Business phone system for law offices in Texas
13,833 law offices operated in Texas in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.
- Establishments
- 13,833CBP 2023
- Employees
- 87,363mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 44.2U.S. 48.7
- State rank
- 3rd of 51by count
The law office industry in Texas
Texas had 13,833 law offices in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 541110, Offices of Lawyers). They employed 87,363 people in mid-March and reported $11.0 billion in annual payroll. That is the 3rd highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Law offices make up 2.1% of the 670,878 business establishments in the state.
Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Texas has 44.2 law offices, 9.1% below the national rate of 48.7. The average establishment has 6.3 employees against 6.6 nationally. Payroll per employee is $126,451, in line with the U.S. figure of $125,580.
| Measure | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 13,833 | 165,491 |
| Mid-March employees | 87,363 | 1,093,331 |
| Annual payroll | $11,047,100,000 | $137,300,251,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 6.3 | 6.6 |
| Payroll per employee | $126,451 | $125,580 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 44.2 | 48.7 |
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 law offices in Texas are concentrated
Census published law office counts for 62 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Texas. The largest is Dallas, TX, with 3,969 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 98% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.
| Area | Establishments | Employees | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 3,969 | 28,213 | 47.6 |
| Houston, TX | 3,867 | 27,482 | 49.6 |
| Austin, TX | 1,524 | 9,771 | 59.7 |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,188 | 7,317 | 43.0 |
| McAllen, TX | 337 | 1,654 | 36.8 |
| El Paso, TX | 283 | 1,297 | 32.2 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 212 | 1,406 | 47.1 |
| Lubbock, TX | 179 | 1,000 | 48.8 |
| Tyler, TX | 179 | 786 | 71.9 |
| Beaumont, TX | 170 | 847 | 42.6 |
| Brownsville, TX | 157 | 630 | 36.4 |
| Longview, TX | 149 | 410 | 50.4 |
| Amarillo, TX | 124 | 649 | 45.1 |
| Waco, TX | 94 | 501 | 30.6 |
| Laredo, TX | 85 | 350 | 31.2 |
| College Station, TX | 81 | 570 | 28.2 |
| Midland, TX | 74 | 362 | 39.2 |
| Abilene, TX | 72 | — | 39.1 |
| Killeen, TX | 68 | 436 | 13.3 |
| Sherman, TX | 68 | 299 | 45.2 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 55 | 169 | 36.7 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 55 | 172 | 37.8 |
| San Angelo, TX | 49 | 189 | 40.3 |
| Odessa, TX | 44 | 259 | 25.9 |
| Victoria, TX | 37 | 117 | 37.3 |
Top 25 of 62 areas by establishments. Source: Census CBP 2023.
Team sizes at law offices in Texas
72.3% of Texas's law offices with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 71.8% nationally. 86.7% 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 | 10,006 | 72.3% | 71.8% |
| 5–9 employees | 1,982 | 14.3% | 15.1% |
| 10–19 employees | 1,020 | 7.4% | 7.4% |
| 20–49 employees | 558 | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| 50 or more employees | 265 | 1.9% | 1.8% |
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 law office in Texas has to catch
Prospective clients often call a law office at a stressful moment and contact more than one firm, so the first firm to respond has an advantage. Attorneys are frequently in court or meetings, which makes accurate message taking and routing to the right paralegal essential. That holds for law offices in Texas as much as anywhere.
Calls a law office in Texas might handle in a typical week include:
- The firm calls a prospective client back after an online inquiry.
- A court clerk calls about a hearing date.
- An existing client calls for an update on their matter.
After-hours calls
Potential clients often call in the evening, so capturing and transcribing those messages lets the firm call back first thing.
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 law office in Texas
Law offices in Texas average 6.3 employees, so the comparison uses a 6-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 6 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $180.00 a month and 6 on Ooma Office Pro cost $149.70. On Callata the same 6 people cost $119.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $732. 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 | $119.00 | $1,428.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $114.00 | $1,368.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $138.00 | $1,656.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $149.70 | $1,796.40 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $162.00 | $1,944.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $180.00 | $2,160.00 |
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 Texas
Texas has 29 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 code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 281 | 786 | Central | 1996 | 346, 621, 713, 832 |
| 469 | 786 | Central | 1999 | 214, 945, 972 |
| 832 | 786 | Central | 1999 | 281, 346, 713 |
| 512 | 785 | Central | 1947 | 737 |
| 713 | 785 | Central | 1947 | 281, 346, 621, 832 |
| 972 | 785 | Central | 1996 | 214, 469, 945 |
| 210 | 784 | Central | 1992 | 726 |
| 214 | 784 | Central | 1947 | 469, 945, 972 |
| 817 | 780 | Central | 1953 | 682 |
| 903 | 771 | Central | 1990 | 430 |
| 346 | 752 | Central | 2014 | 281, 621, 713, 832 |
| 956 | 735 | Central | 1997 | none |
| 806 | 734 | Central | 1957 | none |
| 254 | 671 | Central | 1997 | none |
| 361 | 537 | Central | 1999 | none |
| 940 | 506 | Central | 1997 | none |
| 830 | 496 | Central | 1997 | none |
| 409 | 433 | Central | 1982 | none |
| 936 | 422 | Central | 2000 | none |
| 682 | 421 | Central | 2000 | 817 |
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 law offices in Texas
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 Texas, 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.
Firms should consider privilege and confidentiality before recording calls or using AI summaries, and follow their bar's guidance on client communications.
Frequently asked questions
How many law offices are in Texas?
13,833 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 87,363 people in mid-March.
Which Texas metro area has the most law offices?
Dallas, TX, with 3,969 establishments in 2023.
What does a phone system cost a 6-person law office?
$180.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $149.70 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $119.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).
Do I need to register to text customers from a Texas 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.