# Telemarketers

US SOC code 41-9041. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/41-9041

Also called: Phone sales agent, Outbound sales representative, Inbound sales agent, Call center sales agent, Phone canvasser.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **58,430** US telemarketers, with median pay of **$35,450** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **410,360**, in May 2004. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.tmcnet.com/topics/articles/2008/08/01/332088-history-telemarketing-industry.htm) of **150,000** from 1970, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for telemarketers: CRM integration + sales engagement platforms, 2010 to 2022.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 21.4% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=41-9041&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **52.8%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.99** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.99. BLS counted **231,900** of these jobs in May 2013 and **58,430** in May 2025 (-75%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Telemarketers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1957
- Latest US employment: 58,430 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $35,450 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [7]
- Outlook: -21.4% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [18]

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1970 | 150,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Telemarketing Magazine / Customer… [1] |
| 1985 | 1,000,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., FTC [2] |
| 1990 | n/a | $16,500 (estimate) | Est., FTC [6] |
| 1995 | 1,800,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., FTC [3] |
| 2002 | 419,740 | n/a | BLS OEWS 2002 [4] |
| 2003 | 404,150 | $19,870 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 410,360 | $20,420 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 400,860 | $20,360 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 385,700 | $20,990 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 354,000 | $21,390 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 345,220 | $21,960 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 307,730 | $21,810 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 288,760 | $22,310 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 258,060 | $22,520 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 245,550 | $22,330 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 231,900 | $22,610 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 234,520 | $22,740 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 226,730 | $23,530 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 215,290 | $24,300 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 189,670 | $24,460 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 164,160 | $25,250 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 134,800 | $26,290 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 117,610 | $27,920 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 115,130 | $28,910 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 96,520 | $31,030 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 81,580 | $34,480 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 66,430 | $34,410 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 58,430 | $35,450 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (78)

### Employment series

1. [Telemarketing Magazine / Customer Interaction Solutions -- industry history (WATS era, 1957-1975)](https://www.tmcnet.com/topics/articles/2008/08/01/332088-history-telemarketing-industry.htm), TMCnet / Technology Marketing Corporation
2. [FTC -- Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule (industry background and regulatory context)](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-telemarketing-sales-rule), Federal Trade Commission
3. [FTC -- Telemarketing Sales Rule (16 CFR Part 310) background and industry statistics (1995)](https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/telemarketing-sales-rule), Federal Trade Commission
4. [BLS OES 2002 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes02nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [FTC -- Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule (regulatory context and wage background for telephone sales workers)](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-telemarketing-sales-rule), Federal Trade Commission
7. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

8. [TMCnet / Technology Marketing Corporation -- History of the telemarketing industry (WATS era 1957-1975)](https://www.tmcnet.com/topics/articles/2008/08/01/332088-history-telemarketing-industry.htm), TMCnet
9. [Wikipedia -- Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS history and commercial introduction, 1957)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Area_Telephone_Service), Wikipedia
10. [Wikipedia -- Predictive dialer (history, Teknekron origins, Davox commercialization)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictive_dialer), Wikipedia
11. [FTC -- Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule (call center regulatory and technology background)](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-telemarketing-sales-rule), Federal Trade Commission
12. [Wikipedia -- Voice over IP (VoIP history and commercial availability)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_over_IP), Wikipedia
13. [FTC -- National Do Not Call Registry (official program site, donotcall.gov)](https://www.donotcall.gov/), Federal Trade Commission
14. [Salesforce -- Salesforce CRM product history and sales force automation background](https://www.salesforce.com/products/what-is-salesforce/), Salesforce
15. [BLS OOH -- Telemarketers (41-9041): occupational description and work environment (2024)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/telemarketers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
16. [Retell AI -- AI Telemarketing: automated outbound calling platform overview](https://www.retellai.com/ai-telemarketing), Retell AI
17. [Goldman Sachs -- The Potentially Large Effects of AI on Economic Growth (2023): occupational exposure analysis](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/how-will-ai-affect-the-global-workforce), Goldman Sachs

### Forecasts and exposure studies

18. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 41-9041 Telemarketers (2025: 60.9 thousand; 2035: 47.8 thousand; -21.4%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=41-9041&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
19. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 41-9041 Telemarketers: probability 0.99, rank 702 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
20. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 41-9041.00, human-rated β 0.528)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

21. [Wikipedia -- Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS): introduction and commercial history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Area_Telephone_Service), Wikipedia
22. [Wikipedia -- Predictive dialer: history and commercial development](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictive_dialer), Wikipedia
23. [FCC -- Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (overview and regulatory history)](https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts), Federal Communications Commission
24. [FTC -- Telemarketing Sales Rule (16 CFR Part 310): rule history and amendments](https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/telemarketing-sales-rule), Federal Trade Commission
25. [FTC -- National Do Not Call Registry: official program site (donotcall.gov)](https://www.donotcall.gov/), Federal Trade Commission
26. [Retell AI -- AI Telemarketing platform overview and cost comparison (2024)](https://www.retellai.com/ai-telemarketing), Retell AI

### Predecessors & successors

27. [FTC -- Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule (telephone solicitation as successor to in-person canvassing)](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/complying-telemarketing-sales-rule), Federal Trade Commission

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Telemarketers (41-9041.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/41-9041.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Goldman Sachs — The Potentially Large Effects of AI on Economic Growth (2023)](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/how-will-ai-affect-the-global-workforce), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Gartner — Conversational AI to cut contact center labor costs $80B by 2026](https://www.cloudtalk.io/blog/best-ai-telemarketing-software/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Retell AI — AI lead qualification and prospect routing](https://www.retellai.com/ai-telemarketing), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Synthflow — AI Telemarketing high-volume outreach](https://synthflow.ai/ai-telemarketing), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Salesforce Einstein AI features 2025 — AI call summaries and CRM sync](https://www.eesel.ai/blog/salesforce-einstein-ai-features), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.