Advertising Sales Agents Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for advertising sales agents in the U.S. is $64,820 ($31.16 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $64,820
- Mean annual wage
- $80,670
- Median hourly wage
- $31.16
- Employment
- 91,700
91,700 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,240 | $16.94 |
| 25th percentile | $47,020 | $22.61 |
| Median (50th) | $64,820 | $31.16 |
| 75th percentile | $99,990 | $48.07 |
| 90th percentile | $146,010 | $70.20 |
Highest-paying states for advertising sales agents
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $101,320 | 3,510 |
| New York | $98,360 | 13,570 |
| Massachusetts | $80,500 | 1,480 |
| California | $80,360 | 9,620 |
| District of Columbia | $75,030 | 320 |
| Utah | $74,260 | 1,110 |
| Colorado | $73,420 | 1,110 |
| New Jersey | $69,620 | 2,110 |
| South Carolina | $68,200 | 1,770 |
| Illinois | $66,290 | 3,790 |
Lowest-paying states
- Tennessee: $40,910 median annual wage
- Alaska: $43,840 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $44,700 median annual wage
- New Mexico: $45,620 median annual wage
- Montana: $46,040 median annual wage
About this occupation
Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Gather all relevant material for bid processes, and coordinate bidding and contract approval.
- Prepare promotional plans, sales literature, media kits, and sales contracts, using computer.
- Recommend appropriate sizes and formats for advertising, depending on medium used.
- Determine advertising medium to be used, and prepare sample advertisements within the selected medium for presentation to customers.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 1.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 9.8% |
| Some college, no degree | 18.4% |
| Associate's degree | 6.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 52.8% |
| Master's degree | 10.6% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.0% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Retail Salespersons$35,410
- Cashiers$32,880
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$69,990
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$72,080
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers$48,520
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents$78,660
- Insurance Sales Agents$62,280
- Counter and Rental Clerks$41,300
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.