Business phone system for medical laboratories in Nebraska
38 medical laboratories operated in Nebraska in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.
- Establishments
- 38CBP 2023
- Employees
- 674mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 1.9U.S. 4.9
- State rank
- 44th of 51by count
Medical laboratories in Nebraska by the numbers
County Business Patterns counts 38 establishments in Nebraska classified as Medical Laboratories (NAICS 621511) for 2023. They employed 674 people in mid-March and reported $38.7 million in annual payroll. That is the 44th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Medical laboratories make up 0.07% of the 56,503 business establishments in the state.
Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Nebraska has 1.9 medical laboratories, 61.3% below the national rate of 4.9. The average establishment has 17.7 employees against 14.0 nationally. Payroll per employee is $57,401, 22.6% below the U.S. figure of $74,156.
| Measure | Nebraska | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 38 | 16,635 |
| Mid-March employees | 674 | 232,333 |
| Annual payroll | $38,688,000 | $17,228,940,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 17.7 | 14.0 |
| Payroll per employee | $57,401 | $74,156 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 1.9 | 4.9 |
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 medical laboratories in Nebraska are concentrated
Census published medical laboratory counts for 2 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Nebraska. The largest is Lincoln, NE, with 16 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 42% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.
| Area | Establishments | Employees | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | 16 | 335 | 4.6 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 15 | 257 | 1.5 |
Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Team sizes at medical laboratories in Nebraska
54.1% of Nebraska's medical laboratories with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 69.4% nationally. 64.9% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 20 | 54.1% | 69.4% |
| 5–9 employees | 4 | 10.8% | 13.6% |
| 10–19 employees | 4 | 10.8% | 7.5% |
| 20–49 employees | 6 | 16.2% | 4.8% |
| 50 or more employees | 3 | 8.1% | 4.6% |
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 medical laboratory in Nebraska has to catch
Labs answer calls from both patients and ordering providers, and the questions differ: hours and preparation instructions on one side, specimen and result status on the other. Routing those calls separately keeps both groups from waiting.
A few of the calls that come in to medical laboratories in Nebraska:
- A courier calls to confirm a pickup.
- A patient calls to ask about walk-in hours.
- A patient calls to ask whether fasting is required before a blood draw.
Business texting for medical laboratories
Labs use texting mainly for hours, location and preparation reminders.
Texting from a local number in Nebraska requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.
Phone system pricing for an 18-person medical laboratory
Medical laboratories in Nebraska average 17.7 employees, so the comparison uses an 18-person team. Priced per seat, 18 users would run $540.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $449.10 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $359.00 a month for 18 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.
Over a year, that is $2,172 less than RingCentral for a medical laboratory in Nebraska of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $359.00 | $4,308.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $342.00 | $4,104.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $414.00 | $4,968.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $449.10 | $5,389.20 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $486.00 | $5,832.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $540.00 | $6,480.00 |
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 Nebraska
Nebraska has 3 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a medical laboratory can hold a number in more than one of them.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 402 | 782 | Central | 1947 | 531 |
| 308 | 463 | Central and Mountain | 1955 | none |
| 531 | 265 | Central | 2011 | 402 |
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 medical laboratories in Nebraska
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.
Porting a number you already use in Nebraska is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.
AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.
Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.
Frequently asked questions
How many medical laboratories are in Nebraska?
38 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 674 people in mid-March.
Which Nebraska metro area has the most medical laboratories?
Lincoln, NE, with 16 establishments in 2023.
What does a phone system cost an 18-person medical laboratory?
$540.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $449.10 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $359.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).
Do I need to register to text customers from a Nebraska 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.