Advertising and promotions managers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $63,300 | $30.43 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $133,660 | $64.26 |
| Mean (average) | $154,280 | $74.18 |
| 90th percentile | $286,240 | $137.62 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Advertising and promotions managers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 41 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,640 | $60,000 | $213,860 | 60 | 0.22 |
| Arkansas | $74,880 | $58,360 | $225,000 | 140 | 0.78 |
| California | $167,230 | $72,800 | $321,360 | 3,080 | 1.22 |
| Colorado | $164,990 | $110,500 | $267,220 | 180 | 0.46 |
| Connecticut | $129,280 | $83,110 | $192,480 | 240 | 1.02 |
| District of Columbia | $143,040 | $81,440 | $292,550 | 80 | 0.87 |
| Georgia | $133,810 | $71,940 | $238,690 | 420 | 0.63 |
| Idaho | $80,680 | $73,970 | $188,180 | 60 | 0.55 |
| Illinois | $167,330 | $75,810 | $223,250 | 160 | 0.19 |
| Indiana | $113,930 | $49,500 | $225,690 | 120 | 0.28 |
| Iowa | $108,890 | $79,310 | $271,790 | 210 | 0.99 |
| Kansas | $148,560 | $79,130 | $196,050 | 40 | 0.19 |
| Kentucky | $107,030 | $61,640 | $148,730 | 230 | 0.82 |
| Louisiana | $78,810 | $44,980 | $140,310 | 120 | 0.47 |
| Maine | $106,280 | $53,090 | $156,710 | ||
| Maryland | $107,380 | $71,760 | $206,260 | 460 | 1.22 |
| Massachusetts | $163,090 | $72,280 | $258,530 | 300 | 0.61 |
| Michigan | $101,610 | $65,840 | $180,030 | 220 | 0.37 |
| Minnesota | $126,920 | $75,040 | $234,960 | 110 | 0.27 |
| Mississippi | $66,520 | $43,680 | $148,200 | 100 | 0.63 |
| Missouri | $81,520 | $47,600 | $154,320 | ||
| Montana | $131,770 | $72,060 | $135,340 | ||
| Nebraska | $106,380 | $70,220 | $165,770 | 160 | 1.12 |
| New Hampshire | $120,530 | $61,330 | $214,420 | 50 | 0.51 |
| New Jersey | $165,390 | $67,690 | $370,440 | 470 | 0.8 |
| New Mexico | Data unavailable | 80 | 0.68 | ||
| New York | $173,700 | $75,430 | $343,540 | 3,550 | 2.66 |
| North Carolina | $121,730 | $85,670 | $322,080 | ||
| Ohio | $102,110 | $35,540 | $213,880 | 240 | 0.31 |
| Oklahoma | Data unavailable | 90 | 0.37 | ||
| Oregon | $154,490 | $64,710 | $271,810 | 430 | 1.59 |
| Pennsylvania | $122,940 | $66,040 | $212,980 | 1,540 | 1.83 |
| Puerto Rico | $68,620 | $37,920 | $173,660 | 180 | 1.39 |
| Rhode Island | $157,890 | $83,240 | $286,980 | 60 | 0.86 |
| South Carolina | $156,300 | $88,030 | $217,100 | ||
| Tennessee | $98,170 | $58,180 | $153,620 | ||
| Texas | $104,170 | $59,990 | $210,790 | 3,670 | 1.89 |
| Utah | Data unavailable | 240 | 1 | ||
| Virginia | $148,400 | $88,270 | $225,630 | 180 | 0.31 |
| Washington | $163,380 | $127,050 | $216,220 | 530 | 1.08 |
| Wisconsin | $131,530 | $42,670 | $179,130 | 110 | 0.28 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for advertising and promotions managers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 2,300. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 35.1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for advertising and promotions managers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication CIP 09.0900
- Public Relations/Image Management CIP 09.0902
- Advertising CIP 09.0903
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General CIP 52.1401
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Plan and prepare advertising and promotional material to increase sales of products or services, working with customers, company officials, sales departments, and advertising agencies.
- Inspect layouts and advertising copy, and edit scripts, audio, video, and other promotional material for adherence to specifications.
- Coordinate activities of departments, such as sales, graphic arts, media, finance, and research.
- Develop communications materials, advertisements, presentations, or public relations initiatives to promote awareness of products and services.
- Develop comprehensive marketing strategies, using knowledge of products and technologies, markets, and regulations.
- Direct, motivate, and monitor the mobilization of a campaign team to advance campaign goals.
- Prepare budgets and submit estimates for program costs as part of campaign plan development.
- Maintain portfolios of marketing campaigns, strategies, and other marketing products or ideas.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Google Analytics (hot technology)
- HubSpot software (hot technology)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- JavaScript (hot technology)
- Marketo Marketing Automation (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving, Time Management, Persuasion.
Common job titles: Account Executive, Ad Accounts Executive (Advertising Accounts Executive), Ad Director (Advertising Director), Ad Manager (Advertising Manager), Ad Sales Director (Advertising Sales Director), Ad Sales Manager (Advertising Sales Manager), Classified Ad Manager (Classified Advertising Manager), Creative Services Director, Promotions Director, Promotions Manager.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do advertising and promotions managers make?
The national median annual wage for advertising and promotions managers was $133,660 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $63,300 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $286,240. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do advertising and promotions managers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is advertising and promotions managers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of advertising and promotions managers to change -3.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 2,300 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay advertising and promotions managers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New York ($173,700), Illinois ($167,330), California ($167,230). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.