Media executive demographics and statistics in the US
Media executive demographics research summary. Zippia estimates media executive demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our media executive estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about media executives after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 10,400 media executives currently employed in the United States.
- 59.1% of all media executives are women, while 40.9% are men.
- The average media executive age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of media executives is White (74.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.7%), Asian (8.2%) and Unknown (5.3%).
- In 2022, women earned 88% of what men earned.
- 10% of all media executives are LGBT.
- Media executives are 68% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Media executive demographics by:
Media executive gender statistics
59.1% of media executives are women and 40.9% of media executives are men.
- Female, 59.1%
- Male, 40.9%
Media executive gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 59.1% |
| Male | 40.9% |
Media executive gender pay gap
Women earn 88¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$78,352
Female income
$69,104
Media executive gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in media executive positions over time. Currently, 59.1% of media executives are female.
Media executive gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61.26% | 38.74% |
| 2011 | 60.91% | 39.09% |
| 2012 | 61.57% | 38.43% |
| 2013 | 61.49% | 38.51% |
| 2014 | 59.56% | 40.44% |
| 2015 | 59.07% | 40.93% |
| 2016 | 58.93% | 41.07% |
| 2017 | 57.85% | 42.15% |
| 2018 | 43.17% | 56.83% |
| 2019 | 42.10% | 57.90% |
| 2020 | 40.54% | 59.46% |
| 2021 | 40.91% | 59.09% |
Media executive related jobs gender ratio
We compared media executives with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, sales superintendent and route sales manager have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Catering Sales Manager | 19% | 81% |
| Director Of Admissions And Marketing | 20% | 80% |
| Media Traffic Manager | 20% | 80% |
| Media Executive | 41% | 59% |
| Director Of Sales Engineering | 93% | 7% |
| Route Sales Manager | 94% | 6% |
| Sales Superintendent | 95% | 5% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Media executive demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among media executives is White, which makes up 74.6% of all media executives. Comparatively, 8.7% of media executives are Hispanic or Latino and 8.2% of media executives are Asian.
- White, 74.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.7%
- Asian, 8.2%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- Black or African American, 3.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Media executive race
| Media executive race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 74.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.7% |
| Asian | 8.2% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| Black or African American | 3.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Media executive race and ethnicity over time
See how media executive racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Media executive race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 83.20% | 3.77% | 4.83% | 6.40% |
| 2011 | 82.97% | 3.67% | 5.02% | 6.54% |
| 2012 | 81.98% | 4.30% | 4.92% | 6.96% |
| 2013 | 82.82% | 3.53% | 5.17% | 6.71% |
| 2014 | 81.64% | 4.15% | 5.07% | 7.25% |
| 2015 | 81.26% | 3.56% | 5.82% | 7.41% |
| 2016 | 80.88% | 3.69% | 5.85% | 7.32% |
| 2017 | 80.80% | 3.66% | 6.04% | 7.44% |
| 2018 | 79.66% | 3.34% | 7.30% | 7.37% |
| 2019 | 77.79% | 3.14% | 8.02% | 8.43% |
| 2020 | 75.01% | 3.41% | 8.18% | 8.85% |
| 2021 | 74.58% | 3.04% | 8.15% | 8.67% |
Media executive wage gap by race
According to our data, asian media executives have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american media executives have the lowest average salary at $69,107.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $77,480 |
| White | $76,713 |
| Black or African American | $69,107 |
| Asian | $94,434 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $76,130 |
Average media executive age
See how the average age of media executives varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Media executive age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 37.5 | 36 |
| White | 40 | 37 |
| Black or African American | 45 | 37 |
| Asian | 39 | 36 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 34 |
Media executive age breakdown
The average age of media executives is 40+ years years old, representing 44% of the media executive population.
Media executive age breakdown
| Media Executive Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 44% |
| 30-40 years | 39% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Media executive educational attainment
The most common degree for media executives is bachelor's degree, with 77% of media executives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 5%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Media executives by degree level
| Media executive degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 77% |
| Master's | 11% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Media executive jobs you might like
Media executive wage gap by degree level
According to the data, media executives with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $119,930 annually. With a Master's degree, media executives earn a median annual income of $108,993 compared to $83,137 for media executives with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $108,993 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $83,137 |
| Doctorate Degree | $119,930 |
Media executive employment statistics
Most media executives work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where media executives work
Below, you can see the size of companies where media executives work.
Media executive jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 13% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 25% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Media executive jobs by company type
Employees with the media executive job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most media executives prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Media executive jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 11% |
| Public | 19% |
| Private | 68% |
| Government | 3% |
Media executive jobs by industry
The most common industries for media executives are media, professional and education.
Media executive industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 23% |
| Professional | 13% |
| Education | 9% |
| Start-up | 7% |
| Technology | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Internet | 4% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
Media executive turnover and employment statistics
Media executive unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for media executives between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Media executive unemployment rate by year
| Year | Media executive unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.47% |
| 2011 | 6.19% |
| 2012 | 5.30% |
| 2013 | 4.87% |
| 2014 | 3.70% |
| 2015 | 3.36% |
| 2016 | 3.08% |
| 2017 | 2.97% |
| 2018 | 3.34% |
| 2019 | 3.54% |
| 2020 | 4.71% |
| 2021 | 4.59% |
Average media executive tenure
The average media executive stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 480 media executives resumes in Zippia's database.
Media executive tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 25% |
| 1-2 years | 40% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Media executive LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of media executives that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sales/Marketing | 7.25% | 175,318 |
| Assistant Promotions Director | 9.54% | 7,137 |
| Media Executive | 9.86% | - |
| University Relations Director | 16.11% | 23,143 |
Similar media executive jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sales/Marketing | 7.25% | 175,318 |
| Assistant Promotions Director | 9.54% | 7,137 |
| University Relations Director | 16.11% | 23,143 |
Foreign languages spoken by media executives
The most common foreign language among media executives is Spanish at 42.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.3% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 10.2%.
- Spanish, 42.9%
- French, 14.3%
- Arabic, 10.2%
- German, 6.1%
- Mandarin, 6.1%
- Other, 20.4%
Media executive languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 42.9% |
| French | 14.3% |
| Arabic | 10.2% |
| German | 6.1% |
| Mandarin | 6.1% |
| Other | 20.4% |
