Sales Representatives, Services

How to become an Advertising Sales Agent

Official title: Advertising Sales Agents

Also called: Advertising Account Executive, Advertising Account Representative, Advertising Consultant, Advertising Representative, Advertising Sales Representative (Ad Sales Representative), Directory Advertising Sales Representative (Directory Advertising Sales Rep), Display Advertising Sales Representative (Display Advertising Sales Rep), Media Consultant, Multimedia Sales Consultant, Retail Advertising Account Executive

Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.

Main tasks

Explain to customers how specific types of advertising will help promote their products or services in the most effective way possible.
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.
Provide clients with estimates of the costs of advertising products or services.
Maintain assigned account bases while developing new accounts.
Recommend appropriate sizes and formats for advertising, depending on medium used.
Locate and contact potential clients to offer advertising services.
Draw up contracts for advertising work, and collect payments due.

How to become one

Advertising sales agents typically need at least a high school diploma to enter the occupation, although some employers require or prefer that candidates have a bachelor's degree. Once hired, these workers typically receive training on the job. Sales and communication skills are essential.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Communications & Media degrees, Offered by 31 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $64,820 a year The middle half earn $47,020 to $99,990.
About 99,300 people work in this job now, and about 92,200 are projected by 2035. (-7.2%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become an Advertising Sales Agent?

How much does an Advertising Sales Agent earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $64,820 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,020 to $99,990.

Is an Advertising Sales Agent a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 7% by 2035, from about 99,300 to about 92,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

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

Usually. 66% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Advertising Sales Agent?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.