Not Very Resilient
Last Update: 6/19/2026
AI Resilience Score for Telemarketers:
24.5%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Low
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Low
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
Most data sources align, with only minor variation. This is a well-supported result.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forTelemarketers
$34,410 median salary•6,500 annual openings•SOC Code: 41-9041.00
Telemarketers are less resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 6 sources.
Telemarketing is labeled "Not Very Resilient" because the core tasks of the job, like reading scripts, answering routine questions, and processing orders, are exactly the kind of repetitive, predictable work that AI voice agents are already handling well and cheaply. Studies show that more than 70% of tasks in similar customer service roles are now being done or assisted by AI, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment in this field to decline or stay flat through 2024 to 2034.
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Telemarketing is labeled "Not Very Resilient" because the core tasks of the job, like reading scripts, answering routine questions, and processing orders, are exactly the kind of repetitive, predictable work that AI voice agents are already handling well and cheaply. Studies show that more than 70% of tasks in similar customer service roles are now being done or assisted by AI, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment in this field to decline or stay flat through 2024 to 2034.
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View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Telemarketers
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Telemarketers jobs?
Telemarketing is one of the careers being changed by AI the fastest. A new Anthropic labor study found that customer service representatives rank as the second-most AI-exposed occupation, with more than 70% task exposure based on observed AI usage, and that finding applies directly to telemarketers because the work is so similar — reading scripts, taking orders, and answering questions. AI voice agents now routinely resolve Tier-1 questions, summarize calls, generate suggested responses, and handle routine service transactions [1], which covers most of the tasks on a telemarketer's daily list.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that as AI improves, demand will be limited for customer service representatives and similar clerks, with employment projected to decline or show little change over the 2024–34 decade [2]. But it isn't all replacement — industry trainers at ICMI argue that bots should handle the "Confident, Routine, and Predictable" tasks that customers don't want to wait on a human for [3], leaving humans to build trust and handle emotional moments. So today's telemarketers are being augmented with AI scripts and dialers while many entry-level seats are being automated away.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Telemarketers?
Adoption is moving quickly because voice AI is cheap, available, and the economics are unbeatable for high-volume calling. McKinsey's latest survey showed 88% of organizations now use AI in at least one business function [4], and Harvard Business Review notes that leading CEOs at Ford, Amazon, Salesforce, and JP Morgan have proclaimed many white-collar jobs will soon disappear [5], with customer service among the first hit. Still, adoption may slow down a bit.
Gartner predicts that half of companies that cut customer service staff due to AI will reverse those decisions and rehire by 2027 [6] because bots frustrate customers on complex issues. The World Economic Forum reminds workers that the best safeguard is large-scale investment in lifelong learning and skills [7]. The hopeful news: people who can build genuine trust, listen with empathy, and handle the tricky calls AI fumbles will stay valuable — and those human skills are something you can start practicing today.
Sources
Will AI replace Telemarketers?
In part. We think AI will eventually automate a real share of this work, but the human skills built in this role still matter and can carry you further.
Telemarketing scores a 24.5% AI Resilience Score, which is one of the lower ones we've seen. That reflects a real shift already underway. AI voice agents now handle routine scripts, order-taking, and common questions at scale [1], and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little to no employment growth for this kind of work through 2034 [2]. Entry-level seats are disappearing fastest.
What stays human is the harder stuff: building genuine trust, reading emotion, and navigating the calls a bot fumbles. Industry trainers at ICMI argue that bots should own the predictable, routine tasks, leaving humans for moments that require real listening and judgment [3]. That's a smaller slice of the job, but it's the most transferable slice.
If you're in telemarketing now or considering it, treat it as a training ground. The skills that make someone good at it, persuasion, resilience, clear communication, and empathy under pressure, translate directly into sales, account management, and customer success roles that are harder to automate. The World Economic Forum points to lifelong learning as the best protection workers have [7], and those skills are worth building starting today.
Sources
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Latest AI news for Telemarketers
Students considering a career in telemarketing should be aware of the potential impact of AI on their field. Articles indicate that telemarketers rank among the most exposed jobs to AI, with reports highlighting a significant risk of displacement. For instance, one article reveals that telemarketers are at the top of a list of roles threatened by language modeling AI tools. However, there's hope; understanding AI's role in enhancing telemarketing—such as personalizing pitches—can lead to more resilient career paths in an evolving job market. Embracing AI tools could make telemarketers more effective and adaptable.
The AI jobs apocalypse hasn’t landed in Australia – yet
www.smh.com.au • 6/6/2026
Artificial intelligence is starting to hurt the prospects of employees including clerks and telemarketers, ground-breaking research shows,...
Australia map shows AI risk for clerks & telemarketers
itbrief.com.au • 4/9/2026
Clerks and telemarketers are among 417000 workers facing the highest AI displacement risk, according to a new Australian occupations map.
Top 10 jobs most likely to be replaced by AI by 2030: AI Automation Risk Report
www.dqindia.com • 9/10/2025
in this features, A new Elevate study reveals that data entry clerks, telemarketers, and cashiers face the highest risk of being replaced by...
AI’s curious divide: Telemarketing in China, elections in the US
www.thinkchina.sg • 2/5/2025
China's AI boom is revolutionising telemarketing with personalised pitches from AI celebrities. Meanwhile, similar AI is deployed in US...
These 20 jobs are the most "exposed" to AI, ChatGPT, researchers say
www.cbsnews.com • 3/8/2023
Telemarketers topped the list of the 20 most exposed occupations to language modeling AI tools. Postsecondary English language and literature teachers came...
More Career Info
Career: Telemarketers
They call people to sell products or services, answer questions, and help with orders over the phone.
Parent Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$34,410
Jobs (2024)
67,400
Growth (2024-34)
-22.1%
Annual Openings
6,500
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Obtain names and telephone numbers of potential customers from sources such as telephone directories, magazine reply cards, and lists purchased from other organizations.
2
Explain products or services and prices, and answer questions from customers.
3
Telephone or write letters to respond to correspondence from customers or to follow up initial sales contacts.
4
Contact businesses or private individuals by telephone to solicit sales for goods or services, or to request donations for charitable causes.
5
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.
6
Maintain records of contacts, accounts, and orders.
7
Conduct client or market surveys to obtain information about potential customers.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
