What Does it Take to Be a Telemarketer?
Job Description & Duties Solicit donations or orders for goods or services over the telephone.
Life As a Telemarketer
- Telephone or write letters to respond to correspondence from customers or to follow up initial sales contacts.
- 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.
- Explain products or services and prices, and answer questions from customers.
- Contact businesses or private individuals by telephone to solicit sales for goods or services, or to request donations for charitable causes.
- Record names, addresses, purchases, and reactions of prospects contacted.
- Adjust sales scripts to better target the needs and interests of specific individuals.
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Qualities of a Telemarketer
When polled, Telemarketers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Types of Telemarketer
- Call Center Operator
- Inbound Telemarketer
- Telesales Representative
- Call Center Representative
- Sales Specialist
Is There Job Demand for Telemarketers?
There were about 216,600 jobs for Telemarketer in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Telemarketer. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 33,300 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Telemarketer are Washington, Nevada, and Tennessee. Watch out if you plan on working in North Dakota, Vermont, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Telemarketers Salary
Telemarketers make between $18,680 and $41,740 a year.

Telemarketers who work in Washington, Massachusetts, or New Hampshire, make the highest salaries.
How much do Telemarketers make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $25,640 |
Arizona | $29,780 |
Arkansas | $22,440 |
California | $31,880 |
Colorado | $29,980 |
Connecticut | $34,950 |
Delaware | $30,000 |
District of Columbia | $28,680 |
Florida | $25,330 |
Georgia | $24,780 |
Hawaii | $25,620 |
Idaho | $26,060 |
Illinois | $29,840 |
Indiana | $29,960 |
Iowa | $27,510 |
Kansas | $27,900 |
Kentucky | $28,120 |
Louisiana | $29,960 |
Maine | $30,550 |
Maryland | $30,040 |
Massachusetts | $42,270 |
Michigan | $28,480 |
Minnesota | $33,400 |
Mississippi | $29,480 |
Missouri | $25,940 |
Montana | $24,090 |
Nebraska | $26,800 |
Nevada | $29,580 |
New Hampshire | $38,250 |
New Jersey | $30,120 |
New Mexico | $26,200 |
New York | $31,790 |
North Carolina | $26,810 |
North Dakota | $23,570 |
Ohio | $25,670 |
Oklahoma | $27,230 |
Oregon | $31,930 |
Pennsylvania | $27,380 |
Rhode Island | $31,620 |
South Carolina | $28,440 |
Tennessee | $25,040 |
Texas | $29,400 |
Utah | $33,040 |
Virginia | $27,060 |
Washington | $37,020 |
West Virginia | $25,050 |
Wisconsin | $33,470 |
What Tools do Telemarketers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Telemarketers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Dynamics
How do I Become a Telemarketer?
Education needed to be a Telemarketer:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Telemarketers Work

Below are examples of industries where Telemarketers work:

References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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