The median pay for Telemarketers is $35,450 a year ($17.04/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 21.4% through 2035, with about 5,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 41-9041
- Sales and Related
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Telemarketer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $35,450a year, or $17.04/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $27KTop 10% $50K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -21.4%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−21.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −21.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5,80060,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202560.9K
- Projected 203547.8K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 60.9K Projected 2035 47.8K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school19.8%
- High school39.5%
- Some college37.3%
- Associate's3.5%
Highest education held by telemarketers Segment Value Less than high school 19.8% High school 39.5% Some college 37.3% Associate's 3.5%
Also advertised as: Call Agent, Inside Sales Representative (Inside Sales Rep), Telemarketer, Telemarketing Sales Representative (Telemarketing Sales Rep), Telephone Sales Representative (TSR), Telephone Service Representative (TSR).
Pay
How much do Telemarketers make?
Every telemarketer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$35,450
Middle half earn $29,640 to $40,230
- 10th
- $27,040
- 25th
- $29,640
- 75th
- $40,230
- 90th
- $50,350
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $27,040 |
| 25th | $29,640 |
| Median | $35,450 |
| 75th | $40,230 |
| 90th | $50,350 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $35,450
- Median hourly wage
- $17.04/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $37,370
- People employed
- 58,430
Versus all US occupations
At $35,450, Telemarketers earn 30% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,530 a year.
Versus sales and related occupations
Inside the Sales and Related group, where the middle occupation pays $73,220, this is 52% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $50,350 or more while the bottom 10% earn $27,040, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 2% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Kansas pays the most at $48,010, and still leads at $53,304 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Telemarketers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kansas | $48,010 | $53,304 | N/A |
| 2Colorado | $47,670 | $46,258 | 880 |
| 3California | $46,000 | $41,546 | 3,880 |
| 4Connecticut | $45,200 | $43,625 | 110 |
| 5Massachusetts | $44,650 | $42,219 | N/A |
| 6Oregon | $42,060 | $40,692 | 420 |
| 7New York | $41,400 | $38,361 | 1,960 |
| 8Minnesota | $39,850 | $40,407 | 650 |
| 9Washington | $39,670 | $37,070 | 300 |
| 10Idaho | $39,400 | $41,259 | 280 |
Job outlook
Is Telemarketer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -21.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Telemarketers | −21.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Telemarketers to change -21.4% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 13,000 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 5,800 openings are projected each year, 9.5% of the 60,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Telemarketer
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as telemarketers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)39.5%
- Some College Courses37.3%
- Less than a High School Diploma19.8%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree3.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 39.5% |
| Some College Courses | 37.3% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 19.8% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 3.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Telemarketer do?
Solicit donations or orders for goods or services over the telephone.
Day-to-day tasks
- Explain products or services and prices, and answer questions from customers.
- Obtain customer information such as name, address, and payment method, and enter orders into computers.
- Answer telephone calls from potential customers who have been solicited through advertisements.
- Record names, addresses, purchases, and reactions of prospects contacted.
- Maintain records of contacts, accounts, and orders.
- Deliver prepared sales talks, reading from scripts that describe products or services, to persuade potential customers to purchase a product or service or to make a donation.
- Telephone or write letters to respond to correspondence from customers or to follow up initial sales contacts.
- Contact businesses or private individuals by telephone to solicit sales for goods or services, or to request donations for charitable causes.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Writing2.5
- Monitoring2.3
- Active Learning2.0
- Learning Strategies1.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Writing | 2.5 |
| Monitoring | 2.3 |
| Active Learning | 2.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 1.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Persuasion4.1
- Service Orientation3.5
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Negotiation3.0
- Coordination2.5
- Complex Problem Solving2.4
- Judgment and Decision Making2.4
- Time Management2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Persuasion | 4.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.5 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.5 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.4 |
| Time Management | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Access software
- Helpdesk or call center software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Telemarketer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Telemarketer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising5.4
- Conventional5.1
- Social3.6
- Realistic1.9
- Artistic1.2
- Investigative1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Telemarketer
O*NET related occupations
- Sales and Related
Sales Representative of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
$69,990median a year
Most earn $38K to $149K
+2.7%High school - Office and Administrative Support
- Sales and Related
- Sales and Related
- Office and Administrative Support
- Office and Administrative Support
More sales and related careers
Median annual pay, with telemarketers highlighted
- Sales Engineer$124,900
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Product$104,920
- Real Estate Broker$73,220
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$72,080
- Insurance Sales Agent$62,280
- Real Estate Agent$52,830
- Travel Agent$50,160
- Telemarketer$35,450
- Cashier$32,880
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sales Engineer | $124,900 |
| Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Product | $104,920 |
| Real Estate Broker | $73,220 |
| Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $72,080 |
| Insurance Sales Agent | $62,280 |
| Real Estate Agent | $52,830 |
| Travel Agent | $50,160 |
| Telemarketer | $35,450 |
| Cashier | $32,880 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Telemarketer appears on
Questions
Telemarketer: frequently asked questions
How much do Telemarketers make?
Telemarketers earn a median of $35,450 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 30% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.04/hr. The middle half earn between $29,640 and $40,230. The top 10% earn $50,350 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Telemarketer?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Telemarketers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 39.5% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Telemarketer a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 21.4% over 2025–2035, a loss of 13,000 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 5,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Telemarketer do?
Solicit donations or orders for goods or services over the telephone. A core O*NET task: explain products or services and prices, and answer questions from customers. Employers most often ask for Customer relationship management CRM software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Telemarketers the most?
The highest state medians for Telemarketers are Kansas ($48,010), Colorado ($47,670), California ($46,000) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Telemarketer?
O*NET scores Telemarketers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.