Telemarketing Bureaus

The 2,300 telemarketing bureaus in the US operate call centers that initiate and receive communications via telephone, email, fax, or other medium on behalf of their clients. Services provided include promoting or selling a client’s products or services, taking orders, soliciting donations, and handling customer service inquiries.

Privacy Regulations

In response to concerns about telephone scams and consumer complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls, Congress has enacted regulations governing the activities of telemarketing bureaus.

Competition from Offshore Centers

US telemarketing bureaus compete with lower cost services in the Philippines, India, and other low-wage countries.

Oct 21, 2026 - Telemarketers Struggle to Reach Wary Consumers

• Telemarketing companies face growing obstacles in reaching potential customers as unwanted calls erode consumer trust and phone carriers expand call-blocking services. According to the Federal Trade Commission, more than 258 million phone numbers were registered on the National Do Not Call Registry at the end of fiscal 2025, up 4.8 million from the previous year. The agency also received more than 2.6 million complaints about unwanted calls. Meanwhile, Americans received an estimated 3.84 billion robocalls in September 2026, according to YouMail. The Federal Communications Commission acknowledges that legitimate businesses can suffer when consumers ignore unfamiliar numbers or carriers mistakenly flag their calls as spam. These barriers make it harder for telemarketers to connect with prospective customers, placing greater importance on established customer relationships, accurate calling lists, and maintaining a trustworthy caller reputation.
• Employment at telemarketing bureaus and other contact centers fell about 6% in June 2026 from a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as the industry continues to shed jobs. Regulatory pressure remains part of the challenge, although a major FCC rule that would have required seller-by-seller consent for marketing calls and texts was struck down by a federal appeals court before taking effect. Other compliance requirements, though, are moving in the opposite direction. Federal Trade Commission rules have expanded protections against deceptive business-to-business telemarketing and require companies to keep detailed records of calls, consent, and Do Not Call compliance for five years. At the same time, automation and AI are reducing the need for large customer service staff, while more companies are shifting routine interactions to chatbots and self-service tools.
• According to the YouMail Robocall Index, Americans received approximately 52.5 billion robocalls in 2025, a slight 0.6% decline from 52.8 billion in 2024. Despite ongoing efforts to reduce unwanted calls, annual robocall volume remained above 50 billion, averaging roughly 20 calls per US adult during the year. While notifications and payment reminders declined significantly - falling more than 13% and nearly 20%, respectively - unwanted telemarketing and scam calls increased by about 15%. Together, telemarketing and scam calls accounted for approximately 57% of all robocalls in 2025, up from 49% in 2024, reinforcing their position as the largest segment of robocall activity. The shift highlights the growing prevalence of sales- and fraud-related calls even as overall robocall volumes remained relatively stable.
• In 2025, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 2.6 million robocall complaints, with nuisance calls rising in several parts of the country. The most common complaints involved debt relief offers, imposters, medical and prescription scams, energy or solar pitches, and home improvement services. On a per-capita basis, the five states with the highest number of Do Not Call Registry complaints were Arizona, Tennessee, Nevada, Illinois, and Florida, each recording roughly 900 to more than 1,000 complaints per 100,000 residents. While complaints increased this year, they remain well below peak levels seen in 2021, when reports totaled about five million. The FTC emphasized that the National Do Not Call Registry can reduce unwanted calls from legitimate telemarketers but is less effective against illegal scam operations, urging consumers to rely on call-blocking and call-labeling tools for additional protection.

Industry size & Structure

The average telemarketing bureau operates a single location, has 127 employees, and generates $12.4 million in annual revenue.

• The telemarketing bureau industry in the US consists of about 2,300 firms with 293,300 employees and $28.7 billion in annual revenue.
• The industry is concentrated, as the largest 50 firms account for 57% of industry revenue.
• Large US telemarketing firms include ResultsCX, Aucera (formerly DialAmerica), VXI Global Solutions, and ACC Premier (formerly American Customer Care).
• The states with the largest number of telemarketing bureaus are Florida, California, and New York.