Average Advertising Sales Agents Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Advertising Sales Agents is $64,820 per year. The middle 50% earn between $47,020 and $99,990, with 91,700 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 50 states and 215 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Advertising Sales Agents pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $35,240
- 25th
- $47,020
- Median
- $64,820
- 75th
- $99,990
- 90th
- $146,010
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Advertising Sales Agents earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what advertising sales agents earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for advertising sales agents from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -6.4%
- -6,600 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 9,300
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
A high-school diploma is typically sufficient for entry, with much of the training happening on the job.
Where Advertising Sales Agents earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where advertising sales agents work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Washington at $101,320, about 56.3% above the national median. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads with a median of $113,250.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $101,320 | 3,510 |
| New York | $98,360 | 13,570 |
| Massachusetts | $80,500 | 1,480 |
| California | $80,360 | 9,620 |
| District of Columbia | $75,030 | 320 |
| Utah | $74,260 | 1,110 |
| Colorado | $73,420 | 1,110 |
| New Jersey | $69,620 | 2,110 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $113,250 | 380 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $105,320 | 2,770 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $99,010 | 13,210 |
| Richmond, VA | $95,680 | 330 |
| Tulsa, OK | $89,820 | 260 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $84,540 | 620 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $84,390 | 1,340 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83,470 | 1,100 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see advertising sales agents pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Advertising Sales Agents rose from $53,310 to $64,820, a gain of +21.6% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $53,310 would need to be worth $67,132 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $64,820 is −$2,312 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -3.4% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 21.6% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +21.6%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -3.4%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Advertising Sales Agents median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $64,820
- 2024
- $61,460
- 2023
- $61,270
- 2022
- $58,450
- 2021
- $52,340
- 2020
- $54,940
- 2019
- $53,310
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Insurance Sales Agents
- $62,280
- Sales Representatives Of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, And Travel
- $69,990
- Travel Agents
- $50,160
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale And Manufacturing, Except Technical And Scientific Products
- $72,080
- Real Estate Brokers
- $73,220
- Real Estate Sales Agents
- $52,830
Common salary questions for Advertising Sales Agents
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Advertising Sales Agents workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.