Advertising sales agents
Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.
Advertising sales agents sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces. The role reports a median annual salary of $61,460 in the US and is projected to decline by 6% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.65 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include characteristics of products, sales promotion techniques, types of media, advertising techniques, customer relationship management.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £54,772 a year for Managers and directors in the creative industries (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 1255). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Advertising sales agents, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Sales and Marketing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Communications and Media
- Mathematics
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Obtain and study information about clients' products, needs, problems, advertising history, and business practices to offer effective sales presentations and appropriate product assistance.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Advertising sales agents do?
Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.
How much does Advertising sales agents earn?
The median annual salary for Advertising sales agents in the US is $61,460.
What is the job outlook for Advertising sales agents?
The role is projected to decline by 6% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 103,700 workers.
How do I become advertising sales agents?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Advertising sales agents need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include characteristics of products, sales promotion techniques, types of media, advertising techniques, customer relationship management, sales strategies. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Advertising sales agents?
Our AI-durability model gives Advertising sales agents a score of 0.65 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Advertising sales agents has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.