56142/Telephone Call Centers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
386K
employees, 2023
386K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 4,141 US Telephone Call Centers business locations employed 386,187 people and paid $15.0 billion in annual payroll, $38,852 per employee on average. Employment was down 11.6% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
4,141
-7.1% vs 2022
Employees
386,187
-11.6% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$15.0B
-3.4% vs 2022
Average pay
$38,852
+9.3% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Telephone Call Centers in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 369 | 50,558 | $34,820 | 0.42% |
| Florida | 448 | 44,775 | $36,575 | 0.45% |
| Colorado | 84 | 19,151 | $28,721 | 0.75% |
| Arizona | 146 | 17,607 | $42,190 | 0.61% |
| Utah | 77 | 15,591 | $35,073 | 0.99% |
| Tennessee | 79 | 15,084 | $33,637 | 0.51% |
| Georgia | 152 | 13,896 | $32,033 | 0.32% |
| Virginia | 96 | 13,585 | $40,236 | 0.38% |
| California | 397 | 13,411 | $54,727 | 0.08% |
| New York | 215 | 13,196 | $58,984 | 0.15% |
| Ohio | 183 | 12,781 | $42,228 | 0.25% |
| Pennsylvania | 153 | 11,800 | $46,860 | 0.21% |
| South Carolina | 54 | 10,174 | $27,099 | 0.49% |
| Kentucky | 38 | 9,918 | $33,411 | 0.58% |
| Missouri | 114 | 8,602 | $39,535 | 0.33% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Telephone Call Centers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 48 | 17,719 | $28,715 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 124 | 15,075 | $35,341 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 184 | 12,419 | $45,989 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 197 | 9,292 | $61,208 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 42 | 8,629 | $34,638 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 113 | 8,130 | $53,257 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 81 | 7,765 | $58,595 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 58 | 7,737 | $32,247 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 68 | 7,392 | $35,850 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 99 | 7,322 | $41,051 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 50 | 7,047 | $46,894 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 26 | 6,268 | $49,634 |
| Tucson, AZ | 23 | 5,793 | $30,318 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 37 | 5,568 | $59,509 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 33 | 5,518 | $29,721 |
Business size
US Telephone Call Centers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 1,451 | 35.0% |
| 5 to 9 | 494 | 11.9% |
| 10 to 19 | 556 | 13.4% |
| 20 to 49 | 623 | 15.0% |
| 50 to 99 | 318 | 7.7% |
| 100 to 249 | 289 | 7.0% |
| 250 to 499 | 198 | 4.8% |
| 500 to 999 | 149 | 3.6% |
| 1,000 or more | 63 | 1.5% |
Related industries
Telephone Call Centers and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 56Administrative and Support Services 561Business Support Services 5614
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 561422 | Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers | 344,605 | $38,867 |
| 561421 | Telephone Answering Services | 41,582 | $38,731 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Telephone Call Centers in the US?
386,187 people worked at 4,141 US Telephone Call Centers business locations in 2023, down 11.6% from 2022. That is 0.28% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Telephone Call Centers?
$38,852 a year per employee in 2023, from $15.0 billion in annual payroll (up 9.3% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Telephone Call Centers jobs?
Texas had the most, with 50,558 employees in 2023, followed by Florida (44,775) and Colorado (19,151).
Which metro areas have the most Telephone Call Centers jobs?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO (17,719), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (15,075), Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL (12,419) had the most Telephone Call Centers employees in 2023.
Are most Telephone Call Centers businesses small?
60.4% of the 4,141 Telephone Call Centers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 212 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.