Advertising Sales Agents
Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.
Also called: Advertising Account Representative · Advertising Consultant · Advertising Representative · Advertising Sales Representative (Ad Sales Representative) · Sales Representative
Median pay (national)
$61,460
$33,480–$133,540 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
97,470
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-6.4%
~9,300 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for advertising sales agents shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $133,540 versus $33,480 at the bottom 10% — 4.0x. The median of $61,460 leaves roughly 117% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -6.4% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 9,300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 49 states with released data, New York pays the most for this role (median $94,990, +55% vs the national median), while Wyoming sits lowest at $42,560 — a 123% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Canva as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising.
- 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.
- Draw up contracts for advertising work, and collect payments due.
- Deliver advertising or illustration proofs to customers for approval.
- Inform customers of available options for advertisement artwork, and provide samples.
Tools & technology
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Canva
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Salesforce software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Google Analytics
- WordPress
- Contact management software
- FileMaker Pro
Knowledge areas
- Sales and Marketing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Communications and Media
- Mathematics
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management