How electrical contractors use the phone, how big their teams are, where they operate, and what calling and texting cost on Callata versus per-seat pricing.
U.S. establishments
83,342CBP 2023
Employees
1,015,983mid-March 2023
Avg. team
12.2employees per establishment
Metro areas
901with published counts
Electrical contractors in the United States
County Business Patterns counted 83,342 electrical contractors in the U.S. in 2023 (NAICS 238210, Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors). They employed 1,015,983 people in mid-March and paid $77.8 billion in annual payroll. The average establishment has 12.2 employees. That is 24.5 establishments for every 100,000 residents.
California has the most (10,162), followed by Florida (6,492), Texas (6,124), and New York (5,232). Relative to population, Wyoming leads with 51.9 per 100,000 residents, and District of Columbia has the fewest at 3.1.
Electrical contractors in the U.S., 2023
Measure
United States
Establishments
83,342
Mid-March employees
1,015,983
Annual payroll
$77,768,461,000
Payroll per employee
$76,545
Employees per establishment
12.2
Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Why the phone matters for electrical contractors
Electricians get service calls about outages and breakers alongside larger installation projects. Being reachable while on a job site keeps both kinds of work flowing.
Calls electrical contractors commonly handle:
A homeowner calls because half the house lost power.
A customer calls about installing an EV charger.
A builder calls to schedule rough-in.
The contractor calls an inspector to book an inspection.
A business calls about lighting repairs.
Texting and after-hours calls
Electricians text appointment windows and photos of the issue.
Power problems after hours can be urgent, so capturing and flagging them helps.
How big electrical contractors are
58.6% of U.S. electrical contractors with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023. 76.9% had fewer than ten. Most phone decisions in this industry are made for small teams, where one shared number and sensible routing matter more than a desk phone per person.
U.S. electrical contractors by employment size, 2023
Employment size
Establishments
Share
1–4 employees
48,799
58.6%
5–9 employees
15,277
18.3%
10–19 employees
9,329
11.2%
20–49 employees
6,300
7.6%
50 or more employees
3,637
4.4%
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.
Electrical contractors by state
Establishment counts for the 51 states (and DC) where Census published a figure, with the rate per 100,000 residents.
Callata vs. per-seat pricing for electrical contractors in the U.S.
The average U.S. electrical contractor has 12.2 employees, so the comparison uses a 12-person team. Priced per seat, 12 users would run $360.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $299.40 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 12 people cost $239.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $1,452. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.
Monthly list price for a 12-person electrical contractor
Provider (plan)
Pricing basis
Per month
Per year
Callata (Callata Office)
$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user
$239.00
$2,868.00
Quo (Starter)
$19.00 per user
$228.00
$2,736.00
Nextiva (Core)
$23.00 per user
$276.00
$3,312.00
Ooma (Office Pro)
$24.95 per user
$299.40
$3,592.80
Dialpad (Standard)
$27.00 per user
$324.00
$3,888.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)
$30.00 per user
$360.00
$4,320.00
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.
How Callata works for electrical contractors
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.
Existing numbers can be ported at no charge, and team texting turns on after the one-time $49 carrier registration (10DLC) is approved.
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 electrical contractors are in the U.S.?
83,342 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 238210).
What does a phone system cost a 12-person electrical contractor?
$360.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $299.40 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $239.00 a month on Callata, where $99 covers the first 5 users.
Can electrical contractors keep their existing number?
Yes. Porting an existing number to Callata is free.
Can an AI agent answer calls for an electrical contractor?
Callata's optional AI receptionist, sales, support and scheduler agents can answer calls, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They identify themselves as AI and use prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute.
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