Leads advertising media strategy for brands, deciding where and how budgets are spent across TV, digital, social, audio and outdoor channels. BLS does not publish separate figures for advertising and promotions managers; it counts them within advertising and promotions manager (SOC 11-2011), whose median pay is $133,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-2011
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Media Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $133,660a year, or $64.26/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $63KTop 10% $286K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -3.7%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−3.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −3.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2,30033,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202533.2K
- Projected 203531.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 33.2K Projected 2035 31.9K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Director of Media, Media Planning Director, Group Media Director, Head of Media, Associate Media Director.
Pay
How much do Advertising and Promotions Managers make?
Every media director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$133,660
Middle half earn $91,370 to $201,050
- 10th
- $63,300
- 25th
- $91,370
- 75th
- $201,050
- 90th
- $286,240
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $63,300 |
| 25th | $91,370 |
| Median | $133,660 |
| 75th | $201,050 |
| 90th | $286,240 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $133,660
- Median hourly wage
- $64.26/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $154,280
- People employed
- 21,470
Versus all US occupations
At $133,660, Advertising and Promotions Managers earn 162% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $82,680 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 6% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $286,240 or more while the bottom 10% earn $63,300, a gap of 4.5×. 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 88% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
New York posts the highest raw median ($173,700), but once local prices are taken into account Illinois leads at $167,400 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Advertising and Promotions Managers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New York | $173,700 | $160,951 | 3,550 |
| 2Illinois | $167,330 | $167,400 | 160 |
| 3California | $167,230 | $151,039 | 3,080 |
| 4New Jersey | $165,390 | $152,006 | 470 |
| 5Colorado | $164,990 | $160,104 | 180 |
| 6Washington | $163,380 | $152,673 | 530 |
| 7Massachusetts | $163,090 | $154,212 | 300 |
| 8Rhode Island | $157,890 | $154,370 | 60 |
| 9South Carolina | $156,300 | $166,722 | N/A |
| 10Oregon | $154,490 | $149,466 | 430 |
Job outlook
Is Media Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -3.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | −3.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Advertising and Promotions Managers to change -3.7% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 1,200 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 2,300 openings are projected each year, 6.9% of the 33,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Media Director
Most media directors hold a bachelor's degree in advertising, marketing, communications or business, and work their way up from media assistant, planner or buyer roles over many years.
The American Association of Advertising Agencies offers training and industry standards for agency professionals, and the Interactive Advertising Bureau provides digital media certifications. Strong analytical skills, negotiation ability and the confidence to present to senior clients are central, along with a working knowledge of audience measurement and data privacy rules.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Media Director do?
Media directors decide where a brand's advertising will run. At agencies and in-house teams they take a client's business goals and budget and turn them into a media plan across television, streaming, search, social, audio, print and outdoor. They choose which audiences to reach, which channels and publishers to use, and how to split the money.
Media directors lead teams of planners and buyers, negotiate large deals with networks and platforms, and present strategy to clients. They review campaign results, decide how to shift budgets, and stay current on measurement, privacy rules and new ad formats. Senior media directors often manage several major accounts and grow agency business.
Day-to-day tasks
- Develop media strategies and channel plans for clients
- Allocate budgets across TV, digital, social and other channels
- Lead teams of media planners and buyers
- Negotiate large deals with networks and platforms
- Present media plans and results to clients
- Analyze campaign performance and shift spending
- Evaluate new advertising formats and measurement tools
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Media directors work in agency and corporate offices, often in large media markets, with hybrid schedules common. Days are full of client meetings, team reviews and publisher negotiations. Travel for client meetings and industry events such as upfronts is common, and launches can bring long hours.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely 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.
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.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking4.1
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Writing3.8
- Monitoring3.5
- Active Learning3.4
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.5 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Coordination3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Time Management3.6
- Persuasion3.4
- Negotiation3.4
- Systems Analysis3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.4 |
| Negotiation | 3.4 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
“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 a Media Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ECA) built on O*NET's Advertising and Promotions Manager profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Media Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 7 |
| Conventional | 5 |
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.
- Enterprising7.0
- Conventional5.0
- Artistic4.5
- Social3.1
- Investigative1.7
- Realistic1.0
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 Media Director
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Sales and Related
- 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
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
More management careers
Median annual pay, with advertising and promotions managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Media Director$133,660
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Media Director | $133,660 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Media Director appears on
Questions
Media Director: frequently asked questions
How much do Advertising and Promotions Managers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for advertising and promotions managers. It counts them within advertising and promotions manager, whose median pay is $133,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $91,370 and $201,050, and the top 10% earn $286,240 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Media Director?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Advertising and Promotions Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first.
Is Media Director a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 3.7% over 2025–2035, a loss of 1,200 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 2,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Media Director do?
Media directors decide where a brand's advertising will run. A typical task: develop media strategies and channel plans for clients. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Business intelligence and data analysis software, Customer relationship management CRM software.
Which states pay Advertising and Promotions Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Advertising and Promotions Managers are New York ($173,700), Illinois ($167,330), California ($167,230) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Illinois moves to the top at $167,400.
What personality type suits a Media Director?
O*NET scores Advertising and Promotions Managers 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.