-March and reported $12.0 million in annual payroll. That is the 23rd highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Barber shops make up 0.08% of the 122,958 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) South Carolina has 1.8 barber shops, 21.9% below the national rate of 2.3. The average establishment has 3.7 employees against 3.7 nationally. Payroll per employee is $33,240, in line with the U.S. figure of $33,667.

Barber shops: South Carolina compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureSouth CarolinaUnited States
Establishments987,789
Mid-March employees36229,017
Annual payroll$12,033,000$976,905,000
Employees per establishment3.73.7
Payroll per employee$33,240$33,667
Establishments per 100,000 residents1.82.3

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

South Carolina's largest markets for barber shops

Census published barber shop counts for 8 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of South Carolina. The largest is Charlotte, NC-SC, with 82 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 85% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Barber shops by metro or micropolitan area, South Carolina, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Charlotte, NC-SC822622.8
Charleston, SC261103.0
Greenville, SC20—2.0
Columbia, SC13891.5
Augusta, GA-SC12491.9
Hilton Head Island, SC10444.2
Myrtle Beach, SC9272.2
Spartanburg, SC551.3

Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Team sizes at barber shops in South Carolina

76.0% of South Carolina's barber shops with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 75.5% nationally. 90.6% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Barber shops in South Carolina by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees7376.0%75.5%
5–9 employees1414.6%14.4%
10–19 employees99.4%7.8%
20–49 employeesnot published—2.0%
50 or more employees00.0%0.2%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

Calls a barber shop in South Carolina has to catch

Barbers are busy with clients all day, and calls for appointments and wait times often go unanswered. Capturing calls and texting back helps fill chairs.

Calls a barber shop in South Carolina might handle in a typical week include:

Calls after closing time

After-hours calls are mostly booking requests.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

What a phone system costs a barber shop in South Carolina

Barber shops in South Carolina average 3.7 employees, so the comparison uses a 4-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 4 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $120.00 a month and 4 on Ooma Office Pro cost $99.80. On Callata the same 4 people cost $99.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $252. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 4-person barber shop
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$99.00$1,188.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$76.00$912.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$92.00$1,104.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$99.80$1,197.60
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$108.00$1,296.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$120.00$1,440.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in South Carolina

South Carolina has 6 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your clients know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in South Carolina by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
803784Eastern1947839
864784Eastern1995821
843783Eastern1998854
839190Eastern2020803
854182Eastern2015843
82142Eastern2024864

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for barber shops in South Carolina

Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.

If you already have a number in South Carolina, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Frequently asked questions

How many barber shops are in South Carolina?

98 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 362 people in mid-March.

Which South Carolina metro area has the most barber shops?

Charlotte, NC-SC, with 82 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 4-person barber shop?

$120.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $99.80 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $99.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a South Carolina number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.