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Job outlook for telemarketing representatives in the United States
Telemarketing representative job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected telemarketing representative job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 32,900 new jobs for telemarketing representatives are projected over the next decade.
Telemarketing representative salaries have increased 15% for telemarketing representatives in the last 5 years.
There are over 94,504 telemarketing representatives currently employed in the United States.
There are 101,406 active telemarketing representative job openings in the US.
The average telemarketing representative salary is $28,116.
Are telemarketing representative jobs in demand?
Telemarketing representative job and salary trends over time
Telemarketing representative jobs over time
Telemarketing representative job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 94,504 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 96,105 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 108,810 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 129,734 | 0.04% |
| 2017 | 148,147 | 0.04% |
Average telemarketing representative salary over time
Telemarketing representative salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $28,116 | $13.52 | +6.2% |
| 2025 | $26,475 | $12.73 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | $25,427 | $12.22 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $24,632 | $11.84 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | $24,471 | $11.76 | +3.3% |
Telemarketing representative jobs by state
Most common states for telemarketing representatives
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 3,034 | 24% |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 253 | 24% |
| 3 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 683 | 22% |
| 4 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 296 | 22% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 135 | 22% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,460 | 21% |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,214 | 21% |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 287 | 21% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 200 | 21% |
| 10 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,798 | 20% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,676 | 20% |
| 12 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,301 | 19% |
| 13 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,128 | 18% |
| 14 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,882 | 18% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 663 | 18% |
| 16 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 567 | 18% |
| 17 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,127 | 17% |
| 18 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,016 | 17% |
| 19 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 503 | 17% |
| 20 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 329 | 17% |
Most common cities for telemarketing representatives
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lancaster | 1 | 2% | $36,318 |
| 2 | McLean | 1 | 2% | $37,645 |
| 3 | Norwalk | 1 | 1% | $49,265 |
| 4 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $31,991 |
| 5 | Las Vegas | 1 | 0% | $28,880 |
| 6 | Miami | 1 | 0% | $31,030 |
Telemarketing Representative job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of telemarketing representative experts
University of Maryland - College Park
North Dakota State University
University of Akron
Montclair State University
Denison University
Brigham Young University-Idaho
Thomas More University
University of Central Missouri
What Telemarketing Representative skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Hank Boyd: With the looming prospects of AI, soft skills will reign supreme in sales. While at
first blush it might seem counterintuitive in that product knowledge used to be cardinal
skill, today's salesforce relies heavily on networking. Numerous academic papers lend
credence to this idea. Great people skills often trump wonkish knowledge about the
product line.
As we wade further into the 21st Century, environmental scanning (or better yet
the innate ability to read prospects) will remain pivotal. Exceptional salespeople
instinctively scan a prospective client's office noticing all the trappings. They are trying to find something they can comment upon, by doing so they can establish common
ground. Once a connection is forged, salespeople move out of the box of being pesky
interlopers into becoming valued associates.
Lastly, if you decide to embark on a career in sales never forget the tried-and-
true axiom of ABC - always be closing. This phrase means having the gumption to ask
for the business. While sales recruits might have congenial and bubbly personalities, if
they cannot look the prospect in the eye and ask for the business, they ought to find
another profession.
What will help Telemarketing Representatives increase their earning potential?
Hank Boyd: Nothing provides greater leverage in salary negotiations than having
documented sales experience. My advice would be to garner as much experience as you
can while in college. For example, you could fundraise for a nonprofit cause or a local
political campaign. If you have affiliation with a fraternity or sorority, volunteer to
serve on its recruitment committee. The bottom line is that you must convince any
potential employer that you naturally relate to people from all walks of life.
Eric Gjerdevig
Lecturer in Marketing, Director for the Center for Professional Selling and Sales TechnologyNorth Dakota State University
Marketing
What general advice would you give to a Telemarketing Representative?
Eric Gjerdevig: First, remember that what you get out of your first job is so much more than compensation. A great manager mentoring you is priceless: it will pay you back dividends for the rest of your career. That said, in sales our compensation is typically tied to our performance. That means we need to put yourself out there, pay attention to the actions of the most successful salesperson in the company, learn everything you can, and manage your time well.
