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
- +3%
- 2024→2025
- $50,350
- Top 10% earn
- -22.1%
- Growth '24–'34
- 58,430
- Estimated US jobs
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 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Kansas ($48,010).
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 2034.
- $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.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Telemarketers moved from $26,290 in May 2019 to $35,450 in May 2025 (+34.8%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Telemarketers sits +10.4 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Telemarketers (SOC 41-9041) has a national median of $35,450 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $27,040 to $50,350, and the published mean is $37,370. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 58,430 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 42 state or territory areas and 96 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $34,410 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $35,450 in May 2025, a rise of $1,040 (+3%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -22.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as declining relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 6,500 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry, and BLS classifies its typical on-the-job preparation as short-term on-the-job training. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Sales and Related Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
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 highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Waterbury-Shelton, CT at $58,900. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
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.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 (this entry) | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$35,450 · 3rd percentile of 825 US occupations
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).
Read the chart as text
- Retail Salespersons: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.5%, Median annual wage $35410
- Cashiers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -9.9%, Median annual wage $32880
- Sales Representative…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $69990
- Sales Representative…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.3%, Median annual wage $72080
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -5%, Median annual wage $48520
- Securities, Commodit…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.3%, Median annual wage $78660
- Insurance Sales Agents: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $62280
- Counter and Rental C…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $41300
- Sales Representative…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.9%, Median annual wage $104920
- Parts Salespersons: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $38630
- Real Estate Sales Ag…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $52830
- Sales and Related Wo…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $48280
- Advertising Sales Ag…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6.4%, Median annual wage $64820
- Demonstrators and Pr…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.1%, Median annual wage $39320
- Telemarketers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -22.1%, Median annual wage $35450
- Travel Agents: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.2%, Median annual wage $50160
- Sales Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.5%, Median annual wage $124900
- Real Estate Brokers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.3%, Median annual wage $73220
- Gambling Change Pers…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6.4%, Median annual wage $36220
- Models: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.5%, Median annual wage $48470
- Door-to-Door Sales W…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -10%, Median annual wage $41380
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)
Employment Change
-14,900
67,400 (2024) → 52,500 (2034)
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 →Sales and Related Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
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
Telemarketers pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $23,530 |
| 2016 | $24,300 |
| 2017 | $24,460 |
| 2018 | $25,250 |
| 2019 | $26,290 |
| 2020 | $27,920 |
| 2021 | $28,910 |
| 2022 | $31,030 |
| 2023 | $34,480 |
| 2024 | $34,410 |
| 2025 | $35,450 |
2015 median
$23,530
2025 median
$35,450
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$9,160 (+34.8%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+5.1%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $23,530 | First banked release | 226,730 |
| May 2016 | $24,300 | +3.3% | 215,290 |
| May 2017 | $24,460 | +0.7% | 189,670 |
| May 2018 | $25,250 | +3.2% | 164,160 |
| May 2019 | $26,290 | Classification break | 134,800 |
| May 2020 | $27,920 | +6.2% | 117,610 |
| May 2021 | $28,910 | +3.5% | 115,130 |
| May 2022 | $31,030 | +7.3% | 96,520 |
| May 2023 | $34,480 | +11.1% | 81,580 |
| May 2024 | $34,410 | -0.2% | 66,430 |
| May 2025 | $35,450 | +3.0% | 58,430 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $23,530 in May 2015 to $35,450 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +5.1% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 134,800 in May 2019 to 58,430 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
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 90 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 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $40,040 | +13% above national |
| 21 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $39,970 | +13% above national |
| 22 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $39,850 | +12% above national |
| 23 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $39,750 | +12% above national |
| 24 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $39,670 | +12% above national |
| 25 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $39,470 | +11% above national |
| 26 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $38,760 | +9% above national |
| 27 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $38,540 | +9% above national |
| 28 | Fresno, CA | $38,470 | +9% above national |
| 29 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $38,250 | +8% above national |
| 30 | Columbus, OH | $37,460 | +6% above national |
| 31 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $37,320 | +5% above national |
| 32 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $37,300 | +5% above national |
| 33 | Reno, NV | $36,930 | +4% above national |
| 34 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $36,850 | +4% above national |
| 35 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $36,770 | +4% above national |
| 36 | Cleveland, OH | $36,710 | +4% above national |
| 37 | Sebring, FL | $36,670 | +3% above national |
| 38 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $36,610 | +3% above national |
| 39 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $36,450 | +3% above national |
| 40 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $36,260 | +2% above national |
| 41 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $36,200 | +2% above national |
| 42 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $36,160 | +2% above national |
| 43 | Columbia, SC | $36,100 | +2% above national |
| 44 | Jacksonville, FL | $36,000 | +2% above national |
| 45 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $35,870 | +1% above national |
| 46 | Tucson, AZ | $35,830 | +1% above national |
| 47 | Appleton, WI | $35,670 | +1% above national |
| 48 | Syracuse, NY | $35,570 | same as national |
| 49 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $35,540 | same as national |
| 50 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $35,450 | same as national |
| 51 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $35,380 | same as national |
| 52 | Lancaster, PA | $34,470 | 3% below national |
| 53 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $34,440 | 3% below national |
| 54 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $34,290 | 3% below national |
| 55 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $34,030 | 4% below national |
| 56 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $33,900 | 4% below national |
| 57 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $33,490 | 6% below national |
| 58 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $33,230 | 6% below national |
| 59 | Ogden, UT | $33,100 | 7% below national |
| 60 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $32,470 | 8% below national |
| 61 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $32,180 | 9% below national |
| 62 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $32,170 | 9% below national |
| 63 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $32,150 | 9% below national |
| 64 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $31,980 | 10% below national |
| 65 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $31,760 | 10% below national |
| 66 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $31,480 | 11% below national |
| 67 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $31,200 | 12% below national |
| 68 | York-Hanover, PA | $31,110 | 12% below national |
| 69 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $30,860 | 13% below national |
| 70 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $30,700 | 13% below national |
| 71 | Savannah, GA | $29,830 | 16% below national |
| 72 | Omaha, NE-IA | $29,800 | 16% below national |
| 73 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $29,680 | 16% below national |
| 74 | Springfield, MO | $29,520 | 17% below national |
| 75 | Oklahoma City, OK | $29,350 | 17% below national |
| 76 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $29,240 | 18% below national |
| 77 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $29,200 | 18% below national |
| 78 | Lincoln, NE | $29,010 | 18% below national |
| 79 | Baton Rouge, LA | $28,910 | 18% below national |
| 80 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $28,840 | 19% below national |
| 81 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $28,430 | 20% below national |
| 82 | El Paso, TX | $28,340 | 20% below national |
| 83 | Cleveland, TN | $28,040 | 21% below national |
| 84 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $28,030 | 21% below national |
| 85 | Wichita, KS | $27,670 | 22% below national |
| 86 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $27,100 | 24% below national |
| 87 | Pittsburgh, PA | $26,990 | 24% below national |
| 88 | Tulsa, OK | $26,210 | 26% below national |
| 89 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $22,420 | 37% below national |
| 90 | Knoxville, TN | $21,990 | 38% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 41 (Sales and Related Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Advertising Sales Agents
SOC 41-3011
Cashiers
SOC 41-2011
Counter and Rental Clerks
SOC 41-2021
Demonstrators and Product Promoters
SOC 41-9011
Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers
SOC 41-9091
Showing 5 of 21 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Sales and Related Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($35,450 here) and reported employment (58,430 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Telemarketers make? ▼
Where does Telemarketers pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Telemarketers the most? ▼
What education do Telemarketers need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for 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
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $40,230/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. 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.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
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.