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Job outlook for media directors in the United States
Media director job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected media director job growth rate is 8% from 2018-2028.
About 6,300 new jobs for media directors are projected over the next decade.
Media director salaries have increased 14% for media directors in the last 5 years.
There are over 6,165 media directors currently employed in the United States.
There are 22,511 active media director job openings in the US.
The average media director salary is $112,564.
Are media director jobs in demand?
Media director job and salary trends over time
Media director jobs over time
Media director job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,165 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 6,020 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 5,888 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 5,414 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 5,015 | 0.00% |
Average media director salary over time
Media director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $112,564 | $54.12 | +4.1% |
| 2025 | $108,158 | $52.00 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $105,959 | $50.94 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $102,710 | $49.38 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | $99,055 | $47.62 | +3.1% |
Media director jobs by state
Most common states for media directors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 308 | 44% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 600 | 19% |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 509 | 13% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 821 | 12% |
| 5 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 585 | 12% |
| 6 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 556 | 12% |
| 7 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 358 | 12% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 72 | 12% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 104 | 11% |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 100 | 9% |
| 11 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,612 | 8% |
| 12 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 240 | 8% |
| 13 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,677 | 7% |
| 14 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 622 | 7% |
| 15 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 295 | 7% |
| 16 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 253 | 7% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 96 | 7% |
| 18 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 76 | 7% |
| 19 | Alaska | 739,795 | 51 | 7% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 41 | 7% |
Most common cities for media directors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta | 3 | 1% | $101,565 |
| 2 | Irvine | 2 | 1% | $125,764 |
| 3 | Burbank | 1 | 1% | $129,551 |
| 4 | Grand Rapids | 1 | 1% | $97,117 |
| 5 | Lansing | 1 | 1% | $97,338 |
| 6 | Newport Beach | 1 | 1% | $125,397 |
| 7 | Stamford | 1 | 1% | $110,613 |
| 8 | Chicago | 3 | 0% | $96,840 |
| 9 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $131,651 |
| 10 | Dallas | 1 | 0% | $89,369 |
| 11 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $124,428 |
| 12 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $97,636 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $101,947 |
| 14 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $74,774 |
| 15 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $128,785 |
| 16 | Minneapolis | 1 | 0% | $115,943 |
| 17 | New York | 1 | 0% | $135,295 |
| 18 | Philadelphia | 1 | 0% | $103,168 |
| 19 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $118,350 |
Media Director job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of media director experts
Cabrini University
Western New England University
The One Club
East-West University
Professor Cheryl Pilchik
Marketing at Cabrini U.Cabrini University
Business Administration, Management And Operations
What Media Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Cheryl Pilchik: Look at all the benefits offered by the company, such as medical, holidays, 401K, etc. Also, consider using the position as a steppingstone in your field to a second job in the near future.
What will help Media Directors increase their earning potential?
Harlan Spotts Ph.D.: In marketing, developing digital capabilities is extremely important. Marketing was on the forefront of the digital transition in business. With the amount of commerce that has shifted to the web marketers have to be comfortable with living in the digital space. This will demand new and different strategies. Marketers have always needed to be effective communicators, but now it is not just being a great closer. Marketers need to be effective communicators in writing (text, email, etc.) and verbal (person to person live, as well as person to person online)
Students need to start in college developing skills to be successful. It was interesting, we, in the College of Business, were talking about developing student competency in remote work before the pandemic hit last year. The pandemic accelerated our work, and we are in the process now of approving a certificate in remote work that any undergraduate business student can earn. It is designed to develop those competencies that will be critical for success in the "new normal."
What general advice would you give to a Media Director?
Yash Egami: A recent Forrester report says that the ad industry will lose 50,000 jobs through 2021, with 35,000 of them already lost since the pandemic. The traditional ad agency model was already in trouble, with many brands hiring away talent and creating their own in-house agencies. Add to that the recent reckoning with the Black Lives Matter movement, and what we're seeing is an industry that is being forced to go through monumental change in order to survive.
While traditional roles like art director or copywriter are on the decline, the good news is that, in an effort to reinvent themselves, agencies are seeking creatives with digital skills like UX design and programming. The rise of in-house creative departments has also meant more opportunities for job seekers within brands rather than agencies. And because of the demand for more diversity from clients and those within advertising, recruiters are making more of an effort to hire multicultural talent.
At The One Club for Creativity, we've been at the forefront of change in the industry through our diversity and inclusion, professional development and gender equality programs. We recently hosted our annual multicultural career fair, "Where Are All the Black People?" that brought together thousands of diverse talent with 40 agencies and companies looking to hire. We launched One School, a free online program for Black creatives who want to get into the industry but don't have a portfolio or the economic means to afford to go to ad school. And we're working on upskilling courses for professionals who want to reinvent themselves or keep up with the changing demands of our industry.
So if you're a recent graduate who specializes in art direction, our advice would be to keep an open mind about what kind of company you want to work for and think about expanding your skillset to include digital skills so that you can future-proof your career. Where you are isn't as important because, since the pandemic, agencies have become more comfortable with working remotely and they are more open to having a workforce not centered on the traditional agency hubs, like New York or Los Angeles.
What general advice would you give to a Media Director?
Mike Bromberg: There are many great careers out there that can be attained as a result of getting a degree in English. One great example is the fact that many companies find that it's a necessity to develop and maintain their social media presence. They look for Communications Coordinators, social media managers, and media directors to make sure their materials, themes, and messages are organized and broadcasted efficiently and appropriately. Some people go on to graduate programs such as law school, as English courses engage heavily with reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.