The median pay for Advertising Sales Agents is $64,820 a year ($31.16/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 7.2% through 2035, with about 7,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 41-3011
- Sales and Related
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Advertising Sales Agent in four numbers
- Median pay
- $64,820a year, or $31.16/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $35KTop 10% $146K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -7.2%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−7.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −7.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 7,80099,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202599.3K
- Projected 203592.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 99.3K Projected 2035 92.2K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Advertising Account Executive, Advertising Account Representative, Advertising Consultant, Advertising Representative, Advertising Sales Representative (Ad Sales Representative), Directory Advertising Sales Representative (Directory Advertising Sales Rep).
Pay
How much do Advertising Sales Agents make?
Every advertising sales agent in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$64,820
Middle half earn $47,020 to $99,990
- 10th
- $35,240
- 25th
- $47,020
- 75th
- $99,990
- 90th
- $146,010
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $35,240 |
| 25th | $47,020 |
| Median | $64,820 |
| 75th | $99,990 |
| 90th | $146,010 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $64,820
- Median hourly wage
- $31.16/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $80,670
- People employed
- 91,700
Versus all US occupations
At $64,820, Advertising Sales Agents earn 27% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $13,840 a year.
Versus sales and related occupations
Inside the Sales and Related group, where the middle occupation pays $73,220, this is 11% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $146,010 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,240, a gap of 4.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 40% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $101,320, and still leads at $94,680 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Advertising Sales Agents the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $101,320 | $94,680 | 3,510 |
| 2New York | $98,360 | $91,141 | 13,570 |
| 3Massachusetts | $80,500 | $76,118 | 1,480 |
| 4California | $80,360 | $72,579 | 9,620 |
| 5District of Columbia | $75,030 | $68,271 | 320 |
| 6Utah | $74,260 | $75,113 | 1,110 |
| 7Colorado | $73,420 | $71,246 | 1,110 |
| 8New Jersey | $69,620 | $63,986 | 2,110 |
| 9South Carolina | $68,200 | $72,747 | 1,770 |
| 10Illinois | $66,290 | $66,318 | 3,790 |
Job outlook
Is Advertising Sales Agent a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -7.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Advertising Sales Agents | −7.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Advertising Sales Agents to change -7.2% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 7,100 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,800 openings are projected each year, 7.9% of the 99,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Newspapers and magazines are expected to continue to experience circulation declines. With the shift towards digital advertising and the decline in the number of consumers viewing advertisements in print media, fewer advertising sales agents are expected to be needed.
Advertising will continue to grow in digital media, including online video ads, search engine ads, and other digital ads intended for cell phones or tablet-style computers. Although advertising sales agents are still needed in digital media, the ability to automate digital ad placement and the use of ad blockers by digital users may limit employment demand for advertising sales agents along these channels.
Getting in
How to become an Advertising Sales Agent
Advertising sales agents typically need at least a high school diploma to enter the occupation, although some employers require or prefer that candidates have a bachelor’s degree. Once hired, these workers typically receive training on the job. Sales and communication skills are essential.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
Full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entryThe work
What does an Advertising Sales Agent do?
Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.
Advertising sales agents, also called advertising sales representatives, sell advertising space to businesses and individuals. They contact potential clients, make sales presentations, and maintain client accounts.
Day-to-day tasks
- Explain to customers how specific types of advertising will help promote their products or services in the most effective way possible.
- Prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising.
- Obtain and study information about clients' products, needs, problems, advertising history, and business practices to offer effective sales presentations and appropriate product assistance.
- Provide clients with estimates of the costs of advertising products or services.
- Prepare promotional plans, sales literature, media kits, and sales contracts, using computer.
- Process all correspondence and paperwork related to accounts.
- Attend sales meetings, industry trade shows, and training seminars to gather information, promote products, expand network of contacts, and increase knowledge.
- Maintain assigned account bases while developing new accounts.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most advertising sales agents work full time.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where advertising sales agents work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Advertising, public relations, and related services44%
- Newspaper publishers8%
- Radio broadcasting stations7%
- Media streaming distribution services, social networks, and other media networks and content providers7%
- Television broadcasting stations4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Advertising, public relations, and related services | 44% |
| Newspaper publishers | 8% |
| Radio broadcasting stations | 7% |
| Media streaming distribution services, social networks, and other media networks and content providers | 7% |
| Television broadcasting stations | 4% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Writing3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Learning3.0
- Mathematics2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Mathematics | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Persuasion4.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Negotiation3.9
- Service Orientation3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Systems Analysis3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Persuasion | 4.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Negotiation | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Advertising Sales Agent?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Advertising Sales Agent |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 7 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising6.7
- Conventional4.3
- Artistic3.6
- Social3.0
- Investigative1.5
- Realistic1.2
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Advertising Sales Agent
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist
$78,760median a year
Most earn $43K to $155K
+7.0%Bachelor's - Business and Financial Operations
- Sales and Related
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
More sales and related careers
Median annual pay, with advertising sales agents highlighted
- Sales Engineer$124,900
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Product$104,920
- Real Estate Broker$73,220
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$72,080
- Advertising Sales Agent$64,820
- Insurance Sales Agent$62,280
- Real Estate Agent$52,830
- Travel Agent$50,160
- Cashier$32,880
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sales Engineer | $124,900 |
| Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Product | $104,920 |
| Real Estate Broker | $73,220 |
| Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $72,080 |
| Advertising Sales Agent | $64,820 |
| Insurance Sales Agent | $62,280 |
| Real Estate Agent | $52,830 |
| Travel Agent | $50,160 |
| Cashier | $32,880 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Advertising Sales Agent appears on
Questions
Advertising Sales Agent: frequently asked questions
How much do Advertising Sales Agents make?
Advertising Sales Agents earn a median of $64,820 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 27% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $31.16/hr. The middle half earn between $47,020 and $99,990. The top 10% earn $146,010 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Advertising Sales Agent?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Advertising Sales Agents. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Advertising Sales Agent a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 7.2% over 2025–2035, a loss of 7,100 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 7,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Advertising Sales Agent do?
Advertising sales agents, also called advertising sales representatives, sell advertising space to businesses and individuals. A core O*NET task: explain to customers how specific types of advertising will help promote their products or services in the most effective way possible. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Customer relationship management CRM software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Advertising Sales Agents the most?
The highest state medians for Advertising Sales Agents are Washington ($101,320), New York ($98,360), Massachusetts ($80,500) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Advertising Sales Agent?
O*NET scores Advertising Sales Agents highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Artistic interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFJ, ESFJ, ENTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.