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Size of the US Telephone Call Centers industry

NAICS 56142, Telephone Call Centers. Every figure on this page was published by a federal statistical agency and carries its source and period. Palanor does not estimate: a period the agency didn’t publish shows as missing, and a figure it withheld shows as withheld.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$28.2 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
303,285
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
14,730
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
3,300
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$15.0 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 303,285 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 496,1702019-Q2: 481,1402019-Q3: 486,8782019-Q4: 498,5982020-Q1: 483,7632020-Q2: 461,1502020-Q3: 479,3542020-Q4: 513,2232021-Q1: 480,2232021-Q2: 460,0812021-Q3: 459,4222021-Q4: 482,0482022-Q1: 459,5052022-Q2: 432,6882022-Q3: 429,9282022-Q4: 435,6802023-Q1: 406,8232023-Q2: 385,7702023-Q3: 383,1782023-Q4: 388,7512024-Q1: 361,6872024-Q2: 343,4602024-Q3: 347,2452024-Q4: 354,9202025-Q1: 331,9462025-Q2: 317,2712025-Q3: 321,3362025-Q4: 330,6172026-Q1: 303,285NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1303,2852022
2025-Q4330,6172022
2025-Q3321,3362022
2025-Q2317,2712022
2025-Q1331,9462022
2024-Q4354,9202022
2024-Q3347,2452022
2024-Q2343,4602022
2024-Q1361,6872022
2023-Q4388,7512022
2023-Q3383,1782022
2023-Q2385,7702022
2023-Q1406,8232022
2022-Q4435,6802022
2022-Q3429,9282022
2022-Q2432,6882022
2022-Q1459,5052022
2021-Q4482,0482017
2021-Q3459,4222017
2021-Q2460,0812017
2021-Q1480,2232017
2020-Q4513,2232017
2020-Q3479,3542017
2020-Q2461,1502017
2020-Q1483,7632017
2019-Q4498,5982017
2019-Q3486,8782017
2019-Q2481,1402017
2019-Q1496,1702017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter

Employment · County Business PatternsLatest 386,187 · 2023
2017: 457,3392018: 456,4332019: 444,0182020: 427,5622021: 455,0492022: 436,6422023: 386,187
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023386,187
2022436,642
2021455,049
2020427,562
2019444,018
2018456,433
2017457,339

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns · Paid employees in the pay period including March 12

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 14,730 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 10,1572019-Q2: 10,3112019-Q3: 10,4302019-Q4: 10,4742020-Q1: 10,5772020-Q2: 10,7852020-Q3: 11,2562020-Q4: 11,6232021-Q1: 11,9722021-Q2: 12,4562021-Q3: 12,8662021-Q4: 13,2312022-Q1: 13,6862022-Q2: 14,0122022-Q3: 14,4632022-Q4: 14,7392023-Q1: 15,0932023-Q2: 15,2402023-Q3: 15,3802023-Q4: 15,4972024-Q1: 15,5422024-Q2: 15,6222024-Q3: 15,6322024-Q4: 15,6852025-Q1: 15,2202025-Q2: 14,8972025-Q3: 14,9192025-Q4: 14,8082026-Q1: 14,730NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q114,7302022
2025-Q414,8082022
2025-Q314,9192022
2025-Q214,8972022
2025-Q115,2202022
2024-Q415,6852022
2024-Q315,6322022
2024-Q215,6222022
2024-Q115,5422022
2023-Q415,4972022
2023-Q315,3802022
2023-Q215,2402022
2023-Q115,0932022
2022-Q414,7392022
2022-Q314,4632022
2022-Q214,0122022
2022-Q113,6862022
2021-Q413,2312017
2021-Q312,8662017
2021-Q212,4562017
2021-Q111,9722017
2020-Q411,6232017
2020-Q311,2562017
2020-Q210,7852017
2020-Q110,5772017
2019-Q410,4742017
2019-Q310,4302017
2019-Q210,3112017
2019-Q110,1572017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 4,141 · 2023
2017: 5,2282018: 5,1922019: 5,0542020: 4,8682021: 4,8512022: 4,4562023: 4,141
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20234,141
20224,456
20214,851
20204,868
20195,054
20185,192
20175,228

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $5.1 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $5.2 billion2019-Q2: $4.8 billion2019-Q3: $4.8 billion2019-Q4: $5.0 billion2020-Q1: $5.3 billion2020-Q2: $4.6 billion2020-Q3: $4.9 billion2020-Q4: $5.6 billion2021-Q1: $5.3 billion2021-Q2: $5.0 billion2021-Q3: $5.1 billion2021-Q4: $5.8 billion2022-Q1: $5.7 billion2022-Q2: $5.3 billion2022-Q3: $5.5 billion2022-Q4: $5.5 billion2023-Q1: $5.7 billion2023-Q2: $5.1 billion2023-Q3: $5.0 billion2023-Q4: $5.2 billion2024-Q1: $5.3 billion2024-Q2: $4.8 billion2024-Q3: $4.7 billion2024-Q4: $5.0 billion2025-Q1: $5.1 billion2025-Q2: $4.6 billion2025-Q3: $4.6 billion2025-Q4: $4.9 billion2026-Q1: $5.1 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$5.1 billion2022
2025-Q4$4.9 billion2022
2025-Q3$4.6 billion2022
2025-Q2$4.6 billion2022
2025-Q1$5.1 billion2022
2024-Q4$5.0 billion2022
2024-Q3$4.7 billion2022
2024-Q2$4.8 billion2022
2024-Q1$5.3 billion2022
2023-Q4$5.2 billion2022
2023-Q3$5.0 billion2022
2023-Q2$5.1 billion2022
2023-Q1$5.7 billion2022
2022-Q4$5.5 billion2022
2022-Q3$5.5 billion2022
2022-Q2$5.3 billion2022
2022-Q1$5.7 billion2022
2021-Q4$5.8 billion2017
2021-Q3$5.1 billion2017
2021-Q2$5.0 billion2017
2021-Q1$5.3 billion2017
2020-Q4$5.6 billion2017
2020-Q3$4.9 billion2017
2020-Q2$4.6 billion2017
2020-Q1$5.3 billion2017
2019-Q4$5.0 billion2017
2019-Q3$4.8 billion2017
2019-Q2$4.8 billion2017
2019-Q1$5.2 billion2017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $15.0 billion · 2023
2017: $12.2 billion2018: $13.0 billion2019: $13.4 billion2020: $14.2 billion2021: $15.1 billion2022: $15.5 billion2023: $15.0 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$15.0 billion
2022$15.5 billion
2021$15.1 billion
2020$14.2 billion
2019$13.4 billion
2018$13.0 billion
2017$12.2 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

The ledger

Every published measure

MeasureSourceLatestPeriodHistory
EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarterQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages303,2852026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages14,7302026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$5.1 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$15.0 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns386,18720232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns4,14120232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$14.2 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census433,71720222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census4,40820222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census3,30020222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$28.2 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Telephone Call Centers

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
561421Telephone Answering Services$2.6 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census32,2262026-Q1 · QCEW
561422Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers$25.6 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census271,0592026-Q1 · QCEW

Sources

Where every number comes from

Figures are in current dollars and are the agencies’ own, revised when they revise. Each program defines its universe differently (employer firms, private ownership, all establishments), so figures from different sources are not meant to add up. This page is not endorsed by the Census Bureau, BEA or BLS. The same data is in the Palanor API (/v1/industries) and the MCP (palanor_get_industry). All industries.