Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Advertising sales agents focus on promoting and selling advertising space and services to clients. Nationally, this occupation has a median annual salary of $61,460, with total employment of about 104,000 workers. The role combines customer-focused work with communication, creativity, and problem solving. Job candidates typically need at least a high school diploma or equivalent, paired with strong skills in customer service, speaking and listening, writing and reading, and basic mathematics. Skills in computers and information technology, project management, and adaptability also play an important role. While projected employment growth is -6.4%, there are still about 9,000 annual openings, which can come from workers changing occupations or leaving the labor force. People considering this career can also look at related options such as other sales representatives, real estate brokers, or agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes as alternative pathways in sales and client-focused work.
Advertising sales agents earn a national median annual salary of $61,460, but pay can differ significantly by location. Several states stand out with higher median salaries, including New York at $98,360, Washington at $101,320, Massachusetts at $80,500, and California at $80,360. Among the top metro areas, pay levels can be even higher. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro shows a median salary of $113,250, and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports $99,010. Other high-opportunity metros like San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH offer median salaries of $84,390 and $83,470, respectively. These figures suggest that geographic choice can have a meaningful impact on earnings. Job seekers who are flexible on location may find stronger earning potential in certain metros and states that combine higher salaries with solid opportunity scores.
Advertising sales agents have national employment of about 104,000 workers and an overall projected employment growth of -6.4%. Even with this projected decline, the occupation still shows an estimated 9,000 annual openings. These openings can reflect ongoing turnover and replacement needs as workers retire or move into other fields. The -6.4% growth projection is consistent across the top states and metro areas listed, indicating a similar directional trend in different regions. However, some locations still receive relatively strong opportunity scores, suggesting that hiring activity and job prospects can remain viable in certain markets despite overall negative growth. People exploring this field should consider both the national trends and local opportunity scores when evaluating their long-term prospects. Related occupations such as other sales representatives, real estate brokers, and agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes may also be worth examining for additional options.
Location plays an important role for advertising sales agents, both in terms of salary and overall opportunity. At the state level, New York and Washington report the highest median salaries among the top states, at $98,360 and $101,320, respectively. California and Massachusetts also show relatively high median salaries around $80,000 and strong CareerGPS opportunity scores above 65. New York combines a high median salary with the largest state employment among the top states at 13,570 jobs, while California shows 9,620 jobs. Colorado and Washington appear in the top states with more moderate employment levels but solid opportunity scores above 56. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ stand out with the highest opportunity scores, both above 77, and median salaries near or above $100,000. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH offer strong combinations of salary and opportunity as well.
The typical education requirement for advertising sales agents is a high school diploma or equivalent. This means many people can enter the field without needing a college degree, but success still depends on building a strong skill set. Key skills for this occupation include customer service, speaking and listening, and interpersonal abilities, which all support effective client relationships. Creativity and innovation, along with writing and reading skills, help agents communicate persuasive messages and understand client needs. Mathematics can be important for handling basic calculations and evaluating proposals, while project management skills support organizing work and coordinating efforts. Competence with computers and information technology is another important element, reflecting the tools and systems commonly used in modern sales environments. Problem solving, decision making, and adaptability round out the profile, helping workers respond to changing situations and client demands. Together, these skills complement the relatively accessible formal education requirement.
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