Telemarketers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Telemarketers fall under the Sales and Related category in the U.S. occupational classification. Telemarketers earn a median salary of $34,410 per year, ranking in the top 97% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -22.1% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

What do telemarketers earn?

The median annual wage for telemarketers is $34,410. That puts telemarketers at #787 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Is telemarketers a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for telemarketers is -22.1%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 67K positions in 2024 to 52K in 2034, a net change of -15K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.

What do telemarketers do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working telemarketers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

1. 1.Telephone or write letters to respond to correspondence from customers or to follow up initial sales contacts.
2. 2.Record names, addresses, purchases, and reactions of prospects contacted.
3. 3.Answer telephone calls from potential customers who have been solicited through advertisements.
4. 4.Contact businesses or private individuals by telephone to solicit sales for goods or services, or to request donations for charitable causes.
5. 5.Obtain customer information such as name, address, and payment method, and enter orders into computers.
6. 6.Maintain records of contacts, accounts, and orders.
7. 7.Explain products or services and prices, and answer questions from customers.
8. 8.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.

Top skills for telemarketers

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

What education does my child need to become telemarketer?

Many telemarketers enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

Related careers your child might also consider

• Sales Engineers
  $121,520 median
• Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
  $100,070 median
• Models
  $89,990 median
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
  $84,130 median
• Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
  $78,140 median
• Real Estate Brokers
  $72,280 median

Common questions parents ask about telemarketers