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Advertising Sales Agents: Career Profile
Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.
The Daily Work of Advertising Sales Agents Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of advertising sales agents span:
- Prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising.
- Maintain assigned account bases while developing new accounts.
- Provide clients with estimates of the costs of advertising products or services.
- Locate and contact potential clients to offer advertising services.
- Explain to customers how specific types of advertising will help promote their products or services in the most effective way possible.
- Obtain and study information about clients' products, needs, problems, advertising history, and business practices to offer effective sales presentations and appropriate product assistance.
- Prepare promotional plans, sales literature, media kits, and sales contracts, using computer.
- Process all correspondence and paperwork related to accounts.
What Advertising Sales Agents Need to Know
Successful advertising sales agents rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Advertising Sales Agents Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Account Planner
- Account Specialist
- Advertising Account Representative
- Advertising Agent
- Advertising Assistant
- Advertising Consultant
- Advertising Coordinator
- Advertising Representative
Employment and Demand
There are about 1,034,497 advertising sales agents working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +11.9% over the projection horizon.
Advertising Sales Agents Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $63,488 |
| Hourly median | $30.52 |
| 10th percentile | $39,318 |
| 25th percentile | $51,403 |
| 75th percentile | $75,573 |
| 90th percentile | $87,658 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Advertising Sales Agents Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $94,990 |
| Colorado | $82,050 |
| Massachusetts | $78,120 |
| Washington | $75,260 |
| South Carolina | $74,840 |
| District of Columbia | $74,170 |
| Idaho | $74,100 |
| Rhode Island | $74,090 |
| New Jersey | $73,260 |
| Utah | $70,790 |
| Illinois | $66,350 |
| Michigan | $62,420 |
| Minnesota | $60,810 |
| Wisconsin | $60,680 |
| Nebraska | $60,570 |
| California | $60,470 |
| Indiana | $58,990 |
| Ohio | $58,650 |
| Florida | $58,590 |
| Delaware | $57,810 |
| Iowa | $57,510 |
| North Carolina | $57,050 |
| Vermont | $57,020 |
| Connecticut | $56,850 |
| Missouri | $56,490 |
| Arizona | $54,760 |
| Maine | $53,870 |
| Alaska | $52,380 |
| Oklahoma | $52,360 |
| Virginia | $52,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,570 |
| Hawaii | $49,450 |
| Montana | $49,410 |
| South Dakota | $49,200 |
| New Hampshire | $48,950 |
| North Dakota | $48,920 |
| Kansas | $48,520 |
| Tennessee | $48,080 |
| Alabama | $47,570 |
| Mississippi | $46,790 |
| Louisiana | $46,690 |
| Georgia | $46,410 |
| Kentucky | $46,280 |
| Arkansas | $46,170 |
| Oregon | $45,090 |
| West Virginia | $44,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $44,020 |
| New Mexico | $42,670 |
| Wyoming | $42,560 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for advertising sales agents vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $81,136 | 26.4% | 2.11 |
| Rocky Mountains | $74,084 | 3.5% | 0.85 |
| New England | $67,447 | 4.4% | 0.86 |
| Great Lakes | $62,557 | 15.5% | 1.07 |
| Far Western US | $59,909 | 15.6% | 0.93 |
| Plains States | $56,408 | 8.0% | 1.16 |
| Southeast | $54,031 | 23.0% | 0.90 |
| Southwest | $52,814 | 3.0% | 0.79 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $97,810 | 15,730 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $95,530 | 380 |
| Ogden, UT | UT | $93,430 | 70 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $92,310 | 1,100 |
| Lincoln, NE | NE | $83,830 | 510 |
| Boise City, ID | ID | $81,160 | 120 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $80,210 | 2,460 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $79,130 | 140 |
Top Industries Employing Advertising Sales Agents
Most advertising sales agents are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 50,720 | $63,980 |
| Information | 40,940 | $58,650 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,280 | n/a |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,030 | $63,370 |
| Wholesale Trade | 700 | $55,270 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 560 | $50,040 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 430 | $81,760 |
| Retail Trade | 350 | $41,130 |
Advertising Sales Agents work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Canva (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: Google Analytics (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for advertising sales agents reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Contact With Others
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How to Become Advertising Sales Agents
Entry-level advertising sales agents positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes (Supplemental)
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Search Marketing Strategists (Primary-Short)
- Online Merchants (Supplemental)
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers (Supplemental)
- Public Relations Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Writers and Authors (Supplemental)
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 41-3011.00 (Advertising Sales Agents).
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