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The national median salary for Advertising Sales Agents is $64,813 per year ($31.16/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $47,029 and $99,986 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $146,016 per year. There are approximately 91,700 advertising sales agents employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-6.4%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
9K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
104K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
NAICS 541800
44K
$72,910
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers
NAICS 513100
15K
$52,100
Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations
NAICS 516100
11K
$59,910
Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers
NAICS 516200
7K
$77,940
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
3K
$76,970
Wage range across top 5 industries: $52,100 to $77,940 (50% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$16.94
$35,235
P25
$22.61
$47,029
P50MEDIAN
$31.16
$64,813
P75
$48.07
$99,986
P90
$70.20
$146,016
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average advertising sales agents salary?
The national median salary for Advertising Sales Agents is $64,813 per year ($31.16/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $47,029 and $99,986 annually.
How much do top-earning advertising sales agents make?
The 90th percentile salary for Advertising Sales Agents is $146,016 per year ($70.20/hr). The 75th percentile is $99,986 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for advertising sales agents?
Entry-level Advertising Sales Agents (10th percentile) earn approximately $35,235 per year ($16.94/hr). The 25th percentile is $47,029 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.