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The differences between advertising account managers and commercial account managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an advertising account manager, becoming a commercial account manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, an advertising account manager has an average salary of $75,431, which is higher than the $59,175 average annual salary of a commercial account manager.
The top three skills for an advertising account manager include lead generation, sales presentations and account management. The most important skills for a commercial account manager are customer service, CRM, and account management.
| Advertising Account Manager | Commercial Account Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $75,431 | $59,175 |
| Hourly rate | $36.26 | $28.45 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 105,277 | 166,435 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
An advertising account manager works at advertising agencies where they are in charge of communicating with clients and managing accounts, building positive client relationships in the process. They coordinate directly with creative teams, ensuring that operations adhere to the clients' budgets, preferences, guidelines, and project requirements. There are also instances when they must secure the clients' advertising needs by liaising with external parties, purchasing advertising spaces, and researching new advertising opportunities. Moreover, an advertising account manager answers inquiries and updates the clients regularly.
A commercial account manager's role is to offer products and services to businesses and firms, building positive relationships to establish a strong client base. Their responsibilities often revolve around performing research and market analysis to find sales opportunities, devising strategies to identify client needs, and maintaining records of all data and transactions. They may also reach out to potential clients through calls and correspondence, even arrange appointments to discuss products and negotiate sales. Furthermore, as a commercial account manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Advertising account managers and commercial account managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Advertising Account Manager | Commercial Account Manager | |
| Average salary | $75,431 | $59,175 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $112,000 | Between $41,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | VMware |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an advertising account manager and a commercial account manager in terms of educational background:
| Advertising Account Manager | Commercial Account Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between advertising account managers' and commercial account managers' demographics:
| Advertising Account Manager | Commercial Account Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5% | Male, 60.1% Female, 39.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 7.6% White, 71.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 7% |