Salary data
Advertising Manager Salary (May 2025 BLS Data)
The median annual pay for advertising and promotions managers in the US is $133,660, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025); the top 10% earn more than $286,240. This page shows what US advertising and promotions managers earn, from the BLS May 2025 survey: the median, the range from the bottom to the top 10%, and medians by state.
Key takeaways
- Advertising manager pay comes from the BLS group for advertising and promotions managers, a much smaller group than marketing managers.
- Read the full advertising manager pay range, not only the median, since half of the group earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
- Level and scope move advertising manager pay more than anything else.
- Advertising manager medians vary a lot by state, mostly with the cost of living and where the employers are.
- In a salary negotiation, use the BLS range to anchor by placing the role by its level and scope, then checking the state median.
How much does an advertising manager make?
The median annual pay for advertising and promotions managers in the US is $133,660. The middle half earn between $91,370 and $201,050, and the top 10% earn more than $286,240. About 21,470 people work in this occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Occupation 11-2011.
The pay range for advertising and promotions managers
Read the range, not only the median. Half of everyone in the group earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
| Pay level | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $63,300 |
| 25th percentile | $91,370 |
| Median | $133,660 |
| 75th percentile | $201,050 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $286,240 |
| Mean (average) | $154,280 |
US, all industries. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
Which BLS figure covers advertising manager roles?
Advertising manager maps onto advertising and promotions managers (11-2011), a much smaller BLS group than marketing managers. It covers people who plan and run advertising and promotional campaigns, at agencies, media companies and in-house. Because the group is small, state figures are missing for some states, and the numbers move more from year to year than for larger groups.
What affects advertising manager pay?
Level and scope move pay more than anything else. After that:
- Media budget: the size of the spend you manage is the clearest driver of pay.
- Agency, media or brand: pay structures differ a lot between agencies, publishers and advertisers.
- Channel mix: experience across digital, TV and retail media tends to be paid more than one channel.
- City: advertising work clusters in a few large metros.
Advertising manager salary by state
The median for advertising and promotions managers varies a lot by state, mostly with the cost of living and where the employers are. The table runs from highest to lowest.
| State | Median pay |
|---|---|
| New York | $173,700 |
| Illinois | $167,330 |
| California | $167,230 |
| New Jersey | $165,390 |
| Colorado | $164,990 |
| Washington | $163,380 |
| Massachusetts | $163,090 |
| Rhode Island | $157,890 |
| South Carolina | $156,300 |
| Oregon | $154,490 |
| Kansas | $148,560 |
| Virginia | $148,400 |
| District of Columbia | $143,040 |
| Georgia | $133,810 |
| Montana | $131,770 |
| Wisconsin | $131,530 |
| Connecticut | $129,280 |
| Minnesota | $126,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $122,940 |
| North Carolina | $121,730 |
| New Hampshire | $120,530 |
| Indiana | $113,930 |
| Iowa | $108,890 |
| Maryland | $107,380 |
| Kentucky | $107,030 |
| Nebraska | $106,380 |
| Maine | $106,280 |
| Texas | $104,170 |
| Ohio | $102,110 |
| Michigan | $101,610 |
| Tennessee | $98,170 |
| Missouri | $81,520 |
| Idaho | $80,680 |
| Louisiana | $78,810 |
| Arkansas | $74,880 |
| Mississippi | $66,520 |
| Alabama | $64,640 |
Highest first. States BLS doesn't publish a median for are left out. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
How to use this in a salary negotiation
Use the range to anchor, not to argue. Find where the role sits: an entry-level coordinator belongs near the 25th percentile, a senior lead running a team and budget near the 75th or above. Then check the posting, since a growing number of states require employers to publish a pay range. If the posting’s range and the BLS range disagree, the posting wins: it’s the budget for this job. The BLS figure is still useful when there’s no range at all, or when you’re asked for your number first. Our salary negotiation guide covers what to say and when. If talking about money makes you uneasy, that’s common, and a sourced number is what makes it a normal business conversation. Practice your number out loud, in your own words, before the call.
FAQ
What’s the difference between advertising managers and marketing managers?
BLS counts them separately. Advertising and promotions managers run ad and promotional campaigns; marketing managers own the wider marketing plan. Many people move between the two.
Why are some states missing?
BLS doesn’t publish figures where too few people were surveyed to be reliable. Advertising and promotions managers is a small group, so some states have no figure.
Does this include agency account directors?
Some agency roles are counted here and some elsewhere, depending on how the employer classifies the job. Treat it as a guide, not a quote.
Do senior advertising managers earn more than this median?
Usually, yes. Senior advertising managers and directors with big budgets or large teams tend to sit in the upper part of the range above, toward the 75th and 90th percentiles, while people new to the title sit lower. Where you land depends on the size of the budget you manage, the industry and the city.
Does this cover digital advertising managers?
Partly. The BLS groups jobs by duties, not titles, so a digital advertising manager who plans and runs advertising programs may be counted here, while one whose job is mainly digital marketing may be counted with marketing managers. Check both pages for a fuller picture.