Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for advertising specialists in the United States
Advertising specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected advertising specialist job growth rate is -8% from 2018-2028.
About -8,000 new jobs for advertising specialists are projected over the next decade.
Advertising specialist salaries have increased 9% for advertising specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 22,549 advertising specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 29,779 active advertising specialist job openings in the US.
The average advertising specialist salary is $50,237.
Are advertising specialist jobs in demand?
Advertising specialist job and salary trends over time
Advertising specialist jobs over time
Advertising specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22,549 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 25,670 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 30,266 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 31,052 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 31,848 | 0.01% |
Average advertising specialist salary over time
Advertising specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,237 | $24.15 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $48,746 | $23.44 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | $47,311 | $22.75 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | $45,427 | $21.84 | --1.4% |
| 2021 | $46,067 | $22.15 | +3.9% |
Advertising specialist jobs by state
Most common states for advertising specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 93 | 13% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 88 | 9% |
| 3 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 65 | 9% |
| 4 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 264 | 8% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 163 | 8% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 51 | 8% |
| 7 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 49 | 8% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 481 | 7% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 92 | 7% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 73 | 7% |
| 11 | Alaska | 739,795 | 54 | 7% |
| 12 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 600 | 6% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 358 | 6% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 322 | 6% |
| 15 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 173 | 6% |
| 16 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 97 | 6% |
| 17 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 86 | 6% |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 60 | 6% |
| 19 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 51 | 6% |
| 20 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 594 | 5% |
Most common cities for advertising specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gardena | 1 | 2% | $54,627 |
| 2 | Springdale | 1 | 1% | $44,500 |
| 3 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $53,299 |
| 4 | Miami | 1 | 0% | $36,916 |
| 5 | New York | 1 | 0% | $77,712 |
| 6 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $51,841 |
Advertising Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of advertising specialist experts
University of Connecticut
University of North Georgia
University of San Francisco
University of Central Oklahoma
4A's
What Advertising Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Scott Wallace: The media market is in a state of flux right now, with many new companies stepping in to the fill the void left by the disappearance of local newspapers. Technology has evolved to the point where a resourceful Digital Media Specialist can perform tasks that once required at least 3-4 people, from writing articles to shooting, editing and posting videos and photos on news sites or social media. It’s an exciting time to be entering the field!
What hard/technical skills are most important for Advertising Specialists?
Mary Norman: -Project management skills
-Knowledge of key marketing tools and analytics:
-Social media tools like Hootsuite, Google analytics, etc.
-Design tools like Canva, Photoshop, Illustrator
-Email and Survey tools like Mailchimp and Survey Monkey
-SEO Tools like Google Ads
-Digital/Social Media Marketing Skills in the following areas:
-Email marketing
-Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEM/SEO)
-Email marketing
-Content marketing - ability to create content for social media and additional formats like blogs, etc.
-Social Media marketing through top platforms: i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.
-Data Analysis - mining insights into customer behavior based on website and social media analytics
-Trendwatching / Consumer insights
Marthinus JC van Loggerenberg
Assistant Professor of AdvertisingUniversity of San Francisco
USF Advertising Program
What skills stand out on Advertising Specialist resumes?
Marthinus JC van Loggerenberg: -Objective observation towards problem-solving and building tangible value
-Conceptual thinking and planning towards practical implementation
-Specialist skills in a very particular area of an advertising discipline landing credibility
What hard/technical skills are most important for Advertising Specialists?
Marthinus JC van Loggerenberg: It really depends on the individual's field of expertise, but in general, I would say:
-Strategic planning skills that include sales strategy
-Market research and analysis, in particular, consumer behavior analysis
-Marketing expertise (or excellent understanding) in areas like SEO, lead generation, PPC, content creation, social media, etc.
-Value and process improvement, especially in the digital media space
-Computer skills to create marketing reports, ad mockups, and presentations (includes likes of MS Office, Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, etc.)
What skills will help Advertising Specialists earn the most?
Marthinus JC van Loggerenberg: -Brand identity design
-Strategic brand communication planning that includes interpreting data towards viable insights and setting meticulous metrics
Consumer journey mapping
-Mastery of crafting strategies and creating content for multi-platform digital media advertising
... quite in demand at present is the ability to create brand community and influencer strategies
Stacia Wert-Gray Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing, ChairpersonUniversity of Central Oklahoma
Department of Marketing
What soft skills should all Advertising Specialists possess?
Stacia Wert-Gray Ph.D.: Communication is important in any job but especially in marketing. These professionals must be able to communicate with customers/clients about product/service benefits and must be able to listen and represent the needs of customers/clients to their own company.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Advertising Specialists to find work opportunities?
Mollie Rosen: We've often told grads to "get in wherever you can get in" as there are great agencies everywhere, and any opportunity is a valid one where you can learn. In today's environment, though, that still holds true, but the barriers of geography are falling as many agencies adapt to include remote working as part of their model moving forward.
How do you envision technology impacting Advertising Specialists in the next 5 years?
Mollie Rosen: Our industry, like many others, is increasingly leveraging technology, and some reports predict as much as 10-30% of roles being automated over the next ten years. This can be an opportunity, though, as people move out of the more rote aspects of our industry and can use technology to enhance the work they do to drive better creativity and better consumer experiences. This reinforces the idea that adaptability is a key quality for ongoing success in our industry. Today's students may have a leg up, likely being more tech-savvy than their predecessors. But leveraging their understanding and use of technology to provide creative solutions that grow a client's business is what will be needed.