Frederik Beuk
Associate Professor of MarketingUniversity of Akron
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What will help Telemarketing Representatives increase their earning potential?
Frederik Beuk: Digital Literacy and AI are obviously on everybody's mind. The benefit for early career professionals is that these are skills they can use to differentiate themselves from more established professionals. Embrace these tools. At the same time, being an authentic storyteller that helps buyers envision the potential of your solutions can be an extremely powerful skill.
How have salaries changed over time for Telemarketing Representatives?
Jeffrey Gonzalez: My field is academia, and salaries have stayed fairly consistent if you get a tenure-line job. I'm part of a collective bargaining unit, which means I have a much better chance at a decent wage and decent benefits. Adjuncts do the bulk of teaching at American universities, and they don't have nearly the benefits or pay that professors get. English primary and secondary school teachers's pay has also remained consistent or declined, and teachers, like most public-college professors, have to rely on negotiations with the state for raises. We train a lot of teachers, and luckily, none of them is in it for the money.
For the students we have who go into the information or knowledge sector, they start underemployed and move up, as I said. The most recent research I've seen (and again, I'm not an economist) said that Humanities majors eventually make as much as business or more career-specific majors (public relations, etc.).
What's a day at work look like for a Telemarketing Representative?
Ashley Strausser: As we continue to live and work through a global pandemic, many new graduates will be working remotely or in some sort of hybrid variation. Working remotely necessitates discipline and being a self-starter. Graduates will need to develop strong professional work habits that will serve them well and lay a strong foundation as they begin their career. Many of us are challenged by a lack of social interaction beyond meetings with colleagues or clients via Zoom or Teams. Working from home for the last year, I can personally attest that attending to our physical and mental health is more important than ever. Take time to go for a walk or run on your lunch break. Set your alarm early to spend time meditating before you begin your work day. Don't get into the habit of rolling out of bed at 7:55am to start work at 8:00am. Consider doing yoga after work to help relieve stress. Make it a point to set up regular Zoom lunch dates to connect with or get to know your new colleagues. With our laptop and work space set up at home it's easy to get into the habit of working much more than we normally would if we were commuting to and from the office. It's important to set boundaries related to when and how much we work. Employ a strong work ethic, but don't neglect important aspects of your well-being.
Chad Newswander Ph.D.
Professor of Political ScienceBrigham Young University-Idaho
Department of Political Science
What technical skills for a Telemarketing Representative stand out to employers?
Chad Newswander Ph.D.: It is a combination of soft and hard skills. Young professionals need to be reliable, conscientious, hardworking, and be able to work well with others. They also need to show early signs of leadership, allowing them to grow within the organization. Above all, they need to be trusted to get the work done and be likeable. They also need to have a concrete skillset that allows them to contribute. Each young professional needs to think how they can add value to their organization (not just what the organization will do for them). Those skills can range from data/statistical analysis, writing, speaking, research, etc. In order to show that they have these skills, students should do multiple internships while in school from credible organizations.
Dr. John D. (Jack) Rudnick
ProfessorThomas More University
Department of Business Administration and Accountancy
How have salaries changed over time for Telemarketing Representatives?
Dr. John D. (Jack) Rudnick: The consolidation of health systems into larger entities throughout the continuum and the infusion of private equity into healthcare have prompted meteoric rises in base salaries and bonuses for many executives. Reimbursement specialists and strategy consultants have also benefited from salary increases over the past 40 years. Salaries have shifted to more of an incentive-based model with a foundational base salary aligned with bonuses linked to pre-established metrics aimed at revenue-growth and expense reduction to optimize a health organization's return-on-investment (ROI).
Stephen (Tyler) Hirlinger
Assistant Professor of MarketingUniversity of Central Missouri
Division of Business Strategy, Marketing Program
What will help Telemarketing Representatives increase their earning potential?
Stephen (Tyler) Hirlinger: I think creativity is a skill that's often overlooked, especially in the businessworld. If I were a student looking to differentiate myself and increase my earning potential, I'd diversify my skill set and develop my creativity as much as possible. In my opinion, creativity is the human ability that's most difficult (if not impossible) to automate with technology and will always be rewarded. Also, the ability to communicate and articulate one's ideas and thoughts effectively is a desirable skill regardless of the profession. The best communicators are often the highest earners!