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Telemarketer: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$35,450median pay per year, or $17.04 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $27,040lowest 10% earn less
  2. $29,64025th percentile
  3. $35,450median
  4. $40,23075th percentile
  5. $50,350top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Telemarketers earned a median of $35,450 a year in May 2025[1], and the job typically needs no formal degree[2]. Employment is projected to fall 21.4% by 2035[3].

Job growth, 2025–35
-21.4%[3]
Openings per year
5,800[6]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[2]

How much do telemarketers make?

The median pay for telemarketers was $35,450 a year, or $17.04 an hour, in May 2025[1]. Half earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was a little higher, at $37,370 a year or $17.97 an hour[7].

For all occupations in the US, the median was $50,980 a year[5]. The typical telemarketer earned about $15,530 less than that[1][5].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $27,040 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $50,350[4]. BLS publishes percentile wages as boundaries, not as a starting salary[8].

Level Annual pay Hourly pay
10th percentile[4][9] $27,040 $13.00
25th percentile[4][9] $29,640 $14.25
Median[1] $35,450 $17.04
75th percentile[4][9] $40,230 $19.34
90th percentile[4][9] $50,350 $24.21

These figures cover wage and salary workers, part time and full time. They leave out the self-employed, bonuses that are not tied to production, and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[10].

Pay by state and city

Kansas had the highest state median, at $48,010 a year[11]. Colorado followed at $47,670, then California at $46,000[11]. Mississippi had the lowest median on the list, at $21,540[11].

Florida had by far the most jobs, at 9,760[12]. California (3,880), Texas (3,660), Ohio (3,090) and Missouri (2,710) came next[12].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX was listed first, at $49,700[13]. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC came next at $49,240, and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO at $47,930[13]. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area had the most jobs, at 2,730, with a median of $35,870[14]. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford had 2,240 jobs and a median of $33,490[14].

Show median pay in 41 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Kansas[11]$48,010n/a
Colorado$47,670880
California$46,0003,880
Connecticut$45,200110
Massachusetts$44,650n/a
Oregon$42,060420
New York$41,4001,960
Minnesota$39,850650
Washington$39,670300
Idaho$39,400280
New Jersey$39,370410
Arizona$37,7501,550
Virginia$37,440n/a
South Carolina$37,0901,060
Utah$36,610390
Georgia$36,0202,620
Maryland$35,590540
Florida$35,5709,760
Ohio$35,2903,090
Alabama$34,8401,330
Kentucky$34,450910
North Carolina$34,3801,820
Nevada$34,2902,200
Texas$34,2903,660
Iowa$33,6401,100
West Virginia$33,370440
Wisconsin$33,2601,160
Michigan$33,0401,120
Maine$32,610n/a
Indiana$31,550690
Illinois$31,200870
Nebraska$31,200490
New Hampshire$30,530530
Missouri$29,8402,710
Tennessee$29,4702,210
Arkansas$29,060840
Louisiana$28,910380
Pennsylvania$28,4301,710
Oklahoma$26,880470
North Dakota$23,440120
Mississippi$21,540370

How to become a telemarketer

The BLS typical path lists no formal educational credential, no work experience in a related job and short-term on-the-job training[2]. O*NET places the job in a group where little or no previous experience may be needed, and some jobs call for several months to a year[15].

In an O*NET survey of 17 workers, 39% said a high school diploma or equivalent is the education level required[16]. Another 37% said some college courses, and 20% said less than a high school diploma[16].

BLS lists short-term on-the-job training for this job[2].

What telemarketers do

Telemarketers ask people by phone for orders or donations[17]. Typical tasks include:

People in the job report titles such as telephone sales representative, telesales specialist and inside sales representative[19].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of telemarketers to fall 21.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 60,900 to 47,800 jobs, a loss of 13,000[3]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[20]. These projection counts include self-employed workers, so they differ from the 58,430 wage and salary jobs counted in the May 2025 pay survey[21][3]. About 2.9% of telemarketers were self-employed in 2025[22].

BLS names two factors behind the decline. The Do Not Call registry from the FCC keeps growing, and companies increasingly use other digital marketing methods[23].

Even so, about 5,800 openings a year are projected on average[6]. Openings count jobs left by people who retire or switch occupations, as well as new jobs[6]. Each year, 5.3% of telemarketers are projected to leave the labor force and 7.9% to move to a different occupation[24].

Is it a good fit?

The facts point to a job with a low entry bar. No formal degree is typically required, and training is short-term[2]. Pay is below the all-occupations median, though it varies by state[1][5][11]. Employment is projected to shrink sharply, while about 5,800 openings a year are still projected[3][6].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[25].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a telemarketer make an hour?
The median was $17.04 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $17.97[1][7]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $13.00 an hour, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $24.21[9].
What education do you need to be a telemarketer?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement, with short-term on-the-job training[2].
Is telemarketing in demand?
Employment is projected to fall 21.4% from 2025 to 2035, while all occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[3][20]. About 5,800 openings a year are still projected[6].
What is the highest paying state for telemarketers?
Kansas, with a median of $48,010 a year[11]. Colorado was next at $47,670[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Telemarketers in the US was $35,450 per year and $17.04 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Telemarketers: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Telemarketers is projected to decline 21.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 60,900 to 47,800 jobs (a change of -13,000). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Telemarketers: 10th percentile $27,040, 25th percentile $29,640, 75th percentile $40,230, 90th percentile $50,350. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 5,800 openings for Telemarketers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Telemarketers was $37,370 per year and $17.97 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Telemarketers: 10th percentile $13.00, 25th percentile $14.25, 75th percentile $19.34, 90th percentile $24.21. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Telemarketers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Telemarketers jobs: Florida 9,760; California 3,880; Texas 3,660; Ohio 3,090; Missouri 2,710. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Telemarketers (areas with at least 100 jobs): Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX $49,700; Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $49,240; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $47,930; Rochester, NY $47,840; Colorado Springs, CO $47,670; Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $45,710; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $44,770; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $44,160. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Telemarketers jobs: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,730 (median $35,870); Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 2,240 (median $33,490); Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 1,830 (median $32,150); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,550 (median $42,450); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 1,220 (median $41,400); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,210 (median $40,040). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. O*NET 41-9041.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  16. O*NET 41-9041.00 survey of workers (17 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 39%, Some College Courses 37%, Less than a High School Diploma 20% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET description of Telemarketers. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET task list for Telemarketers. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET 41-9041.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Call Agent, Inside Sales Representative (Inside Sales Rep), Telemarketer, Telemarketing Sales Representative (Telemarketing Sales Rep), Telephone Sales Representative (TSR), Telephone Service Representative (TSR), Telesales Representative (Telesales Rep), Telesales Specialist. O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 58,430 people were employed as Telemarketers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  22. BLS Employment Projections: 2.9% of Telemarketers were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  23. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Telemarketers: Demand change - share decreases as the Do Not Call registry from the FCC continues to grow, and companies increasingly use alternative digital marketing methods. BLS Employment Projections
  24. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Telemarketers: 5.3% of workers leave the labor force each year and 7.9% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  25. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.