# Advertising Sales Agents

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

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/advertising-sales-agents
- SOC code: 41-3011.00
- Career family: Sales
- Median annual pay: $64,820 (10th percentile $35,240, 90th percentile $146,010)
- Projected growth: Decline, -7.2%
- Openings a year: 7,800
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ECA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 3 |
| Investigative (I) | 9 |
| Artistic (A) | 44 |
| Social (S) | 33 |
| Enterprising (E) | 94 |
| Conventional (C) | 56 |

## What you'd do

- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 91/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 91/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 89/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 88/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 86/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 84/100)
- Selling or Influencing Others (importance 83/100)
- Scheduling Work and Activities (importance 76/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 75/100)
- Developing Objectives and Strategies (importance 75/100)

## Skills

Persuasion, Speaking, Active Listening, Negotiation, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, Service Orientation, Critical Thinking, Writing, Complex Problem Solving

## Knowledge

Sales and Marketing, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Communications and Media, Computers and Electronics, Administrative, Mathematics, Administration and Management, Telecommunications, Economics and Accounting

## Also called

Advertising Account Executive, Advertising Account Representative, Advertising Agent, Advertising Consultant, Advertising Representative, Advertising Sales Assistant, Advertising Sales Executive, Advertising Sales Representative (Ad Sales Representative), Advertising Solicitor, Digital Advertising Sales Representative (Digital Advertising Sales Rep)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5218) (CIP 5218, 358 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Baylor University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/baylor-university-194) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $85,374 | $125,167 | $21,375 |
| [Texas A & M University-College Station](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-a-m-university-college-station-2694) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $72,444 | $93,141 | $18,458 |
| [Bowling Green State University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus-290) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $63,510 | $86,245 | $22,625 |
| [Weber State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/weber-state-university-3186) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $73,639 | $82,549 | $15,668 |
| [Purdue University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/purdue-university-main-campus-2163) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $66,112 | $82,441 | $19,043 |
| [University of Wisconsin-Madison Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-madison-main-campus-3084) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $58,551 | $82,081 | $14,567 |
| [Kennesaw State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/kennesaw-state-university-1376) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $77,431 | $79,147 | not reported |
| [Ball State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ball-state-university-170) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $57,265 | $78,401 | $17,750 |

## Related careers

- [Advertising and Promotions Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/advertising-and-promotions-managers): $133,660 median pay
- [Marketing Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/marketing-managers): $166,790 median pay
- [Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/market-research-analysts-and-marketing-specialists): $78,760 median pay
- [Search Marketing Strategists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/search-marketing-strategists): $78,760 median pay
- [Telemarketers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/telemarketers): $35,450 median pay
- [Public Relations Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/public-relations-specialists): $74,750 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.