Advertising Sales Agents

Overview

Advertising Sales Agents has a national median salary of $64,820 per year, with -7.2% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

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

Work Values

• Relationships
• Independence
• Working Conditions

Work Styles

Responsibilities

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.

Work Activities

• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Working with Computers
• Communicating with People Outside the Organization
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Thinking Creatively
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Selling or Influencing Others
• Scheduling Work and Activities
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Developing Objectives and Strategies

Detailed Work Activities

• Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a bachelor's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Bachelor's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a high school diploma or equivalent.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Advertising Sales Agents:

Video Resources