Sales
Telemarketer
Solicit donations or orders for goods or services over the telephone.
Median pay
$35,450
Growth to 2035
−21%
declining
Openings a year
5,800
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Telemarketer
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Telemarketer: 0% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
- 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.
Also called: 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
Outlook and AI
Telemarketers held 60,900 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 47,800 by 2035 (−21%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Demand change - share decreases as the Do Not Call registry from the FCC continues to grow, and companies increasingly use alternative digital marketing methods.
Compare with
- Telemarketer vs. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Telemarketer vs. Customer service representative
- Telemarketer vs. Advertising sales agent
- Telemarketer vs. Counter and rental clerks
- Telemarketer vs. Receptionists and information clerks
- Telemarketer vs. New accounts clerk
- Telemarketer vs. Demonstrators and product promoters
- Telemarketer vs. Retail salesperson
- Telemarketer vs. Order clerk
- Telemarketer vs. Telephone operator