How to hire a telemarketer

How to hire a telemarketer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step telemarketer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a telemarketer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new telemarketer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a telemarketer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The telemarketer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect telemarketer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents telemarketer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Telemarketer	Description	Hourly rate
   Telemarketer		$10-25
   Appointment Setter	An appointment setter supports the sales operations of an organization. Appointment setters call potential clients and set an appointment for them to speak with a salesperson... Show more	$10-21
   Telephone Sales Representative	The primary job of telephone sales representatives is to sell products and services to prospective customers through telephone. They typically answer phone calls and answer inquiries from customers... Show more	$8-22

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Telephone Calls
   • Cold Calls
   • Schedule Appointments
   • Inbound Calls
   • Outbound Phone Calls
   • Payment Method
   • Alumni
   • Customer Service
   • Describe Products
   • Private Individuals
   • Computer System
   • Sales Talks
   • Sales Scripts
   • Sales Reps

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage employee payroll hours and monitor employee performance providing coaching and development.
   • Operate profitably through managing productivity, call quality, payroll, and telephone sales representative development.
   • Receive calls from medicare beneficiary prospects and give orientation about the health plan, benefits and periods of enrollment.
   • Answer questions on medicare, Obama care, and sign the public up for the appropriate ins that fit their needs.
   • Call former subscribers to invite them back to the CLO for via a subscription to the upcoming season of Broadway shows.
   • Coach and monitor telemarketers to ensure department procedures are being follow.

   More telemarketer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your telemarketer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A telemarketer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, telemarketers' average salary in louisiana is 58% less than in ohio.
   • Seniority. Entry-level telemarketers 59% less than senior-level telemarketers.
   • Certifications. A telemarketer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a telemarketer's salary.

   Average telemarketer salary

   $16.78hourly

   $34,911 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level telemarketer salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 27, 2025

   Average telemarketer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$48,431	$23
   2	Kentucky	$47,693	$23
   3	New Jersey	$47,172	$23
   4	Connecticut	$46,503	$22
   5	North Carolina	$44,358	$21
   6	Pennsylvania	$43,752	$21
   7	Illinois	$42,827	$21
   8	Rhode Island	$42,000	$20
   9	Massachusetts	$41,743	$20
   10	Wisconsin	$41,533	$20
   11	Michigan	$41,441	$20
   12	California	$39,403	$19
   13	Minnesota	$38,380	$18
   14	Indiana	$34,662	$17
   15	Colorado	$33,942	$16
   16	Florida	$32,187	$15
   17	Texas	$31,662	$15
   18	Georgia	$30,012	$14
   19	Nevada	$29,074	$14
   20	New Mexico	$29,071	$14

   Average telemarketer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	KLA	$90,395	$43.46
   2	Spectrum	$61,803	$29.71
   3	Oracle	$58,469	$28.11
   4	Detroit Institute of Arts	$52,027	$25.01	4
   5	McKesson	$37,725	$18.14
   6	Parkway	$37,630	$18.09
   7	Kforce	$36,427	$17.51
   8	Touro College	$35,916	$17.27
   9	Allstate	$35,262	$16.95	53
   10	AssuredPartners	$34,133	$16.41
   11	retarus	$33,650	$16.18
   12	Service Corporation International	$33,493	$16.10	2
   13	Diedre Moire	$32,595	$15.67
   14	Robert Half	$31,948	$15.36	1
   15	Gerald Group	$31,920	$15.35
   16	Localwise	$31,796	$15.29
   17	LEADS	$31,768	$15.27
   18	Kelly Services	$31,604	$15.19
   19	A & D Companies	$31,603	$15.19
   20	Electronic Merchant Systems	$31,302	$15.05	2

4. Writing a telemarketer job description

   A job description for a telemarketer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a telemarketer job description:

   Telemarketer job description example

   We are looking for an enthusiastic Call Center Representative in San Antonio to generate B2B sales either by cold calling or following up with Inbound Leads in a fast-paced environment. You will be responsible for influencing potential business owners to buy products or services.

   A successful Call Center Representative must be friendly and persuasive. You must be able to understand the customer's requirements in a short time and present solutions that meet their needs. The ideal candidate will also be patient and cool-tempered to deal with aggressiveness and complaints.

   Your goal is to promote business growth by expanding the company's clientele.

   We will provide you with actionable daily benchmarks to hit so you can meet your income goals each and every month. You are never on an island in this position, you will have a support staff willing to coach you every step of the way.

   This Telemarketing Position Includes:

   1. Full-time employment with base salary and benefits
   2. Unlimited earning potential with commission and bonuses
   3. Paid vacation and personal time
   4. 401K with matching
   5. In addition to the base rate of pay, this position has a lot of opportunities for weekly commissions

   Benefits:

   • Compensation package including base salary and commissions with unlimited income potential.
   • Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, & 401(k).
   • Outstanding training and career growth potential.

   Job Requirements

   The following are requirements for this position:

   • Cold-calling, negotiation skills, B2B, closing skills.
   • Knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, & Excel
   • Excellent spoken and written communication skills
   • Strong organizational skills and capability of managing multiple tasks
   • Strong work ethic and a positive attitude

   The above-mentioned skills are required for an individual to be considered.

   If you are an individual with a “will do & must achieve” attitude and have an uncanny ability to generate results over the phone, please submit your information today to schedule an interview.

   Electronic Merchant Systems is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/D Committed to Affirmative Action.

   Job Type: Full-time

   Salary: $15.00/hour + Bonuses + Commissions

   Experience:

   • • call center: 1 year (Preferred)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find telemarketers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any telemarketers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level telemarketers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your telemarketer job on Zippia to find and recruit telemarketer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with telemarketer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new telemarketer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the telemarketer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new telemarketer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a telemarketer?