41 Series · SOC 41-9041
Telemarketers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $35,450
- Median / year
- $50,350
- Top 10% earn
- -22.1%
- Growth '23–'33
- 58,430
- US workers
Telemarketers earn a median of $35,450 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $35,450, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $27,040 (10th percentile) to $50,350 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 58,430 US workers. Kansas pays the most ($48,010), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Telemarketers earn a median of $35,450, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 3% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Sales and Related, it ranks #20 of 22 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 22.1% by 2033.
- $35,450
- Median annual wage
- Top 97%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #20 of 22
- in Sales and Related
- 1.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Kansas at $48,010. Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
Telemarketers (SOC 41-9041) pays a national median of $35,450 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $27,040 at the 10th percentile to $50,350 at the 90th, with a mean of $37,370 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 58,430 Americans work in this occupation across 42 reporting states and 96 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -22.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 6,500 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is No formal educational credential and short-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 1.8 per 100,000 and injury rate of 1.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Kansas pays the highest state median at $48,010, which is +35% above the national figure. The top metro is Waterbury-Shelton, CT at $58,900 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$35,450
per year
Median Hourly
$17.04/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$37,370
average
Employment
58,430
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Telemarketers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$35,450 Bottom 3% higher than 3% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 41-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Telemarketers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 21 41-series occupations with growth data, Telemarketers sits on the slower-growing side at -22.1% growth and $35,450 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-22.1%
Declining
Annual Openings
6,500
per year (projected)
Typical Education
No formal educational credential
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
1.8/100K
Injury Rate
1.5/100
Danger Index
6.9/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Telemarketers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Contact businesses or private individuals by telephone to solicit sales for goods or services, or to request donations for charitable causes.
- ▸ Obtain customer information such as name, address, and payment method, and enter orders into computers.
- ▸ Explain products or services and prices, and answer questions from customers.
- ▸ Record names, addresses, purchases, and reactions of prospects contacted.
- ▸ Maintain records of contacts, accounts, and orders.
- ▸ Adjust sales scripts to better target the needs and interests of specific individuals.
- ▸ Answer telephone calls from potential customers who have been solicited through advertisements.
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Obtain names and telephone numbers of potential customers from sources such as telephone directories, magazine reply cards, and lists purchased from other organizations.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$27,040
25th Percentile
$29,640
Median
$35,450
75th Percentile
$40,230
90th Percentile
$50,350
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 42 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | $48,010 | +35% above national |
| 2 | Colorado | $47,670 | +34% above national |
| 3 | California | $46,000 | +30% above national |
| 4 | Connecticut | $45,200 | +28% above national |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $44,650 | +26% above national |
| 6 | Oregon | $42,060 | +19% above national |
| 7 | New York | $41,400 | +17% above national |
| 8 | Minnesota | $39,850 | +12% above national |
| 9 | Washington | $39,670 | +12% above national |
| 10 | Idaho | $39,400 | +11% above national |
| 11 | New Jersey | $39,370 | +11% above national |
| 12 | Arizona | $37,750 | +6% above national |
| 13 | Virginia | $37,440 | +6% above national |
| 14 | South Carolina | $37,090 | +5% above national |
| 15 | Utah | $36,610 | +3% above national |
| 16 | Georgia | $36,020 | +2% above national |
| 17 | Maryland | $35,590 | same as national |
| 18 | Florida | $35,570 | same as national |
| 19 | Ohio | $35,290 | same as national |
| 20 | Alabama | $34,840 | 2% below national |
| 21 | Kentucky | $34,450 | 3% below national |
| 22 | North Carolina | $34,380 | 3% below national |
| 23 | Nevada | $34,290 | 3% below national |
| 24 | Texas | $34,290 | 3% below national |
| 25 | Iowa | $33,640 | 5% below national |
| 26 | West Virginia | $33,370 | 6% below national |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $33,260 | 6% below national |
| 28 | Michigan | $33,040 | 7% below national |
| 29 | Maine | $32,610 | 8% below national |
| 30 | Indiana | $31,550 | 11% below national |
| 31 | Illinois | $31,200 | 12% below national |
| 32 | Nebraska | $31,200 | 12% below national |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $30,530 | 14% below national |
| 34 | Missouri | $29,840 | 16% below national |
| 35 | Tennessee | $29,470 | 17% below national |
| 36 | Arkansas | $29,060 | 18% below national |
| 37 | Louisiana | $28,910 | 18% below national |
| 38 | Puerto Rico | $28,580 | 19% below national |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $28,430 | 20% below national |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $26,880 | 24% below national |
| 41 | North Dakota | $23,440 | 34% below national |
| 42 | Mississippi | $21,540 | 39% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 96 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $58,900 | +66% above national |
| 2 | Springfield, IL | $50,390 | +42% above national |
| 3 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $49,700 | +40% above national |
| 4 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $49,240 | +39% above national |
| 5 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $47,930 | +35% above national |
| 6 | Rochester, NY | $47,840 | +35% above national |
| 7 | Colorado Springs, CO | $47,670 | +34% above national |
| 8 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $45,710 | +29% above national |
| 9 | Boulder, CO | $45,340 | +28% above national |
| 10 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $44,900 | +27% above national |
| 11 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $44,770 | +26% above national |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $44,650 | +26% above national |
