Business & Finance
Telemarketers
Solicit donations or orders for goods or services over the telephone.
Median salary (BLS)
$35,450
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$27k – $50k
Job outlook
No separate BLS projection for this specific role
AI exposure
Plan a path to Telemarketers
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateCost to qualify
$500–$3,150
Time to qualify
1 yr
Renewal
—
- 1
High school diploma or GED
CourseExpected by most employers; if you need the GED, test fees run $0–$150 depending on the state.
$0–$150 · 3 months · varies by state source
- 2
On-the-job training
ExperienceEmployer-provided and typically paid — days to a few months for most no-degree roles.
Cost varies · 3 months source
- 3
Industry certification (optional for many roles)
CertificationRole-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.
$500–$3,000 · 6 months source
Estimated typical U.S. route for "Telemarketers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.
Typical progression
Junior Telemarketers
Entry / Junior
$27,040
~2 yrs to advance
Telemarketers
Established
$35,450
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Telemarketers
Senior
$42,900
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Business & Finance
Explore all- University of Pennsylvania6% admit · $112,000 grad pay
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology4% admit · $124,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of California, Berkeley11% admit · $97,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.