Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Advertising Sales Agent is a professional role within the function in the Sales job family.
The Sales function covers building customer relationships, managing pipeline, and closing revenue.
Typical entry preparation: Bachelor's Degree and up to 2 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
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.
Top skills:SpeakingPersuasionSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationNegotiationActive Listening
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Advertising Sales Agent pay by experience level
Entry level$36,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$48,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$67,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$103,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$151,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-6.4%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
9,300
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Advertising Sales Agent salary by industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
48,190 workers
$85,000
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
43,870 workers
$84,000
Broadcasting and Content Providers
18,280 workers
$87,500
Publishing Industries
15,080 workers
$66,500
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers
14,720 workers
$66,000
Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations
11,390 workers
$76,000
Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, & Other Media Networks & Content Providers
6,880 workers
$107,000
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
3,280 workers
$90,500
Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services
2,890 workers
$115,500
Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services
2,890 workers
$115,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 138,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
44%
White
85.4%
Black or African American
8.6%
Asian
4.4%
Hispanic or Latino
15.2%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $54,940 to $64,820.
+18.0% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$36,500
Early career25th percentile
$48,500
Median50th percentile
$67,000
Experienced75th percentile
$103,500
Top earners90th percentile
$151,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$83,500
2027$86,500
2028$89,500
2029$92,500
2030$96,000
2031$99,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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The median market pay for a Advertising Sales Agent in the United States is about $83,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Advertising Sales Agent?
Most Advertising Sales Agent pay falls between about $48,500 (25th percentile) and $103,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $151,000.
What does a Advertising Sales Agent do?
Core responsibilities include: prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising; and maintain assigned account bases while developing new accounts.
Is pay for Advertising Sales Agent roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $54,940 in 2020 to $64,820 in 2025, a change of +18% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Advertising Sales Agent pays 38% below the average across 933 roles in the Sales job family (family average $135,500).
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Advertising Sales Agent make?
The average base salary for a Advertising Sales Agent in the United States is $83,500 per year, or about $40.14 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $48,500 and $103,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Sales roles?
The Sales job family averages $135,500 across 933 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Advertising Sales Agent pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
