Life As an Advertising Sales Agent
Career Description Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or the Internet. Includes individuals who obtain leases for outdoor advertising sites or persuade retailers to use sales promotion display items.
Life As an Advertising Sales Agent: What Do They Do?
- Prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising.
- Write sales outlines for use by staff.
- Identify new advertising markets and propose products to serve them.
- Provide clients with estimates of the costs of advertising products or services.
- Gather all relevant material for bid processes and coordinate bidding and contract approval.
- Determine advertising medium to be used and prepare sample advertisements within the selected medium for presentation to customers.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as an Advertising Sales Agent?
Advertising Sales Agents state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Types of Advertising Sales Agent Jobs
- Directory Advertising Sales Representative
- Contracts Specialist
- Account Specialist
- Signs and Displays Salesperson
- Solicitor
Job Opportunities for Advertising Sales Agents
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 149,900 jobs in the United States for Advertising Sales Agent. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Advertising Sales Agent. The BLS estimates 17,700 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Advertising Sales Agent are Washington, Tennessee, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Wisconsin, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Advertising Sales Agent Salary
Advertising Sales Agents make between $24,670 and $114,810 a year.

Advertising Sales Agents who work in New Jersey, Connecticut, or New York, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Advertising Sales Agents in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $43,560 |
Alaska | $52,780 |
Arizona | $48,310 |
Arkansas | $47,320 |
California | $70,720 |
Colorado | $56,500 |
Connecticut | $88,990 |
Delaware | $57,810 |
District of Columbia | $77,870 |
Florida | $59,500 |
Georgia | $60,750 |
Hawaii | $67,740 |
Idaho | $43,740 |
Illinois | $60,010 |
Indiana | $53,680 |
Iowa | $39,560 |
Kansas | $51,450 |
Kentucky | $50,680 |
Louisiana | $43,880 |
Maine | $47,250 |
Maryland | $63,030 |
Massachusetts | $67,260 |
Michigan | $51,960 |
Minnesota | $58,440 |
Mississippi | $36,860 |
Missouri | $50,900 |
Montana | $45,600 |
Nebraska | $54,700 |
Nevada | $60,350 |
New Hampshire | $55,180 |
New Jersey | $84,160 |
New Mexico | $44,580 |
New York | $84,310 |
North Carolina | $61,120 |
North Dakota | $55,430 |
Ohio | $53,040 |
Oklahoma | $61,690 |
Oregon | $50,110 |
Pennsylvania | $62,210 |
South Carolina | $53,240 |
South Dakota | $48,690 |
Tennessee | $52,750 |
Texas | $58,440 |
Utah | $64,310 |
Vermont | $50,040 |
Virginia | $55,360 |
Washington | $63,760 |
West Virginia | $45,980 |
Wisconsin | $52,360 |
Wyoming | $51,580 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Advertising Sales Agents
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Advertising Sales Agents may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Email software
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Microsoft Publisher
- FileMaker Pro
- Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
- Salesforce software
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Google AdWords
- QuarkXPress
- Contact management software
How do I Become an Advertising Sales Agent?
What education is needed to be an Advertising Sales Agent?

How Long Does it Take to Become an Advertising Sales Agent?

Who Employs Advertising Sales Agents?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming an Advertising Sales Agent might also be interested in the following careers:
- Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes
- Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
Career changers with experience as an Advertising Sales Agent sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Nick Nijhuis via Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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