Business phone system for automobile driving schools in Minnesota
45 automobile driving schools operated in Minnesota in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.
- Establishments
- 45CBP 2023
- Employees
- 326mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 0.8U.S. 0.8
- State rank
- 20th of 47by count
Automobile driving schools in Minnesota by the numbers
County Business Patterns counts 45 establishments in Minnesota classified as Automobile Driving Schools (NAICS 611692) for 2023. They employed 326 people in mid-March and reported $7,260,000 in annual payroll. That is the 20th highest count among the 47 states and DC with published figures. Automobile driving schools make up 0.03% of the 154,455 business establishments in the state.
Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Minnesota has 0.8 automobile driving schools, in line with the national rate of 0.8. The average establishment has 7.2 employees against 6.3 nationally. Payroll per employee is $22,270, 27.2% below the U.S. figure of $30,610.
| Measure | Minnesota | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 45 | 2,648 |
| Mid-March employees | 326 | 16,610 |
| Annual payroll | $7,260,000 | $508,435,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 7.2 | 6.3 |
| Payroll per employee | $22,270 | $30,610 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 0.8 | 0.8 |
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.
Where automobile driving schools in Minnesota are concentrated
Census published driving school counts for 5 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Minnesota. The largest is Minneapolis, MN-WI, with 26 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 13% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.
| Area | Establishments | Employees | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis, MN-WI | 26 | 237 | 0.7 |
| La Crosse, WI-MN | 8 | 33 | 4.7 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 4 | — | 1.5 |
| Rochester, MN | 3 | — | 1.3 |
| St. Cloud, MN | 3 | 22 | 1.5 |
Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Team sizes at automobile driving schools in Minnesota
53.3% of Minnesota's automobile driving schools with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 60.5% nationally. 71.1% 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.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 24 | 53.3% | 60.5% |
| 5–9 employees | 8 | 17.8% | 22.1% |
| 10–19 employees | 10 | 22.2% | 11.9% |
| 20–49 employees | 3 | 6.7% | 4.6% |
| 50 or more employees | 0 | 0.0% | 0.9% |
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.
Why the phone matters for automobile driving schools in Minnesota
Driving schools schedule lessons around school and work hours, and instructors are in cars all day. Parents and students call to book and change lessons. That holds for automobile driving schools in Minnesota as much as anywhere.
A few of the calls that come in to automobile driving schools in Minnesota:
- A parent calls to enroll a teenager.
- A student calls about the road test.
- An adult calls about refresher lessons.
After-hours calls
After-hours calls are mostly enrollment questions.
Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.
Phone system pricing for a 7-person driving school
Automobile driving schools in Minnesota average 7.2 employees, so the comparison uses a 7-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 7 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $210.00 a month and 7 on Ooma Office Pro cost $174.65. On Callata the same 7 people cost $139.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $852. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $139.00 | $1,668.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $133.00 | $1,596.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $161.00 | $1,932.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $174.65 | $2,095.80 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $189.00 | $2,268.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $210.00 | $2,520.00 |
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 Minnesota
Minnesota has 8 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your students and parents know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 507 | 765 | Central | 1954 | 924 |
| 218 | 708 | Central | 1947 | none |
| 612 | 590 | Central | 1947 | none |
| 320 | 511 | Central | 1996 | none |
| 651 | 474 | Central | 1998 | none |
| 763 | 367 | Central | 2000 | none |
| 952 | 340 | Central | 2000 | none |
| 924 | 0 | Central | 2024 | 507 |
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 automobile driving schools in Minnesota
For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.
If you already have a number in Minnesota, 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 automobile driving schools are in Minnesota?
45 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 326 people in mid-March.
Which Minnesota metro area has the most automobile driving schools?
Minneapolis, MN-WI, with 26 establishments in 2023.
What does a phone system cost a 7-person driving school?
$210.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $174.65 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $139.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).
Do I need to register to text customers from a Minnesota 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.