| 13 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $44,160 | +25% above national |
| 14 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $43,740 | +23% above national |
| 15 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $43,620 | +23% above national |
| 16 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $42,660 | +20% above national |
| 17 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $42,450 | +20% above national |
| 18 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $41,400 | +17% above national |
| 19 | Boise City, ID | $41,350 | +17% above national |
| 20 | Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $40,840 | +15% above national |
| 21 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $40,040 | +13% above national |
| 22 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $39,970 | +13% above national |
| 23 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $39,850 | +12% above national |
| 24 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $39,750 | +12% above national |
| 25 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $39,670 | +12% above national |
| 26 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $39,470 | +11% above national |
| 27 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $38,760 | +9% above national |
| 28 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $38,540 | +9% above national |
| 29 | Fresno, CA | $38,470 | +9% above national |
| 30 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $38,250 | +8% above national |
| 31 | Columbus, OH | $37,460 | +6% above national |
| 32 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $37,320 | +5% above national |
| 33 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $37,300 | +5% above national |
| 34 | Reno, NV | $36,930 | +4% above national |
| 35 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $36,850 | +4% above national |
| 36 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $36,770 | +4% above national |
| 37 | Cleveland, OH | $36,710 | +4% above national |
| 38 | Sebring, FL | $36,670 | +3% above national |
| 39 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $36,610 | +3% above national |
| 40 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $36,450 | +3% above national |
| 41 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $36,260 | +2% above national |
| 42 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $36,200 | +2% above national |
| 43 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $36,160 | +2% above national |
| 44 | Columbia, SC | $36,100 | +2% above national |
| 45 | Jacksonville, FL | $36,000 | +2% above national |
| 46 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $35,870 | +1% above national |
| 47 | Tucson, AZ | $35,830 | +1% above national |
| 48 | Appleton, WI | $35,670 | +1% above national |
| 49 | Syracuse, NY | $35,570 | same as national |
| 50 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $35,540 | same as national |
| 51 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $35,450 | same as national |
| 52 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $35,380 | same as national |
| 53 | Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $35,240 | 1% below national |
| 54 | Lancaster, PA | $34,470 | 3% below national |
| 55 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $34,440 | 3% below national |
| 56 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $34,290 | 3% below national |
| 57 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $34,030 | 4% below national |
| 58 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $33,900 | 4% below national |
| 59 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $33,490 | 6% below national |
| 60 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $33,230 | 6% below national |
| 61 | Ogden, UT | $33,100 | 7% below national |
| 62 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $32,470 | 8% below national |
| 63 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $32,180 | 9% below national |
| 64 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $32,170 | 9% below national |
| 65 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $32,150 | 9% below national |
| 66 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $31,980 | 10% below national |
| 67 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $31,760 | 10% below national |
| 68 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $31,480 | 11% below national |
| 69 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $31,200 | 12% below national |
| 70 | York-Hanover, PA | $31,110 | 12% below national |
| 71 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $30,860 | 13% below national |
| 72 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $30,700 | 13% below national |
| 73 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $29,870 | 16% below national |
| 74 | Savannah, GA | $29,830 | 16% below national |
| 75 | Omaha, NE-IA | $29,800 | 16% below national |
| 76 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $29,680 | 16% below national |
| 77 | Springfield, MO | $29,520 | 17% below national |
| 78 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $29,430 | 17% below national |
| 79 | Oklahoma City, OK | $29,350 | 17% below national |
| 80 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $29,240 | 18% below national |
| 81 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $29,200 | 18% below national |
| 82 | Lincoln, NE | $29,010 | 18% below national |
| 83 | Baton Rouge, LA | $28,910 | 18% below national |
| 84 | Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area | $28,850 | 19% below national |
| 85 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $28,840 | 19% below national |
| 86 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $28,430 | 20% below national |
| 87 | El Paso, TX | $28,340 | 20% below national |
| 88 | Cleveland, TN | $28,040 | 21% below national |
| 89 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $28,030 | 21% below national |
| 90 | Wichita, KS | $27,670 | 22% below national |
| 91 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $27,100 | 24% below national |
| 92 | Pittsburgh, PA | $26,990 | 24% below national |
| 93 | Tulsa, OK | $26,210 | 26% below national |
| 94 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $22,420 | 37% below national |
| 95 | Knoxville, TN | $21,990 | 38% below national |
| 96 | East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $21,440 | 40% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 41 (sales) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Telemarketers make? ▼
What state pays Telemarketers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Telemarketers? ▼
How dangerous is being a Telemarketers? ▼
Is Telemarketers a good career? ▼
How does Telemarketers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Telemarketers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Telemarketers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $40,230/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Kansas leads at $48,010/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.