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Other sales workers

How to become an Advertising Sales Representative

Also called: Billboard advertising salesperson, Advertising company sales staff, Advertising agency account executive, Media buyer, Broadcast advertising sales staff

Plans advertising at an advertising company, pitches it to advertisers and manages each job from winning the order through planning and running it to collecting payment.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start. What you studied does not matter either, and some people come from science schools and faculties. Full-service advertising companies often hire people without limiting them to sales and place them after joining based on aptitude and training results. Many people also move into sales after gaining experience in other departments such as production, marketing or media. You need a constant interest in how consumers think and behave, and the insight to read consumer and market data accurately and see where things are heading. You deal with clients, so you need to enjoy meeting people, show teamwork and leadership with other departments and outside partners, and keep up with the latest creative techniques so you can make good suggestions to creative staff.

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Advertising Sales Representative?

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start. What you studied does not matter either, and some people come from science schools and faculties. Full-service advertising companies often hire people without limiting them to sales and place them after joining based on aptitude and training results. Many people also move into sales after gaining experience in other departments such as production, marketing or media. You need a constant interest in how consumers think and behave, and the insight to read consumer and market data accurately and see where things are heading. You deal with clients, so you need to enjoy meeting people, show teamwork and leadership with other departments and outside partners, and keep up with the latest creative techniques so you can make good suggestions to creative staff.

How much does an Advertising Sales Representative earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥6,607,000 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other sales workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an Advertising Sales Representative?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 58% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of an Advertising Sales Representative?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026