Business phone system for optometry practices in Illinois

How many optometry practices operate in Illinois

Illinois had 868 optometry practices in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 621320, Offices of Optometrists). They employed 5,558 people in mid-March and reported $281.2 million in annual payroll. That is the 6th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Optometry practices make up 0.27% of the 322,415 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Illinois has 6.8 optometry practices, 3.2% above the national rate of 6.6. The average establishment has 6.4 employees against 6.6 nationally. Payroll per employee is $50,588, 3.4% above the U.S. figure of $48,910.

Optometry practices by metro area in Illinois

Census published optometry practice counts for 27 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Illinois. The largest is Chicago, IL-IN, with 650 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 14% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at optometry practices in Illinois

50.4% of Illinois's optometry practices with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 47.9% nationally. 82.5% 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.

Calls an optometry practice in Illinois has to catch

Eye-care offices combine exam scheduling with eyewear and contact-lens orders, so callers want both appointments and order status. Calls about broken glasses or eye irritation also need to reach someone quickly. That holds for optometry practices in Illinois as much as anywhere.

A few of the calls that come in to optometry practices in Illinois:

• A patient calls to check whether new glasses are ready for pickup.
• Someone calls about sudden eye irritation and asks whether to come in.
• A parent calls to book a child's eye exam before the school year.

Texting patients

Optometry offices text patients when an eyewear or contact lens order is ready for pickup, along with appointment reminders.

Texting from a local number in Illinois requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

What a phone system costs an optometry practice in Illinois

Optometry practices in Illinois average 6.4 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. Callata comes to $119.00 a month for 6 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $732 less than RingCentral for an optometry practice in Illinois of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Illinois

Illinois has 17 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so an optometry practice can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for optometry practices in Illinois

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.

Porting a number you already use in Illinois 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.