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Business phone system for computer systems design services firms in South Carolina

488 computer systems design services firms operated in South Carolina in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
488CBP 2023
Employees
7,892mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
8.9U.S. 17.1
State rank
26th of 51by count

Computer systems design services firms in South Carolina by the numbers

The Census Bureau counted 488 computer systems design services firms in South Carolina in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 541512). They employed 7,892 people in mid-March and reported $783.2 million in annual payroll. That is the 26th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Computer systems design services firms make up 0.40% of the 122,958 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) South Carolina has 8.9 computer systems design services firms, 47.9% below the national rate of 17.1. The average establishment has 16.2 employees against 13.2 nationally. Payroll per employee is $99,245, 18.8% below the U.S. figure of $122,171.

Computer systems design services firms: South Carolina compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureSouth CarolinaUnited States
Establishments48858,113
Mid-March employees7,892766,160
Annual payroll$783,240,000$93,602,442,000
Employees per establishment16.213.2
Payroll per employee$99,245$122,171
Establishments per 100,000 residents8.917.1

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.

Computer systems design services firms by metro area in South Carolina

Census published IT services firm counts for 13 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of South Carolina. The largest is Charlotte, NC-SC, with 657 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 82% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Computer systems design services firms by metro or micropolitan area, South Carolina, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Charlotte, NC-SC6573,86722.8
Charleston, SC1052,39012.1
Greenville, SC941,8479.4
Columbia, SC911,34410.5
Augusta, GA-SC519458.0
Hilton Head Island, SC3117813.1
Spartanburg, SC231735.8
Myrtle Beach, SC18—4.4
Sumter, SC14—13.4
Florence, SC10—5.0
Murrells Inlet, SC7—10.6
Greenwood, SC323.2
Seneca, SC3213.6

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

Team sizes at computer systems design services firms in South Carolina

68.6% of South Carolina's computer systems design services firms with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 74.5% nationally. 79.5% 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.

Computer systems design services firms in South Carolina by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees33468.6%74.5%
5–9 employees5310.9%9.7%
10–19 employees377.6%6.5%
20–49 employees234.7%5.0%
50 or more employees408.2%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.

Why the phone matters for computer systems design services firms in South Carolina

Managed IT and systems integration firms field support calls that range from a forgotten password to a server outage. Clients judge them by how quickly someone answers when something breaks. That holds for computer systems design services firms in South Carolina as much as anywhere.

A few of the calls that come in to computer systems design services firms in South Carolina:

Calls after closing time

Outages do not keep business hours, so routing urgent after-hours calls to an on-call technician is common.

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

Phone system pricing for a 16-person IT services firm

Computer systems design services firms in South Carolina average 16.2 employees, so the comparison uses a 16-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $399.20 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $480.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 16 people cost $319.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $1,932. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 16-person IT services firm
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$319.00$3,828.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$304.00$3,648.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$368.00$4,416.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$399.20$4,790.40
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$432.00$5,184.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$480.00$5,760.00

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 computer systems design services firms in South Carolina

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each 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 computer systems design services firms are in South Carolina?

488 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 7,892 people in mid-March.

Which South Carolina metro area has the most computer systems design services firms?

Charlotte, NC-SC, with 657 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 16-person IT services firm?

$480.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $399.20 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $319.00 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.