Business phone system for optometry practices in North Carolina

How many optometry practices operate in North Carolina

County Business Patterns counts 661 establishments in North Carolina classified as Offices of Optometrists (NAICS 621320) for 2023. They employed 5,554 people in mid-March and reported $289.3 million in annual payroll. That is the 9th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Optometry practices make up 0.26% of the 258,169 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) North Carolina has 6.0 optometry practices, 9.5% below the national rate of 6.6. The average establishment has 8.4 employees against 6.6 nationally. Payroll per employee is $52,082, 6.5% above the U.S. figure of $48,910.

Where optometry practices in North Carolina are concentrated

Census published optometry practice counts for 29 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of North Carolina. The largest is Charlotte, NC-SC, with 184 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 68% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at optometry practices in North Carolina

37.3% of North Carolina's optometry practices with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 47.9% nationally. 69.8% 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.

What optometry practices in North Carolina use the phone for

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.

Calls an optometry practice in North Carolina might handle in a typical week include:

• A parent calls to book a child's eye exam before the school year.
• A patient calls to check whether new glasses are ready for pickup.
• A patient calls to reorder contact lenses.

What optometry practices text about

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 North Carolina requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Callata vs. per-seat pricing for optometry practices in North Carolina

Optometry practices in North Carolina average 8.4 employees, so the comparison uses an 8-person team. Priced per seat, 8 users would run $240.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $199.60 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $159.00 a month for 8 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $972 less than RingCentral for an optometry practice in North Carolina of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in North Carolina

North Carolina has 10 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 North 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.

Porting a number you already use in North Carolina 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.