Telemarketers Salary
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, telemarketers earn $32,180 at the median, or about $15.47 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $35,093 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 60% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $32K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About telemarketers
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What this looks like in Des Moines-West Des Moines
Telemarketers pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines tracks closely to the national median, $32K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 59.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for telemarketers in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $39K | $44K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $37K | $41K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $29K | $33K |
| St. Louis | $31K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level telemarketers (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $9K spread from bottom to top.
Telemarketers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Telemarketers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | $48K | +35% | N/A |
| Colorado | $48K | +34% | 880 |
| California | $46K | +30% | 3,880 |
| Connecticut | $45K | +28% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $45K | +26% | N/A |
| Oregon | $42K | +19% | 420 |
| New York | $41K | +17% | 1,960 |
| Minnesota | $40K | +12% | 650 |
| Washington | $40K | +12% | 300 |
| Idaho | $39K | +11% | 280 |
| New Jersey | $39K | +11% | 410 |
| Arizona | $38K | +6% | 1,550 |
| Virginia | $37K | +6% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $37K | +5% | 1,060 |
| Utah | $37K | +3% | 390 |
| Georgia | $36K | +2% | 2,620 |
| Maryland | $36K | +0% | 540 |
| Florida | $36K | +0% | 9,760 |
| Ohio | $35K | -0% | 3,090 |
| Alabama | $35K | -2% | 1,330 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -3% | 910 |
| North Carolina | $34K | -3% | 1,820 |
| Texas | $34K | -3% | 3,660 |
| Nevada | $34K | -3% | 2,200 |
| Iowa | $34K | -5% | 1,100 |
| West Virginia | $33K | -6% | 440 |
| Wisconsin | $33K | -6% | 1,160 |
| Michigan | $33K | -7% | 1,120 |
| Maine | $33K | -8% | N/A |
| Indiana | $32K | -11% | 690 |
| Nebraska | $31K | -12% | 490 |
| Illinois | $31K | -12% | 870 |
| New Hampshire | $31K | -14% | 530 |
| Missouri | $30K | -16% | 2,710 |
| Tennessee | $29K | -17% | 2,210 |
| Arkansas | $29K | -18% | 840 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -18% | 380 |
| Pennsylvania | $28K | -20% | 1,710 |
| Oklahoma | $27K | -24% | 470 |
| North Dakota | $23K | -34% | 120 |
| Mississippi | $22K | -39% | 370 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track telemarketers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a telemarketer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 59.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for telemarketers in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telemarketers typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,744/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is telemarketer a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $32K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for telemarketers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do telemarketers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $32,180 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,070, and experienced telemarketers can clear $38,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,206/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 59.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a telemarketers salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median telemarketers salary is worth about $35,093 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do telemarketers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.
